Preserving Northern Marianas history one site at a time
BY MARK RABAGO
Saipan Correspondent
GARAPAN, Saipan — “History is who we are and why we are the way we are.”
The quote from historian David McCullough could be the marching orders for the Historic Preservation Office in the Northern Mariana Islands as — despite a recent exodus of staff and budget cuts — it perseveres to safeguard the heritage of the islands.
Artifacts and ancestral remains are typically found in coastal areas, so HPO has always been busy. Most recently, due to construction in Saipan, but also on Tinian where there’s a beehive of activity tied to the military buildup — it’s typical for construction crews to unearth ancestral remains or historic artifacts.
HPO is dealing with transition after the departure of longtime Director Rita Chong. The office is also in the process of hiring an archeologist.
Lufo Babauta, acting director; told the Journal the NMI HPO has always safeguarded artifacts and ancient remains, especially those uncovered at recent construction sites or where companies are about to dig in known historical areas.
The “HPO has a (standard operating procedure) in place to protect and preserve ancestral remains and artifacts. Remains and artifacts are secured, labeled, and boxed and stored accordingly to HPO standards,” he said.
“With HPO’s regulations in place, we have the right to cease all activities and work with project contractors to comply with their permit conditions, which include to hire out a private archaeologist to follow HPO’s scope of work to conduct full data recovery. ... Projects are then continued upon the completion of all archaeological findings are resolved.”
After ancestral remains and historical artifacts are recovered, the NMI HPO keeps them at its own repository storage, which is secured within the office premises.
“No human remains are given to the NMI Museum of History and Culture. Artifacts are on a case-by-case basis [when it comes to donating to the museum],” Babauta said.
HPO also has reburied many of the ancient remains which are recovered. The latest and most famous ones are the nearly 700 remains interned at the old Samoan Housing Complex site, where the Imperial Pacific Resort is now located.
“The biggest burials that has been discovered is located at the village of Anaguan site located in Garapan, which is located at the Imperial Pacific International grounds. There were 676 ancestral remains discovered and recovered and [they were] properly secured and placed back to the Anaguan Site through a formal reinterment ceremony.”
In a way, like the reburials of ancient remains three years ago, safeguarding the CNMI’s history is just an ordinary day in the office for Babauta and his staff.
“Our goal like always is to protect and to preserve the past for the future,” he said.
Currently, HPO is busy with four major sites — three on Tinian and one on Saipan.
The sites on Tinian all involve U.S. Department of Defense projects, specifically the Tinian Divert Airfield project. On Saipan, the site covers the entire expanse of Route 33, or Beach Road which is currently undergoing a major facelift.
Of the four, the Beach Road site is so far the only project where human remains have been unearthed, when workers recovered fragments of a human skeleton along the side of the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.
Babauta said those fragments will be carbon dated and examined further to ascertain their age.
HPO employs 10 people on Saipan, four on Rota, and three on Tinian.
Babauta also shed light on the recent “ancient” ship that emerged from the eroding sand on Micro Beach near the Hyatt Regency Saipan.
He said the wreck is most probably a Chinese sampan, but analysis on the wooden hull is still to be completed. HPO has a piece of the ship’s wooden planks in its compound.
HPO’s budget is comprised of about 80% federal monies, with 20% coming from local government coffers. The office is affected by government austerity measures, but a Community Development Block Grant covers the eight austerity hours for permit processing, Babauta said.
Babauta joined the agency 18 years ago and said he has a deep love of history and enjoys knowing about his forefathers. He is HPO’s boat captain, in charge of maritime tours for school children and other history buffs interested in offshore historical sites, like the submerged World War II M4 Sherman tanks.
The NMI’s Historic Preservation Office is mandated under PublicLaw 3-39, known as the Commonwealth Historic Preservation Act of 1982, to promote the preservation of the historic and cultural heritage of the Northern Mariana Islands and to prohibit the taking of historic properties and artifacts.
Its duties include conducting a comprehensive survey to identify all sites, structures, buildings, objects and areas of value in archaeology, history, architecture, engineering, and cultures of the Northern Mariana Islands. It’s also mandated to develop an educational program and service to make available to the public facts and information pertaining to historic and archaeological sites, structures and other significant properties.
Under HPO’s purview is also the issuance or denial of permits, after review by the review board, for use, access, and development of land containing cultural and historic properties, and for the taking of any artifact of historic or cultural significance from the commonwealth for cultural exchange, scientific identification, or donation to a non-profit organization recognized on the basis of its cultural significance. mbj
