NMI Museum of History and Culture facts for kids

The NMI Museum of History and Culture

The museum building, once a Japanese hospital

The NMI Museum of History and Culture, often called the NMI Museum, is a special place in Garapan, Saipan. It shows off the rich history and culture of the Chamorro and Carolinian people. You can see old items, important papers, fabrics, and photos from different times in the Northern Mariana Islands. These include periods when the Spanish, German, Japanese, and Americans were present.

The museum has brought back many historical items from the Marianas. These items were once held by private collectors or museums in other countries. Over a million dollars has been spent to build up its amazing collections. The old buildings on the museum grounds have been fixed up to keep them safe and looking good for visitors. The museum is located right across from Sugar King Park.

The museum is a great learning spot! It runs programs for schools and hosts field trips for students from all over the world. It also helps students from Northern Marianas College with their studies. People who visit and do research come from places like East Asia, North America, Australia, and other islands in Micronesia. The museum helps with questions about land, old storage areas, and past business activities. It's the official home for all historical items found during land surveys and building projects in the CNMI. The museum also shares items with American Memorial Park and works with other groups for events.

The museum is run by the Saipan municipality. It is also part of the Garapan Heritage Trail. This trail helps people learn about the history of the area.

Discover the Museum's History

The NMI Museum was officially created by a law in 1996. It first opened its doors to the public on November 4, 1998.

Early Exhibitions and Collections

In 1999, the museum showed artworks by Chen Xiao Ping. It also featured a traveling exhibit about Chamorro people who moved to Yap. This exhibit included photos, stories, maps, and letters.

Later in 1999, the government of Germany gave the museum copies of maps, stamps, and photos from when they ruled the islands. In November 1999, the museum opened an exhibit called "Tiempon Aleman." This showed what German rule was like from 1899 to 1914.

In 2000, the museum worked with Japanese groups to create an exhibit about the Japanese period. This display included photos, film clips, and old items. The Sugar King Foundation also gave the museum special items, like a "Happi Coat" given to company workers. The museum even made models of old buildings from Garapan.

Stories from the Pacific War Era

In 2004, the museum shared personal stories from Chamorro and Carolinian people during the Asia–Pacific War. It also displayed items related to the Navajo Code Talkers. These were brave Native American soldiers who used their language as a secret code. You could also see crafts made by people living in Camp Susupe during the war.

That same year, an exhibit called "The Japanese Administration in the Northern Mariana Islands" opened. It showed items and photos from the sugar industry. In June 2004, the crew of the Enola Gay, a famous airplane, visited the museum and donated items.

New Donations and Special Exhibits

In January 2005, Takahisa Aoyagi and Takao Fukushima donated Japanese Period items to the museum. These items were connected to the Nanyoji Temple and the Saipan Girls' High School. That same month, the museum held an exhibit about the "Influence of Catholicism in the Marianas." It showed old church items like candle holders and bells.

In spring 2005, the museum featured an exhibit about "Castaways on Anatahan." This told the story of Japanese soldiers who hid on the island until 1951. In May 2005, a museum expert found a very old Chamorro fish hook during an archaeological dig in Chalan Kanoa.

In December 2005, students from Tsuru University in Japan visited the museum. In February 2006, a museum expert gave a talk about ancient Chamorro culture at San Vicente Elementary School.

Community Involvement and Growth

In May 2012, a group from Okinawa gave the museum a collection of photos from the Japanese period. In May 2014, this group also placed a special monument on the museum grounds. The CNMI Arts Council held an "Art in the Park" event at the museum in June 2014.

In September 2015, volunteers helped clean up the museum after Typhoon Soudelor hit the island. In November 2015, the museum sent someone to an archaeological dig in Garapan where old human remains and a ceramic bowl were found.

In 2016, the museum displayed old handkerchiefs with Japanese pictures from the 1940s. In February 2017, contestants from the Miss Pusong Pinoy pageant visited the museum. In July 2017, the museum took part in the annual Liberation Day Festival.

In the summer of 2019, the museum had an exhibit with old photos of people and soldiers from the Battle of Saipan and Battle of Tinian. These battles happened during the Asia–Pacific War. In July 2019, the museum helped with the Liberation Day celebrations and even gave children rides on a carnival train.

In early 2020, students from Saipan International School and exchange students from Korea visited the museum. Later that month, the museum took part in a tourism summit for the CNMI Public School System.

Current Collections and Future Plans

Today, the museum's collections include ancient Micronesian slings, treasures from a Spanish ship, and items from different wars. You can see pottery jars and gold pieces from the sunken ship Nuestra Señora de la Concepción. The museum also has old Catholic items, like a Latin Mass book from 1934. It keeps items donated by families of American and Japanese veterans, and by local people who lived in the islands during the Pacific War.

In the future, the museum plans to build small huts. These will be places where local artists can teach, show, and sell their crafts to visitors. The museum also hopes to build a cultural center for Chamorro and Carolinian traditions, similar to Hawaii's Polynesian Cultural Center.

Museum Buildings

The museum is located in the old Japanese hospital. This building was a medical center on Saipan from 1926 to 1944. It is the largest Japanese building on the island that survived the war. The hospital was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

In 2019, the old Japanese laboratory next to the hospital was fixed up. This building is planned to become the museum's gift shop and coffee shop. This will help the museum earn money to support its work.

Supporting the Museum

The museum has faced challenges with funding. In the past, there were cuts to its budget and staff. Museum staff sometimes had to use their own money for things like light bulbs, lawn equipment, and fuel for museum vehicles. They also volunteered their time to keep the museum open for tours and events.

Some museum items were damaged or lost because of a lack of money for repairs and from tropical storms. In 2000, floods caused minor damage to items. In October 2008, heavy rain flooded the museum, bringing water and mud into the exhibit areas. In 2015, Typhoon Soudelor damaged the museum and its trees. This caused water damage and problems with the building's foundation. Some damaged items included an ancient Chamorro canoe, Japanese photos, military uniforms, and items from a Spanish ship.

In May 2014, some leftover money from a lawsuit was donated to the museum. In March 2019, the museum worked with the Saipan Southern High School Student Council for a carwash fundraiser.

Who Helps the Museum?

The museum director has said that helping the museum means "investing in the future of the children of the CNMI."

In 2004, Pacific Development Inc. on Saipan provided financial help. The museum has limited space for storing items and for staff to work. In 2017, the United States Department of Defense, Saipan Shipping Company, and IT&E donated three large containers. These were changed to safely hold human remains and artifacts belonging to the museum.

In 2017, IT&E also gave three air-conditioning units for the museum. In the late 2010s, the museum received grants from the Marianas Visitors Authority to help preserve the building and its exhibits. IT&E Saipan also provided phone and internet services.

In June 2018, McDonald's Saipan gave a $3,000 check to the museum. In July 2018, the Marianas Young Professionals group raised over $2,000 for the museum. This included a $1,000 donation from Duty Free Saipan (DFS) Ltd. In 2020, the Tan Siu Lin Foundation also donated to the museum.

Images for kids

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  The NMI Museum of History and Culture

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  The museum building, once a Japanese hospital