Weighing more than 10,000 pounds, it was recently shipped from Hawai'i to Saipan and is now housed at the Northern Marianas Museum of History and Culture. Photo: Supplied / Mark Rabago
A massive latte stone from Rota has finally returned to the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI) after more than seven decades overseas.
The stone pillar - an emblem of Chamorro identity - was purchased by a private collector in the 1950s and taken off-island.
Weighing more than 10,000 pounds, it was recently shipped from Hawai'i to Saipan and is now housed at the Northern Marianas Museum of History and Culture, where it will be publicly unveiled next month.
NMI Museum executive director Leni Leon told Marianas Press that the latte stone was first brought to the Honolulu Academy of Arts before being transferred to the Bishop Museum in 1970. It remained there for decades until a group of visiting Chamorros noticed it in 2021 and began advocating for its return.
"The reason why they are brought over to the NMI Museum is because by law, the museum serves as the official repository and custodian of all ancient artifacts and cultural materials of the CNMI," Leon said.
He said efforts are underway to identify the latte stone's original site in Rota, with the long-term goal of returning it there.
Indigenous Affairs Office resident executive Luella Marciano, who witnessed the offloading at the Port of Saipan, described the moment as deeply emotional.
"It is a connection for us when we receive it from another place," she said. "Not only does it connect our history with our people, it also reminds us of what happened to us. Many of our islands were colonised, so this is another form of peace for us-restoration for our people."
Traditional healer Donald Mendiola led a blessing ceremony at the museum. "I am proud that it is here. It is back at home," he said.
Governor David Apatang's chief of staff Henry Hofschneider attended a repatriation ceremony in Hawai'i in August marking the start of the process to return Marianas artifacts from the Bishop Museum. He said this shipment represents the "first wave" of many cultural items coming home.
Museum officials say the latte stone will remain on display in Saipan for now, allowing the public-especially students-to see and touch a symbol that appears on the CNMI flag and has long represented Chamorro strength and resilience.
The official public ceremony to welcome the latte stone home is tentatively scheduled for 15 November, when it will touch Marianas soil for the first time in 75 years.
