ON the front page of Marianas Variety’s first issue in Jan. 1974 was a news article regarding the Trust Territory government’s “standby plan for the rationing of gasoline on Saipan.”
“EDUCATION on Saipan and probably elsewhere in Micronesia is in a desperate situation,” said a Marianas High School teacher who was originally from the states. In a letter to Variety’s
THE banner headline of Marianas Varietyâs June 9, 1972 issue was âGOVERNMENT CENSORING RADIO STATION NEWS.â
At the time the NMI was one of the six districts of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands which was administered by the U.S. The other districts were Palau, the Marshall Islands, Ponape (Pohnpei), Truk (Chuuk) and Yap. The TT governmentâs chief executive was the American high commissioner who was an appointee of the U.S. president. The high commissioner, in turn, appointed the administrator of each district. The TTâs legislative branch was the bicameral Congress of Micronesia, but each district also had their own district legislatures. The Marianas District, moreover, had mayors, municipal councils, village or district commissioners on top of the TT governmentâs various departments, offices and other agencies.
FORTY-NINE years ago, the islandâs newest newspaper, Marianas Variety, reported that the Marianas District Legislature would convene to establish the Marianas Future Status Commission.
In 1972, the NMI was still part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands administered by the U.S., but was eager for a closer affiliation with America. As a Congress of Micronesia senator from the NMI would put it, âOur concern now is to become part of the United States with the opportunity to negotiate whatever is best for the people of the Marianas.â
The TT consisted of six districts â the Marianas (the NMI), Palau, the Marshalls, Ponape (Pohnpei), Truk (Chuuk) and Yap â and its lawmaking body was the bicameral Congress of Micronesia. Each district, moreover, elected their local legislatures. In the NMIâs case, it also had mayors, municipal councils and village commissioners. The chief executive of the TT government was an American high commissioner, an appointee