Northern Marianas Humanities Council Executive Director Leo Pangelinan, left, accepts an in-kind donation of 200 Chamorro Cookie packages from Herman’s Modern Bakery for the 6th Marianas History Conference.
NORTHERN Marianas Humanities Council Executive Director Leo Pangelinan said island residents can register to attend the 6th Marianas History Conference at the Crowne Plaza Resort, starting on Friday, Sept. 1.
Registration is $20 and can take place online at uog.edu/mhc2023. You can also register at the site on Friday at 2 p.m.
Conference hours are: Friday, Sept. 1 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 2, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This year’s theme is “Healing the Wounds of History.”
According to its official website, conference presenters will discuss Marianas-related healing practices, healthcare issues, prevalence of diseases, sources of environmental contamination and more.
Pangelinan said the conference is a collaborative effort among the University of Guam, Humanities Guåhan, Guam Preservation Trust, Guampedia, Northern Marianas College, the CNMI Public School System, and the CNMI Department of Community and Cultural Affairs.
“We decided on the theme, Healing the Wounds of History, late last year and it is a reflection of our thoughts about shared experiences through the coronavirus pandemic and the divisions that exist today between Guåhan and the Northern Mariana Islands that are rooted in historical events and persist as intergenerational trauma,” Pangelinan said. “The coming together of people from all over the Marianas and the diaspora provides opportunities for inafa’måolek or reconciliation and healing to take hold through healthy discourse.”
Pangelinan said speakers from the CNMI, Spain, Japan, Guam, Hawaii, and the continental U.S. will be present to share research.
The registration fee includes morning refreshments; meals; an exclusive dinner with cultural performances; all access to sessions and roundtables; experiential learning activities, which includes sailing trips; a tour of the Garapan Heritage Trail; Amut walk; and more.
Pangelinan said registrants can download the Whova app to view the conference schedule, sign up for exclusive activities, share documents, and communicate with conference participants.
“Connecting with the history of the Mariana Islands is very important as our understanding of the past colors our perspective of the present,” Pangelinan said. “There are many benefits to knowing more about the history of the Mariana Islands. For the people of the Marianas, sharing our history takes on special meaning because it communicates information about our identity and our relationship to people in our community and our environment.”
