[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 59 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND CULTURE 20TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                  HON. GREGORIO KILILI CAMACHO SABLAN

                    of the northern mariana islands

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 12, 2018

  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, this year the Northern Mariana Islands 
Museum of History and Culture celebrates its 20th anniversary.
  Our islands' only, locally-run museum is as much a tribute to the 
story of the people of the Marianas as it is to the resilience and 
determination of those who have led the Museum's operation. They have 
kept the Museum alive despite many years of inadequate funding, 
understaffing, and a destructive typhoon that could well have shut it 
down permanently.
  The Museum is located in a 92-year-old hospital built during the time 
the Northern Marianas were under the administration of Japan. The 
structure itself is an artifact of our history, and before its 
renovation looked the part. Its concrete, paint-less exterior told the 
story of war and every typhoon that has passed through our islands in 
the last century.
  Today, within the Museum a visitor can view artifacts from the time 
of the ancient Chamorro people, and of the Spanish, German, and 
Japanese occupations that descended upon us. These artifacts, and the 
paintings and photographs that are part of the displays, tell the story 
of how our people survived, adapted, and thrived throughout our 
history. They--and other objects stored away in the Museum--are 
lovingly preserved by their local conservators, who exhibit a profound 
dedication to keeping the memories of our people alive.
   The NMI Museum of History and Culture is an independent program of 
our Governor's Office. Sadly, the facility fell on hard times in the 
mid-2000s, when massive budget cuts forced the lay-off of most staff. 
At this low point, the Museum had only one employee, whose availability 
determined when the museum would open and close. As a result, many a 
visitor was turned away who could have experienced the history of the 
Chamorro people.
   In 2015, the Marianas were hit by Typhoon Soudelor, the most 
devastating typhoon in decades. That terrible storm could well have 
meant the end for our Museum. The typhoon left many artifacts damaged, 
the roof leaking, mold along the walls, floors flooded, and much of the 
plumbing a wreck. And the museum was forced to close its doors to 
visitors--indefinitely.
   Into this scene of destruction a new energy arrived in the person of 
Mr. Danny Aquino. Appointed Executive Director last year, Mr. Aquino 
was tasked with the grueling repair of the museum.
   And more help was on the way. An outpouring of financial and 
material support from IT&E, Saipan Stevedore, Saipan Shipping, CMS 
Trucking, Soudelor Corporation, Tropical Gardens, and other local 
businesses, a $55,000 appropriation from the Saipan and Northern 
Islands Legislative Delegation, and $50,000 from the Marianas Visitors 
Authority gave Aquino and his team the funds to start repairs.
   Help from the staff of the Mayor of Saipan also moved the work along 
at a faster pace. The Mayor's team assisted museum staff with grounds 
maintenance, landscaping, and other outdoor work. Somehow, restoration 
took less than six months to complete; and the Museum reopened last 
November to its first visitors in a very long time.
   I visited the museum in February to see this progress. I had been 
there shortly after Typhoon Soudelor; and I can report the difference 
between then and now is night and day. Mr. Aquino's can-do attitude, 
and the tireless work of his staff--James Cabrera, James Macaranas, 
Allan Lifoifoi, and Wenny Haruo--drove the repair efforts and the 
result is a museum that the Marianas can truly be proud of.
   Today, visitors to our islands can orient themselves to the three-
and-a-half millennia of Marianas history at our Museum. Residents can 
take pride in who they are and where they come from by strolling 
through this beautiful facility. And students--many of whom are 
required to take a course on the history of our islands--can enlarge 
their vision of the future by learning about our past at the Northern 
Mariana Islands Museum of History and Culture.
   Please join me in congratulating the Northern Mariana Islands Museum 
of History and Culture on 20 years of serving our islands and our 
people.

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