A One-Man Protest Against the Flag of Northern Mariana Islands Continues

OCTOBER 24, 2024 — Today, Chamorro activist Raymond Quitugua staged a protest outside the United States Courthouse in Gualo Rai, Saipan, where talks between the NMI and U.S. governments are underway.

Holding an inverted U.S. flag, Quitugua expressed his frustration over the Northern Mariana Islands flag, stating that the U.S. government should address his concerns about indigenous identity, reported the Marianas Variety News & Views.

“As a Chamorro native, I believe the U.S. government has an obligation to properly identify my national identity,” he said, referring to the flag’s design, which includes a multi-colored mwaar, or floral wreath, representing the Carolinian people, also known as Refaluwasch.

Quitugua argues that Chamorros are the only “true indigenous people” of the Northern Marianas and takes issue with the flag’s representation of the Carolinians. In April 2024, he set a flag on fire during a live social media broadcast to further his protest. He had previously, alongside fellow activist Herman Tudela, displayed an inverted U.S. flag in the same location on May 1, 2023.

Through his continued actions, Quitugua demands that the U.S. government properly recognize the Chamorros as the sole indigenous people of the Northern Marianas.

Lino Olopai, a Carolinian who contributed to the design of the Northern Mariana Islands flag, had condemned Quitugua’s flag burning.

“There was some contention between the Chamorros and Carolinians way back, but it’s not as severe today as it was back then. After World War II, there were no intermarriages between Chamorros and Carolinians. Now we see a lot of that. I hope that will continue, to bring peace, but it’s just this one guy,” Olopai explained, referring to Quitugua. “Racial baiting should stop. We are all Pacific islanders.”

Image: Public domain

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