NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

I'm working on an exhibit for Humanities Guåhan, and its put me back into researcher/scholar mode. I've been pouring through books and reports for the past week looking for various bits and pieces of information. Part of this meant re-reading some books and archival documents I hadn't touched in over a decade. Given the way in which conversations over decolonization and self-government have begun to take on a new character lately, I was particularly attracted to passages that can help me or others reflect on our development over time, how far Chamorros and Guam may have come, or haven't, especially in the context of their political connection to the US.

There are many ways that we can say that Guam has changed over the past 500 years or over the past 100 years. As we remain in the era of American colonialism, I am mostly concerned with the impact of the US and its policies. As I have written about in a variety of ways, these changes are tangible and very real, but als…

Hami, i Taotao Guahan by Michael Lujan Bevacqua The Marianas Variety July 29, 2015
On December 17th, 1901 a group of more than thirty men, primarily Chamorros gathered in Hagatna. Most prominent on their minds was the political status of their island Guam, which had been taken by the United States during the Spanish American War three years earlier. Since the transfer of power, confusion over Guam’s future hung like dark foreboding clouds. Although the American flag flew over Guam, the United States had not set up a government in which Chamorros would now enjoy the glories of American democracy. They had established a military regime which the US Navy total control over the lives and lands of Chamorros.
The group that gathered in Hagåtña represented some of the largest landholders, the wealthiest families and some of the most educated Chamorros of the day. They carried last names familiar to us today, such as Perez, Torres, Dungca, Quitugua, Martinez, Diaz, Calvo, Untalan and Sablan. The …

From Vicente Diaz
University of Illinois, UC

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Some of you asked for my comments delivered before the Senate on Monday. i couldn't attach it so I paste it here:

My name is Vicente M. Diaz. I am an Associate Professor in American Indian Studies and Anthropology. I am also an affiliate faculty member in History and Asian American Studies. I represent American Indian Studies; in fact, I co-chaired the search committee that recommended the hire of Steven Salaita.

I’m here to express moral indignation and outrage at the BOT’s denial of Prof. Salaita’s hire. Far from over, and even further from correct, our leadership’s decision is a wrongheaded and misguided action that has tarnished our university’s reputation among academics who know and understand how academia is supposed to work. It has also put us in actual harm’s way, some of us more than others. Above all, this administration has willingly placed political expediency and possibly money over academic …

Opinion/Editorial The Salaita case and Cary Nelson’s use of “academic freedom” to silence dissentVicente M. Diaz The Electronic Intifada 14 August 2014 Books and papers lie amid rubble at the Islamic University of Gaza on 2 August, after it was hit by an overnight Israeli air raid.
(Ashraf Amra / APA images) Cary Nelson, retired University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) English professor and past president of the American Association of University Professors, has been busy.

From the moment that the story broke of Chancellor Phyllis Wise’s underhanded nixing of Steven Salaita’sde facto hiring in my department, Nelson has rushed forward as the administration’s biggest cheerleader and defender against condemnations, protests and what amounts to a growing boycott of UIUC from scholars and academic associations.

In the interest of disclosure, I co-chaired the search committee that recommended Salaita’s hiring.
In live media and in an 8 August essay for Inside Higher Ed, Nelson has…

From GUAMPDN: 5:30AMUnofficial results of the Primary Election as of 5:30 a.m., with 58 of 58 precincts counted.
PUBLIC AUDITOR
Brooks, Doris Flores 14,027
Gutierrez, Carl (write-in) 4,692
5:00 AMUnofficial results of the Primary Election as of 5 a.m., with 58 of 58 precincts counted. All election races, except public auditor race.
DELEGATE
DEMOCRAT
Bordallo, Madeleine Z. (I)    7,866
Dizon, Karlo 2,829
REPUBLICAN
Blas, Frank Flores Jr. 5,301

INDEPENDENT
Diaz, Jonathan Frank Blas 86
LEGISLATURE

DEMOCRAT
Rodriguez, Dennis G Jr. (I)        7,721
Aguon, Jr, Frank Blas        7,572
Ada, Thomas C “Tom” (I)        7,447
Muna Barnes, Tina Rose (I) 6,833
Cruz, Benjamin J.F. (I)        6,697
Won Pat, Judith T Perez (I)         6,674
Pangelinan, Vicente C. (I)        6,660
San Nicolas, Michael F.Q.         6,570
Respicio, Rory J. (I)        6,392
San Agustin, Joe S.          6,382
Palacios, Adolpho Borja Sr. (I)        6,306
Guthertz, Judith P. (I)        6,175
Naholowaa, Leah Beth Oligario         5,401
Gum…

The delegate race has been unfolding in an interesting way in recent weeks.

For the first time ever Congresswoman Bordallo has a significant challenge for her re-election as Guam's non-voting delegate.

Frank Blas Jr. is challenging her on the Republican side, but their dialogue has been muted as Bordallo faces off two other challengers, one from within her own party and another an independent wild card. When the primary is over than the real race may be beginning. Delegates tend to have an incept date (Bladerunner reference) of 10 years, and so if Bordallo can survive this challenge, she'll have surpassed Won Pat, Blaz and Underwood in terms of longevity.

Karlo Dizon has shown himself to be very measured and intelligent in terms of addressing the issues, but to me he seems to suffer the populist, everyday appeal to changes someone from someone that a voter may find interesting, to someone they are excited to hand their vote to. In most circles you might refer to him as appea…

The full text of Congressman's address yesterday is below. I found her quotes from previous non-voting delegates Antonio Won Pat and Robert Underwood interesting. I was upset at her discussion of war reparations, for many reasons, only a few having anything to do with her. Her buildup discussion was a very cute sort of tip-toe-tight-rope walk, between addressing the needs of those at the top who still want as much "buildup" as possible, and the rest who feel mixed on the issue and aren't as sure about it. Like most politicians, the way out of this sort of quagmire is to celebrate the right of everyone to speak out and express their concerns. There was even a UOG FITE Club mention in there.

I haven't talked much about the delegate race lately because it's full of some tough choices. I have known Congresswoman Bordallo for a while, and support her on some things, but not others. Senator Frank Blas Jr. is running for her seat this year and I like his rhetoric an…