NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

I have spent the past few weeks meeting with people who are running for political office here in Guam this year. Some for senator, some for governor. This year promises to be an exciting one in terms of campaigns and candidates. With five teams running for governor (4 Democrats and 1 Republican). More than 80 packets for senatorial candidates have been picked up, with only 15 possible seats in the legislature. Mampos meggai na månnok manmalålagu gi kånton guma'! What is different this year however is not just the amount of candidates, but also the diversity in terms of their background. More and more, people are running for office who haven't been in formal government service before. They haven't worked in a political machine. They are outsiders, activists, educators, working class people, lawyers, professionals, veterans, journalists and more. The question remains however, and I will acknowledge from the very start of the conversation, that there is nothing intrinsic

I felt like I've written a hundred press releases this year, most of them for the Independence for Guåhan Task Force, but plenty of others for the Chamorro Studies Program at UOG. I've been meaning to post them here just to easily archive them, especially for when I apply for promotion to UOG in the coming year. It is intriguing, because what made me think of this tonight, was a column written today by Paul Zerzan in the Guam Daily Post. It discusses how the Chamorro language is a dead language. It isn't very well-written and its argument is incredibly poor on almost all possible levels. Part of it hinges on him describing an anecdote whereby a Chamorro cultural event planned in 1993 was attended by only himself, therefore clearly proving the language being dead. What struck me as bewildering about this particular portion of his argument, was that on a regular basis I attend and organize (ko'lo'lo'ña gi UOG) Chamorro events that hundreds of people att

My personal metric for determining candidates who get my vote boils down to these three things: 1. Do they speak Chamorro? 2. Are they supportive of Chamorro language, culture and rights? 3. Do they support decolonization and are they open to considering independence as a political status for Guam? This election there are fewer Chamorro speakers than ever, especially at the senatorial level. But that's why I was grateful that so many candidates ( such as those in these images) were willing to participate in a Chamorro language forum where they used the Chamorro language in their responses even if it was difficult for them. I've also been impressed with the number of candidates who are expressing an openness to decolonization and the possibilities of Guam becoming independent. Biba Ha'anen Botasion! Biba Chamorro! Biba Guåhan!

Lumiliko' yu' pa'go gi i sanhaya' na bandan Guahan. Hu tufong todu i tapblerun pultikat ni' hu li'e. Hu tuge' papa' hayi umusa Fino' Chamoru gi i tapblerun-niha (ti meggai) yan hu atan lokkue' hayi umusa i banderan Amerikanu pat i banderan Guahan gi i mensahin-niha. Meggai na kandidatu siha gi i dos patida ma u'usa i agaga', i asut yan i apa'ka gi i tapblerun-niha. Meggai lokkue' umu'usa i bandera Guahan yan i Guam seal, lao mas mau'usa i banderan Amerikanu. Malago' yu' sumangani i manmalalagu siha na guaha otro kulot siha (fuera di ayu na tres), ya guaha otro manera ni sina un usa para u representa i isla-ta. Bai hu tuge' gi otro simana i Guam Political Sign Awards. Hu litratu todu lin'e'-hu, ya para Guahu este kalang un gof mata'pang na sakkan botasion para tapbleru, guaha interesante.

I'm writing up my 2012 Guam Political Sign Awards. For those who need a reminder about what this entails, I thought I would post below my awards for the last election, in 2010. ******************* 2010 Guam political sign awards Wednesday, 10 Nov 2010 01:22am by Michael Bevacqua |  Marianas Variety News Staff The political signs are slowly getting taken down around island and so before we forget that for close to a year our island was covered in a sea of slogans, promises, and smiling faces, Id like to hand out my 2010 Guam Political Sign Awards. These awards are decided by me and me alone, there is no panel of judges who have debated or voted on them. The categories are neither fair, nor uniform, and they change for each election depending on what signs are out there. These awards are meant to be fun and funny, and rarely serious. These are not meant to attack any candidates, but are instead given to celebrate how invested our island

I gayu-hu siha para i botasion 2012, hu pega i na'an-niha siha guini magi gi este na post. Tailugat yu' pa'go ya ti sina hu tuge' sa' hafa hu ayek siha, lao siempre bai hu na'klaru ayu gi otro diha. Gi i Democrat na patida na banda: Ben Pangelinan Judi Won Pat Tom Ada BJ Cruz Rory Respicio Tina Muna Barnes Frank Aguon Jr. Joe San Augustin Gi i Republican na patida na banda Aline Yamashita Michelle Taitano Roland Blas Este nas dos, buente bai hu bota, lao ti siguru yu'. Michael San Nicolas Judith Guthertz Anggen esta maregister hao, na'siguru na mambota hao pa'go. Anggen ti maregister hao, sa' hafa? Sa' hafa un yuyute' i direcho-mu?

Mensahi Ginnen I Gehilo' #6 "Quiz Time" What do people look for in their political candidates? To often the list of things that people vote based on is filled with the trivial, the superficial and the embarrassing. People will vote for candidates based on height, hair, smile, ability to wave by the roadside and even what their first name is. In a democracy people have the right to vote for whoever they want to, regardless of how informed they are about the candidates or the issues. This is one of the reasons why everyone may claim to love democracy, but really want it only in small doses. Real democracies take work. They require that the people keep track of their leaders. They require that the people themselves are knowledgeable and know who for whom they are voting.   If this is not the case, then communities tend to elect simply those who are most famous or the wealthiest. Next month Guam will be electing another Legislature. Currently there

A familiar creature has returned to the roadsides of Guam. For some, as they see the beasts lurking beside the road they may feel as if it is too soon. It was not too long ago that these beasts came to blight the land, and it cannot already be time for their return! But for others these creatures are things of beauty; who stand like quiet sentinels and brighten the days of those who pass by. These creatures come in many forms, their plumes multicolored, and their shrieks filled with familiar refrains and friendly sound bytes. The creatures I am of course referring to as the political signs for this year’s election season. In times past, for most of the island, the next few months would be the highlight of everyone’s year. Families and friends would band together for months under the banner of Popular or Territorial, Democrat or Republican and waste the weeks away at pocket meetings and fundraisers. Naturally there was always a lot of bitterness and animosity during this

A few weeks back I was writing for my column in the Marianas Variety about the differences in presidential elections in 2012 and in 2008. The Republicans seem like a schizophrenic bunch right now, with everyone who can say something kaduku into a microphone being tossed into the ring as a possible presidential candidate. In 2008, Democrats hoping to be the one to take advantage of the disdain for President Bush, came out in full force and so the Democrats also went through their own period of primary insanity. But what makes the two primaries different is the presence of "change" and "history" in 2008 for Democrats, which is lacking in 2012 for Republicans. Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton, with their primary battle for the soul of the party and the future of it's progressive spirit kept things interesting and made it so that even if the party tore itself apart at times, it was all in the best interests of the country, all in the best interests of finding what be

Barack Obama's re-election campaign has officially begun, with the release of a video through his website . Here is the video below, which features people from around the United States getting geared up to help re-elect the President. Ti siguru yu' hafa siniente-ku put este. Ya-hu Si Barack Obama. Ya-hu gui' desde i fine'nina na humuyong gui' gi i 2004 na DNC giya Boston. Ga'o-ku gui' kinu Si Bush yan kinu todu i otro ni' sina manmalalagu para i ofisina gi 2012. Hunggan desganao yu' na ti gof "liberal" gui'. Ya ha na'desganao yu' meggai gi i ma'pos na dos na sakkan annai ti ha tachuyi hit kontra i manriku yan i Manrepublicans. Gof lalalu yu' na ti ha huchom GTMO. Ayu i mas fa'set na prublema. Huchom ha'. Sotta todu i mampinengle guihi. Manmapopongle todu kontra i lai internationale. Pues sotta ha' todu. Hunggan, sina na gigon manmasotta siha, ma hatme i US, lao maolekna ennao kinu i gagaige ha' i &quo;

Despensa yu'. Mangontrata yu' na bai hu na'fanhuyong i 2010 Guam Political Sign Awards gi i ma'pos na mes, lao ti hu na'funhayan. Gof tinane' yu' gi i ma'pos na mes ya tinane' yu' lokkue' gi este na simana esta ki agupa'na. Put fin na esta mafatto i finakpo' i "semester." Esta nina'yafai yu' nu i che'cho'-hu pa'go. Hu fana'gue sais na klas gi este na "semester," yan esta listo para bai hu deskansanaihon. Achokka' i kabales na listan i manggana para iyo-ku "Awards" ti munhayan tribiha, esta hu na'fanagi i publio gi iyo-ku column gi i Marianas Variety, gi i ma'pos na mes. Espiha guatu yanggen ya-mu mas. Lao gigon na makpo' i che'cho'-hu agupa', bai hu kekena'funhayan siha. Depensa yu' ta'lo.

Esta ma tutuhun tumutufong i botu siha para i Dos Mit Dies na Botasion guini giya Guahan. Bai hu kekeegga' i tinifong este ki munhayan, puede ha' ti esta chatangmak annai sina ma takfiha hayi manggana'. Before the results are in for the Guam election, I thought I would post below some of the ads from the Democratic and Republican Gubernatorial teams. Some of them were pretty interesting. The Guamanian Dream. This isn't really a political ad, it's just a mashed up collection of stereotypical images and metaphors meant to convey strength, good feelings and the future. Oh, wait, that is what a political ad is. The Carl Gutierrez narrative of him reaching out to help anyone in need is very appealing, unless you actually think about that as a matter of Government policy, where it would lead to bankruptcy and serious government overextension. I don't know what is more painful to listen to. Pandering in Chamorro to voters, or pandering in Tagalog. I under

Earlier tonight we finished, the second of four Fino' Chamoru na Inadaggao or Chamorro Language Forums which are being held at the University of Guam this week and next for those who are running this year for Senator and Governor on Guam.There is still another tomorrow for Senatorial Candidates and the final next Monday, the 25th for the Gubernatorial teams of Calvo/Tenorio and Gutierrez/Aguon. All of the forums start at 7 pm and end hopefully by 9, but more realistically by 9:30. The forums so far have been interesting to say the least. I have been surprised at the Chamorro-speaking abilities of some candidates and appalled at the abilities and lack of trying of others. One of the biggest problems with the health of the Chamorro language today is the fact that so many people understand it or at least claim to understand it, but can't translate or transform that into actually using the language. There is such a strong social barrier which prevents people from even trying. I h

Tomorrow (Thursday) from 4:30 - 6:30 PM, there will be a wave in support of Trini Torres in her run for the Legislature. The wave will be held at Chief Kepuha Loop in Hagatna. I've attached the flyer below which has more information. Guaha giya Guahan, ma sangan na gof taffo' Si Trini ya sesso Guiya i mas a'gang gi i kuatto, achokka' taya' otro ume'essalao. Lao ti puniyon na gaige gi i sinangan-na siha i minagahet, achokka' buente i meggaina na taotao guini gi isla-ta, ti manmalago' lumi'e'.

Just finished up at the Realizing Our Destiny Rally held at Adelup today and organized by We Are Guahan. Mampos yafai yu', lao mampos malulok yu' lokkue'. It was tiring, stressful, chaotic, lao sen gaibali, absolutely worth it. At least 500 people showed up (by my quick counts) to hear the music of Biggah and Bettah and Rockbottom, to take literature from the Guahan Coalition for Peace and Justice, and also sign up for the decolonization registry. The highlight of the rally was when we formed a human chain around the Adelup field, with more than 300 people, and screamed at the top of our lungs that we would defend this island and that the DOD must hear and pay attention to and act according to what the people of Guam want. Hunggan, esta ma fitme i ROD, lao taya' guaha. Esta hu tuge' gi este na blog, na achokka' ma sangan na makpo' este, a'annok ha' na ti makpo'. Ma diseseha i militat, na yanggen ma fitma este, fitma ayu, fitma enao, para ta f

One of the many things which looks to keep my October exciting and stressful is that I'm helping to organize a Chamorro Language Forum or Fino' Chamoru na Inadaggao for the Senatorial hopefuls in this year's election on Guam. For those of you who are interested in attending or just submitting a question via email let me know. Also, even though it is completely ready yet, I have started yet another blog, which will have information about the Forums at this address: http://inadaggao.blogspot.com/ . Sina un sodda' mas infotmashon guini pappa'. ******************** UOG's Chamorro Language Program, We Are Guahan, Peace Coalition host gubernatorial, senatorial forums from PACIFIC DAILY NEWS NEWS@GUAMPDN.COM SEPTEMBER 10, 2010 The University of Guam Chamoru Language program, We are Guahan, and the Guahan Coalition for Peace and Justice will co-sponsor a series of Chamorro language senatorial forums on Oct. 19-21 and a gubernatorial Chamorro language forum fe