NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

I took my UOG summer class students to Mount Lamlam for an extra credit hike over the weekend.

For those of you who know me, you might already be making ominous sounds and widening your eyes preparing for an update about my struggle with that particular peak on Guam. For those of you who don't know me I won't bore you too much, but let me just say that me and Mount Lamlam have a history, a difficult, painful history of me getting lost on that hike. On a good day a hike up and down Mount Lamlam should take 2 - 3 hours depending on how fast you move. On a bad day it can take 4 - 6 hours. The extra times comes from the sword grass or bamboo being too dense that trails disappear and also can come from the fact that if your group is too large they get spread out and staggered along a winding, uneven and sometimes dangerous path slowing you down.

The hike over the weekend was no different, as close to 50 of my students and their friends showed up and this led to a long day of hikin…

Sorry it took a couple months to get it organized but Heritage Hikes, organized with the help of We Are Guahan are back. Part of the problem that we had, is that for several months we were attempting to work with the Navy on Guam to have the next round of Heritage Hikes visit places on DOD installations on Guam such as Haputo or Spanish Steps. When the military has been confronted with why Pagat should remain in public hands and not in theirs, they often often stated that the historic or cultural sites which are within their footprint, behind their fences, are not totally blocked off to the public, but anyone can seek permission to visit them. We decided to test this out and asked to visit a number of sites in the Northern and Southern part of Guam on Naval properties. At first, things went very well, and we were allowed to visit a few sites and conduct test hikes there, where we checked out the terrain and also prepared what sort of historical lessons we could provide to people. But …

On Thursday night I was on a panel for a film screening at UOG. After the film we had a short discussion about the film and took some questions from the audience. The question I received from the audience was about how the people of Guam, Chamorros and non-Chamorros can speak out with one voice with regards to the buildup and thus take control of it. I thought about that questions for the moment, and couldn't really come up with a decent or hopeful answer. That surprised me, but I guess given how things have played out in terms of the US military buildup to Guam since 2005 I shouldn't be.
I have been asked that same question in so many forms in these past five years, more frequently in the past year, but my answer has constantly changed, depending on how the island has changed or has not changed. Early on, I was fighting against the inevitability that people were infusing into the buildup despite not knowing anything about it. My answers were long and rambling, always hopeful …

This weekend I'll be taking people up to the literal "top of the island," Guam's tallest "peak" Sabanan Lamlam, or Mount Lamlam. It is part of We Are Guahan's "Heritage Hikes." We went to is Pagat two weeks ago, Cetti and Sella Bay last week, and now our third and final hike up to Mount Lamlam.

Even though will be the third time to travel up there in the past month, but I'm still excited about it. Here is one of the reasons why.

My cognitive map of Guam, the network of images, symbols, ideas, sights, smells, and so on which I use to imagine what Guam is on a daily basis is dominated by my classrooms where I teach in, the apartment complex where I live in, and the things I pass by the side of the roads as I travel. I spend most of my time in the central part of the island bouncing between Chalan Pago, Hagatna, Tamuning, Barrigada and Mangilao. As such, Guam is a pleasant concrete jungle, dotted every once in a while with random clusters of…

For those of you who like hiking, learning more about Guam’s history and natural environment or, like me, are looking for an excuse to get some exercise, I’m helping organizesomething this month you might be interested in.

I’m working with We Are Guahan to hold three “Heritage Hikes” on three different Saturdays in November.

Last Saturday we hiked down to Pagat Cave, Cliff and Village. This coming Saturday we'll be hiking down to Cetti Bay and up Sella Bay. Next Saturday we'll be taking our last hike up to Humuyong Manglo and Mount Lamlam. I'll be helping lead each hike and be talking to people about some of the historical, cultural and biological importance of each area.

The Pagat hike was very successful with more than 30 people joining us. I'm hoping for at least the same amount, maybe more for the next two.

If these hikes are that successful and people really enjoy them, then I'll work on organizing some more early next year, perhaps to some different sites.

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