Emma Perez is a Chamorro elder and co-founder of 500 Sails, a CNMI non-profit cultural organization dedicated to restoring the Chamorro maritime tradition in the Mariana Islands. A big part of her work is outreach to youth, teaching about the Chamorro and Carolinian maritime traditions and “planting a seed in the minds of the listeners that will grow into a desire to participate in traditional canoe culture”. Emma is excited to be part of Project HOPE where elders will guide youth to an understanding of how closely our lives are tied to the ocean that has shaped our island society and sustained our people for millennia.