Kit Porter Van Meter Marianas Collection & NMI PCV Memories
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  • KPV Collection
    • COLLECTION INDEX & GENERAL CONTENT
    • EDUCATION & CULTURE ​CONTENT
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    • About the Collection & Website
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    • Kit's Original Narratives >
      • Working in the NMI Audio Narratives >
        • Work Audio Narrative: 1975-1976
        • Work Audio Narrative: 1976-1977
        • Work Audio Narrative: 1977-1978
        • Work Audio Narrative: 1978-1979
      • Life in the NMI Audio Narratives >
        • Life Audio Narrative: 1975-1976
        • Life Audio Narrative: 1976-1977
        • Life Audio Narrative: 1977-1978
        • Life Audio Narrative: 1978-1979
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        • Update #1 (08/23/19)
        • Update #2 (09/13/19)
        • Update #3 (10/27/19)
        • Update #4 (11/15/19)
        • Update #5 (12/01/19)
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  Kit Porter Van Meter Marianas Collection & NMI PCV Memories

Audio Narrative 1 of 4
Life IN THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS,
​Year 1, 1975-76

​chapters 1-14

by Dr Kit Porter Van Meter
Please click the play button on the image below to list to the audiobook,
and scroll down for more information
Created & Posted September 26, 2025
It is fifty years since I, Kit Porter, recorded the audio tapes used for the following audio narrative.  We have used audio from 14 tapes sent to family during our first year living on the Island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands --September 1975 through August 1976.  There are no surviving tapes for February, April, May & August so this is an incomplete narrative. Many were taped over.

Five years earlier from 1967 to 1969 I had been a Peace Corps Volunteer on the island of Rota.   When these  recordings were made I had been invited and contracted to work in the NMI Department of Education on Saipan as Coordinator of the Bilingual Project, funded by a US Title VII grant  for Chamorro & English.education in grades 1 through 5. 

My family and I had moved from Vermont to Saipan.  This first year we lived in government  housing in Garapan.  Lisa was starting first grade at Oleai School..  Her teacher was Ms Jovita Kisa. 

Storms mentioned on the tapes were Typhoon June Nov 19, 1975 which had mostly wind damage on Guam and Typhoon Pamula May 21, 1976 which damaged an estimated 80% of the buildings on Guam, but did not hit Saipan, although we prepared.

Three narratives follow this one highlighting our life for three additional years until 1979.  We lived in the N. Mariana islands for a total of 8 years.

To learn about the NMI transition from US TTPI to CNMI, Bilingual/Bicultural education & teacher training.please listen to the four narratives, 1975-79, WORKING IN THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS.

© Kit Porter Van Meter 2025
www.kpvcollection.com

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