101 



COMMONWEALTH OF 



THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS 



Statement of Jesus C. Borja 



June 1, 1995 



including submerged lands, transferred to our Commonwealth by the 

 Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands "belong collectively to 

 the people of the Commonwealth who are of Northern Marianas de- 

 scent . " 



Section 2 of the draft bill recites that the "United States 

 recognizes that the Federal policy of self-determination and self 

 governance extends to all Native Americans." For the people of 

 the Northern Mariana Islands, the principles of self-determin- 

 ation and self-government require more than protecting tradi- 

 tional fishing practices. They require recognition of existing 

 property rights in these fishery resources and a practical means 

 of managing them to the economic benefit of our people. Conse- 

 quently, we have long sought broader changes in the way the Mag- 

 nuson Act applies to our islands. 



15 Sec. 1. Our Constitution was approved by Presidential 

 Proclamation 4534, October 4, 1977. 



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