September is Cultural Heritage Month

A proclamation that honors the cultural heritage of the CNMI was signed Friday morning at the Carolinian Utt along Beach Road in Garapan.

Gov. Eloy S. Inos and Lt. Gov. Jude U. Hofschneider inked the proclamation that declared the month of September Cultural Heritage Month.

Gov. Eloy S. Inos and Lt. Gov. Jude U. Hofschneider sign the proclamation declaring September Cultural Heritage Month at the Carolinian Utt in Garapan on Friday. (Jayson Camacho)

Joining them in signing the proclamation were members of the public, DFS Saipan executives, Department of Community and Cultural Affairs officials, and other stakeholders.

Florence Kirby, Cultural Heritage Month committee chair, said the occasion serves to remind the CNMI community of the teachings of our parents and grandparents on tradition and how tradition leads the life for future generation.

“Customs are passed down from our ancestors and the passing of our tradition from our parents equals our customs,” Kirby said.

Cultural Heritage Month will give the island community opportunities to showcase their unique influences and preservation of indigenous and cultural activities and aspirations that will continue to inspire young generations.

“We affirm our common wish to live together in peace and harmony within the diversity of our cultures for they will only enrich us, not separate us. Our ancestors, who made their homes on these islands, displaced no one,” the proclamation states.

Inos said the Carolinian Utt, which is undergoing renovation, is a great setting to sign the Heritage Month proclamation.

“The Carolinian Utt is a very special place for me indeed. When I took office and appointed the executive director for Carolinian Affairs, I sat down with him and I told him we need to do something about Carolinian Utt and preserve our culture as well,” Inos said.

According to project contractor Heinz Staffler, the new hut being built will use about 10,800 congo bushes and will last three years. The project is being sponsored by DFS.

Staffler noted the new Carolinian Utt is expected to be finished by next week and will include a large stage.

Heritage Month coordinator Gordon Marciano said that several activities have been lined up for this month’s celebration, including the inaugural International Festival of Cultures.

On Sept. 23, there will be a ceremony to honor the 13 fishermen who lost their lives at sea and are memorialized by the 13 Fishermen’s Monument along Beach Road. This will be followed by Chief Aghurubw Day on Sept. 27, to honor the Carolinian navigator who resettled his people in the Northern Marianas in 1815 after a major typhoon destroyed their islands in Satawal, which is now part of the Federated States of Micronesia..

“I invite the community and everyone in the CNMI to come together and celebrate with us in remembering our past and noting for our future generation of our traditions and customs. Let us make this month a memorable month,” Inos said.