PHOTOS | 50th Covenant Day Anniversary celebration kickoff

The 50th Covenant Day Anniversary celebration marking the ratification of the CNMI kicked off with a celebratory cultural dance by the Chamorro Club, MC’d by veteran Chamorro dance teacher LJ Castro.

As the event commenced, visitors were treated to an array of booths featuring native arts produced by Marianas vendors. Featured talents were Manuela Yarofialir (hailing from the Oleo island of Yap and featuring woven arts), John ‘Mames’ Castro (traditional sailor heading the canoe-building project in Civic Center), Tyler Warwick (co-founder of Galuti Club), Manny Blas (native tuba-maker hailing from a lineage of åmot practitioners), Anne Lauffet (a Chamorro alåhas carver), and cultural performances featuring such groups as MHS’s Polksai and Refaluwasch groups headed by April Repeki and Manuela Yarofialir.

Photos by Kianna Reyes.