Inetnon Åmot Natibu/Ammwelil Safeyal Faluwasch (Native Medicine Association) is now Inetnon Åmot yan Kutturan Natibu/Mwiischil Safey me Kkoor Aramasal Falúw (Association of Native Medicine and Culture). With this new name, the Association expanded its area of concern to include native culture in general and not just native medicine. The Association is still a non-profit organization with board members consisting of volunteer Chamorros and Carolinians and registered in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) with an office on Capital Hill on the island of Saipan.

The specific purposes of the organization are:

1) To advocate, recognize and support traditional healing and cultural programs of the indigenous Chamorros and Carolinians,

2) To help protect habitats of medicinal plants through restoration, legislation, educational programs, resolutions, community awareness, conferences, workshops,

3) To document cultural traditions in the vernacular languages, and

4) To publish educational materials, posters, brochures, and to produce non-print materials such as DVDs, CDs, and TV programming.

In 2007, the Association received a grant from the Administration for Native Americans to produce a directory of indigenous traditional healers in the CNMI and to conduct native medicine symposia on Tinian and Saipan. In 2009, the Association’s 730 page Directory of Traditional Healers and Medicinal Plants in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands received the Northern Mariana Islands Humanities Council’s Governor’s Award for research and publication.

In 2010, the Association received a two year grant from the Administration for Native Americans to 1) establish Chamorro Village Cultural Center on Rota and Chamorro/Carolinian Village Cultural Center on Saipan in year one and on Tinian in year two, and 2) do research on Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan on the traditional Chamorro art form of Chamorrita in year one and to publish a manual on the Marianas Chamorrita by the end of year two.

In partnership with the Indigenous Affairs Office (Offices of the Governor and Lt. Governor), the IÅKN/MSKAF is housed in building 1213, Capital Hill Rd., on Saipan (across from the CNMI Workforce Investment Agency and next to the CNMI

This website will continue to contain materials on the Chamorro and Carolinian traditional medicine and will have information about the cultural centers and the Chamorrita research.

Please contact us if you have any questions. Si Yu'us Ma'åse, Ghilisow, and Thank you for visiting.