Episode 4 — Crafting a Covenant: The Founding of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Memoirs Pasifika
English - June 02, 2021 02:00 - 40 minutes - 55.3 MB - ★★★★★ - 15 ratingsHistory Society & Culture Documentary documentary fsm marshall micronesia pacific palau azios cnmi culture guam Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
In our fourth episode, Congressman LJ Castro of Saipan discusses several key moments and debates from the Northern Mariana Islands’ self-determination process of the 1960s and ‘70s, including the Marianas Political Status Commission’s negotiations with the United States government to end the NMI’s status as a US-administered Trust Territory. Through the so-called “Covenant Agreement,” the Northern Marianas were ultimately able to establish the islands as a commonwealth of the United States with greater rights, autonomy, and citizenship.
LJ Castro is a former congressman in the Northern Mariana Islands’ House of Representatives, and is currently coordinator for the NMI’s Youth Congress. Mr. Castro also serves as creative director of Guma' Simiyan Manaina-ta, a dance troupe showcasing Chamorro culture through the performing arts. In 2017, he was granted the Governor's Humanities Award for Preservation of Traditional Cultural Practices, in recognition of his work in promoting culture through song, chant, and dance.
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Interviewees:
Vicente Naputi Santos Manuel Atalig Sablan Pedro Agulto TenorioMusic:
Memoirs Pasifika intro/outro song - Ryan ShookTeam:
Producer / Host - Tony Azios Audio Engineer - Ryan Shook Sound Recordist (Saipan) - Brad Ruszala Intern - Annie Fay Camacho