So who told the NMC students about the East Obyan Latte Site? I've walked by it a dozen times and I had no idea it was there.
Even if I had stumbled upon it, I probably would have thought that they were just a bunch of rocks. I imagine that this is one reason why there are so few latte stone houses left in the Marianas. Even if the Japanese or Americans had cared enough about the cultural symbol of the Marianas to protect them, were they even educated enough to recognize them? I doubt it.
Luckily we have the people at Historic Preservation Office to help us recognize historical sites. They are there should we have any questions. They might not know all the answers, but they are at least there to give us some insight.
I hate to have to admit this, but even after we finished clearing the historical site, it still kind of looked like a bunch of rocks in a clearing. (hangs head in shame).
HPO has a grant to design and build information signs for some of the historical spots around the island. Within the year, tourists and locals who visit this and a few other selected sites will be able to learn about some of the history of these islands.
History is piled on top of history in Saipan. This cement post was put here by NKK before World War II. It is right in the middle of the latte stone site.
So there it is. Go check out the site. To get there, park at the end of the paved parking lot at Obyan Beach, walk through the concrete structure, and right before you get to the beach, look left. You'll see a clearing with the latte stones in the middle.
So who told the NMC students about the East Obyan Latte Site? I've walked by it a dozen times and I had no idea it was there.
Even if I had stumbled upon it, I probably would have thought that they were just a bunch of rocks. I imagine that this is one reason why there are so few latte stone houses left in the Marianas. Even if the Japanese or Americans had cared enough about the cultural symbol of the Marianas to protect them, were they even educated enough to recognize them? I doubt it.
Luckily we have the people at Historic Preservation Office to help us recognize historical sites. They are there should we have any questions. They might not know all the answers, but they are at least there to give us some insight.
I hate to have to admit this, but even after we finished clearing the historical site, it still kind of looked like a bunch of rocks in a clearing. (hangs head in shame).
HPO has a grant to design and build information signs for some of the historical spots around the island. Within the year, tourists and locals who visit this and a few other selected sites will be able to learn about some of the history of these islands.
History is piled on top of history in Saipan. This cement post was put here by NKK before World War II. It is right in the middle of the latte stone site.
So there it is. Go check out the site. To get there, park at the end of the paved parking lot at Obyan Beach, walk through the concrete structure, and right before you get to the beach, look left. You'll see a clearing with the latte stones in the middle.
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