“Legacy of a Political Union” is a founding father’s memoir. That founding father is the late Edward Deleon Guerrero Pangelinan who was the chief covenant negotiator for the CNMI. The Northern Marianas Humanities Council officially launched the book at an event on Saipan at the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library this week.

In a video message from Washington D.C., Pangelinan’s son Joe said, “For him, these islands were not just the homeland, they were the heart of everything he did.” He added, “One of his last wishes was to share his story with the islands so people, especially the youth, would fully understand the rights and privileges granted to them as citizens of the United States.”

Edward Pangelinan was the chair of the Marianas Political Status Commission and CNMI Resident Representative to the U.S. from 1978 to 1984.

"Mr. Pangelinan's leadership in negotiating the terms of our U.S. Commonwealth status and subsequent work to implement the terms of our Covenant agreement with the U.S. lay the foundations for our collective actions toward self-determination and self-government as a people," said Council Executive Director Leo Pangelinan. "I am honored that he chose our Council to publish his insights into our political history and that his book will preserve his unique perspectives and experiences for posterity."

A free e-copy of the book is available for download at http://nmhcouncil.org/books/legacy.