Six receive Governor’s Humanities Awards

The awardees of this year’s Governor’s Humanities Awards—starting from third from left, April Repeki, Frances Sablan, Mario Benito, Sofina Tomokane, Beylul Solomon, and Dolores Rasiang, mother of Gloria Rasiang—pose with Northern Marianas Humanities Council board members during the awarding ceremony last Tuesday at the Pacific Islands Club in San Antonio. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

The Northern Marianas Humanities Council and the Office of the Governor awarded six individuals each with a Governor’s Humanities Award on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2022, at Charley’s Cabaret, Pacific Islands Club.

The six awardees are Frances Manibusan Sablan, Mario Benito, Sofina Quitugua Tomokane, Beylul Solomon, April Quiambao Repeki, and Gloria Saralu Rasiang.

The annual Governor’s Humanities Award is a prestigious honor given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the civic and cultural vitality of the CNMI. Each year, the council’s board of directors invite the community to nominate humanities practitioners and scholars for recognition in the following areas: (1) Preservation of CNMI History; (2) Preservation of Traditional Cultural Practices; (3) Research and Publication in the Humanities; (4) Outstanding Humanities Teacher; and (5) Lifetime Achievement in the Humanities.

“We encourage a range of expressions that come from individuals who are differently situated in terms of their identity, history, and culture, said Dr. Bobby Cruz, council chair. “From language, song, dance, to traditional navigation and indigenous healing, to research on historical trauma, these remarkable human beings ensure that our stories are told.”

Sablan received the Lifetime Achievement Award for her ongoing and steadfast commitment to revitalizing, teaching, and leading Chamorro dance and language activities since moving to the CNMI in 1978. She was the founder of several Chamorro dance groups and contributed to several published and soon-to-be published works written in the Chamorro language.

Benito received the Preservation of Traditional Cultural Practices Award for his enduring role in the community as a traditional canoe builder, teacher, and  voyager, enriching our community and strengthening our cultural identity through Cultural Maritime Training Center’s “traditional” tracks: Sailing and Voyaging, in which students learn advanced open ocean sailing, and traditional navigation.

Tomokane received the Preservation of Traditional Cultural Practices Award, recognizing her as an avid local medicinal and cultural practitioner. Tomokane has passed down her extensive knowledge of homeopathic healing traditions to her family members including her daughter and granddaughter who promote natural healing for birthing mothers through “labatorio” or “sitz” bath.

Solomon received the Research and Publications in the Humanities Award for her 2022 publication, Indigenous Rights: A Vehicle to Address Mental Health and Academic Outcomes in the CNMI, as a chapter in the textbook, Learning and Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education in Oceania. Beylul’s work offers critical analysis of how the CNMI’s history has shaped current academic, health outcomes, and proposes indigenous rights legislation and a new academic system.

Repeki received the Outstanding Humanities Teacher (In a Non-Classroom Setting) for her significant contributions to the CNMI as a Chamorro and Spanish dance instructor, performer, and mentor to Simiyan Marianas, a popular cultural dance group, who perform at numerous public events and representing the CNMI. Repeki’s passion is essential in revitalizing elements of traditional dances that were lost due to colonization.

Rasiang received the Outstanding Humanities Teacher (In a Classroom Setting) Award for her dedication in preserving and perpetuating the Carolinian language and culture as a teacher for over 25 years. Rasiang has modeled teaching methods passed down from her mother, Dolores, to include singing and integrating vocabulary words into the rhythm of her students’ favorite songs propelling her students to place in competitions throughout the CNMI.

“I was fortunate to have connected some of our cultural dots with the assistance, knowledge, and encouragement from our elders—our guelas, our guelos, my colleagues, cultural practitioners, friends and family, I hope and I pray to connect more dots now in the future and I wish the same for all of you.” Sablan said as she received her Lifetime Achievement Award.

A full profile of each awardee can be found at www.nmhcouncil.org. (PR)