The government of this United States commonwealth amended their constitution on October 3, 1996, to make the song “Gi Talo Gi Halom Tasi” (Chamorro version; in Carolinian it is known as “Satil Matawal Pacifico”) the commonwealth’s official song.

The melody of the song is taken from the German tune “Im Schonsten Wiezengrunde”. (Although what was later the Northern Mariana Islands was owned by Germany before World War Two, I don’t believe there is a connection.) The Chamorro lyrics were written first, the Carolinian lyrics were written just before the Northern Mariana Islands became a separate U.S. territory. (It was at that time that it was first proposed that “Gi Talo Gi Halom Tasi” be the anthem of the Northern Mariana Islands, but it was not acted upon until nearly 20 years later.