US military investment in the Northern Mariana Islands raises questions of cultural loss and political influence

The United States is investing nearly $800 million to expand military facilities on Tinian, one of the main islands in the Northern Mariana Islands. This is a specific strategy to strengthen its presence in the Indo-Pacific, especially amid rising tensions with China. Some local officials see this as an opportunity for potential economic benefits, while many residents are concerned about environmental damage and cultural loss. This project also sheds light on long-standing issues of limited political power and autonomy in the US territories, where many impactful decisions are often made in Washington without local input. Beyond its military objectives, this massive investment serves as an example of American political power and influence in these Pacific territories. 

Tinian is an important strategic region due to its proximity to China and its potential role as a backup to Guam’s Andersen Air Force base. The Pentagon has prioritized placing US forces across the Pacific in order to increase flexibility and military strength in the face of Chinese influence. The new military construction includes rebuilding an airstrip from World War II and upgrading training ranges that will be used by the US forces in the region. Through this influential financial commitment, the US is not merely building military infrastructure but asserting its political dominance in the region, using economic investment as a tool to exert its soft power.  

While the US Department of Defense says this military expansion is a strategic necessity, this investment inherently carries political weight, creating dependencies and influencing local governance structures. Local leaders like the former governor of the islands, Arnold Palacios, have pushed for more accountability. He had stressed the importance of mutual respect, environmental safeguards, and an agreement to ensure local communities receive benefits from the expansions. 

 “The world is changing in the Indo-Pacific and we need to acknowledge that,” Governor Palacios said. “We need to face reality.” 

Local community members have expressed conflicting feelings. Some welcome the increase in federal investment as a sign of hope for new jobs and improved infrastructure. Others are scared of cultural erosion, environmental degradation, and the loss of control over their ancestral lands. There is a stark disconnect between military decision-making and local communities. Historian Don Farrell explained how the people of Tinian don’t have direct access to decision makers, as the decisions occur in Saipan through the Commonwealth Bureau of Military Affairs. 

“They talk, but they don’t communicate with us either,” the local resident said. “So we usually don’t know what’s happening, as far as the military is concerned, until something happens, and we get some kind of public information release. So everybody here is essentially in the dark.” 

This lack of communication shows how military investment can proceed with minimal local input, reinforcing US political control through the exclusion of local communities from the decision-making processes. These concerns align with past experiences in the territories where US military operations have often marginalized local input in favor of their strategic priorities. It demonstrates how economic investment allows for political influence, effectively tying these territories closer to US interests regardless of local preferences.