Young cultural apprentices link identity, resilience to conservation at MICC

The next generation of cultural practitioners in the Marianas is redefining conservation—not just as science, but as identity, practice, and responsibility.

That message came through clearly during a traditional ecological knowledge panel on the final day of the 8th Mariana Islands Conservation Conference last March 19, where young apprentices in navigation, carving, and traditional medicine shared how cultural revival is shaping environmental stewardship.

“We are going to have a traditional ecological knowledge panel… apprentices to various masters… medicine, navigation, and so on,” said emcee Joni Quenga Kerr, setting the tone for a session that blended conservation with culture.

Moderator Moneka De Oro said the focus was on the role of younger practitioners in carrying forward knowledge once at risk of disappearing.

“Wanting to really take up that responsibility as the next generation… to learn these different practices… and ensure that we are equipped to pass it on,” she said.

Speakers described journeys that were often informal, rooted in community programs, chance encounters, and persistence rather than structured training.

For Andrew Roberto, a Saipan-based sailor, storyteller, and former Marianas Variety reporter, the turning point came after years of longing to reconnect with traditional navigation.

“I just did something that the ancestors did… sailed… in a boat designed by Chamorros,” he said, recalling a voyage between Saipan and Tinian. “Now we’re together being a family.”

Others echoed similar paths.

Roman Duenas, a Guam-based carver, said he began by simply approaching a master craftsman and asking to learn, eventually producing his first piece through trial and error.

Marjorie Atalig Daria, a Tinian native now studying medicine, said her exposure to traditional practices came later in life after realizing how little of it was taught in formal education.

“I kind of grew up in that mindset… more westernized,” she said, adding that returning home and joining sailing programs opened doors to traditional navigation, dance, and healing practices.

Panelists stressed that many of these traditions had to be actively reclaimed.

“We didn’t see… traditional sailboats in our waters… Chamorro jewelry was not… embraced before the ’80s,” De Oro said. “These sorts of things had to be reclaimed and fought for.”

Beyond learning the crafts themselves, apprentices spoke about navigating relationships with elders—often requiring patience, humility, and respect.

“You kind of have to work first with… the reason why they do things,” Duenas said, noting that younger learners must understand traditional methods before adapting them.

The challenges are not only cultural but structural. Roberto pointed to funding constraints, noting that many programs operate through nonprofits and rely on grants.

Still, the panel returned repeatedly to values—reciprocity, family, and resilience—as central to both culture and conservation.

“If you just take care of Mother Earth… it will give back to you,” Duenas said.

For Roberto, the concept of menesgun, or endurance, remains key.

“The common denominator of life is suffering… you must be prepared to endure it so that your culture can survive,” he said.

Despite the challenges, speakers expressed optimism that cultural knowledge—once diminished—will continue to grow through younger generations willing to learn, adapt, and pass it on.

As De Oro put it, the work is both a responsibility and a privilege—one that ties people not just to their environment, but to each other.