October 2021 is Humanities Month

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios share a photo with members of the Northern Marianas Humanities Council outside the Office of the Governor yesterday. Shortly before the photo was taken, Torres and Palacios proclaimed October 2021 as Humanities Month during a proclamation signing at the Office of the Governor conference room. (JOSHUA SANTOS)

October 2021 is Humanities Month, and the Northern Marianas Humanities Council will be holding multiple events celebrating the CNMI’s local culture as well as the council’s 30th anniversary this month, starting with a proclamation signing yesterday at the Office of the Governor.

What made the event more impactful for Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, who signed the proclamation with Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, was the reading of the proclamation in English, Chamorro, and Carolinian. Reading the proclamation in English was NMHC legal counsel Michael White, reading in Chamorro were Dandan Middle School students Jared Reyes and Angelina Camacho, and reading in Carolinian were Maya Rubeunog and Dany Defang.

Torres said he was proud to see the students yesterday reading and speaking Chamorro and Carolinian. Torres urged those who have been immersed in their culture and languages to share their experiences.

“I’ve never been more proud than today. …There are different ways to promote our culture and language, but as you can tell, speaking, reading, and writing are a whole different story when you talk about [our culture], whether it’s Refaluwasch [Carolinian] or Chamorro. Having you [students] at your age read [the proclamation in Chamorro and Carolinian], hats off to you,” said Torres.

“[To] each one of us, there’s a gift that you’re given. To those that have the gift of culture and language, please share that. I cannot emphasize enough how valuable that is,” he added.

Palacios lauded NMHC for its work in keeping the CNMI’s local cultures alive and said that its work is “very important now more than ever” as the CNMI becomes more and more of a cultural melting pot.

“If you look back at [the CNMI’s] history, we’ve been integrated with so many different cultures, the Spanish, the Germans. …In today’s world, we’ve welcomed so many different people of different ethnic backgrounds and different countries who’ve made the Commonwealth their home,” said Palacios. “So it is very important, now more than ever, that the Humanities Council continues to perpetuate [CNMI culture] and tell our stories and keep records of who we are and how we evolved as people whether it’s through language [or] customs,” he added.

NMHC executive director Leo G. Pangelinan recognized the CNMI’s off-island scholars who are making an impact abroad as well as recognizing the CNMI’s “cultural experts” at home. For him and NMHC, Pangelinan looks forward to continuing NMHC’s pursuit of exploring the CNMI’s rich culture.

“For the past 30 years, the Northern Marianas Humanities Council has served our community as a champion for a broad range of humanities programs and projects that address our collective intellectual interests and needs. This is what the council does, as it pursues its vision of navigating and saving our community through an ongoing process of examining who we are and expanding its reach to explore the rich diversity of cultural groups and lived experiences throughout our islands,” said Pangelinan.

Others present at the signing were NMHC board chair Tracy Guerrero and other NMHC members.