From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage
It’s great to see the CNMI featured in a recent USA Today article highlighting the Smithsonian Institution’s America 250 exhibition, “From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage,” on view at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. Among the items featured in the exhibition is the Marianas fruit dove, or Paluman Tottot in Chamorro, the CNMI’s official bird. This vibrant, fruit-eating pigeon is native and endemic to the Mariana Islands. Known for its soft green plumage with pinkish and reddish tones on its head and chest, the fruit dove plays an important role in the island ecosystem by helping to disperse seeds of native fruiting trees, supporting forest regeneration and biodiversity. The Smithsonian has held this specimen in its collection since 1945. It is a great recognition of the CNMI’s place in our nation’s story to be included in this exhibit, which runs from now through December 2029.
