Sacred Waters exhibit closing ceremony calls for water protection

The Micronesia Climate Change Alliance and Hita Litekyan are inviting the community to gather at the Guam Museum for the closing ceremony of Ta Na’i Animu: Sacred Waters, an exhibit and community initiative calling attention to threats against sacred waters in the Marianas, including deep seabed mining and other environmental pressures.

The closing ceremony will take place on Thursday, March 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Guam Museum and is free and open to the public.

The program will feature a panel of water advocates discussing their work in water protection, along with a live fashion art build where three artists will collaborate in real time to create wearable art inspired by deep sea life and the harms of deep seabed mining.

A key highlight of the evening will be a presentation by Master Suruhåna Mama Lou Manglona, who will share the cultural and medicinal significance of Hanom Sinaga, or fresh collected rainwater, in traditional CHamoru healing practices.

There will also be a silent auction of original artworks, with proceeds supporting ongoing cultural and environmental programming. Since its opening, the exhibit has uplifted the work of 45 artists from across the Mariana islands, centering water as a living relative and source of cultural memory.