NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

  Every week I get sometimes a few, sometimes quite a few requests for information, for interviews, for assistance. I am not a very well-organized person and so sometimes these requests fall through the cracks, and I miss them. But for the most part I try to accommodate as many people as I can. I recall that if I can help someone in their research, finish a paper, gain some perspective for their thesis or even provide a key quote or insight for their article, it could help put Guam or Chamoru issues in a more critical light, and it may push someone, tied to the island, to be more engaged about things important to me (and hopefully to them).  It is always nice to look back and see if I did have an impact, albeit even a small one on someone's perspective or even the course of their intellectual journey. A few months ago, I was a guest speaker for a college course focusing on cultural diversity in psychology. I talked about my experiences growing up Chamoru, but also not very stereoty

Last month for UOG's annual Chamoru Christmas celebration "Puengen Minagof Noche Buena" my Radical Chamoru History class performed their own version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" using Chamoru and also references from the Fanuchånan semester and Guam's recent election. It was a lot of fun watching them write it and as you can see in this picture, they used appropria te props when performing it. Here are their lyrics: "I fine’nina na Krismas, este ma susedi I fine’nina na na palao'an gobietno (The first day of Christmas, this is what took place The first female governor (of Guam!)) I mina’dos na Krismas, este ma susedi Dos na Påkyo (The second day of Christmas, this is what took place Two typhoons (that happened during the semester)) I mina’tres na Krismas, este ma susedi Tres freskon mannok (The third day of Christmas, this is what took place Three fresh chickens (new fresh, faces in the Legislature) I mina’kuåtro na Krismas, este ma susedi Ku

It has been two weeks of non-stop Chamorro Christmas songs in my classes, all in preparation for tonight's Puengen Minagof Nochebuena at UOG. One of the toughest songs we've been tackling is "Annai i Niño" also known as "Kantåyi gui'." In honor of December being the season not just for Christmas but also Star Wars, I always tease my students using the equivalent of dumb Chamorro Star Wars dad jokes. After struggling through the difficult tune for the verses, whenever the students come in strong for the chorus and sing loudly "Kantåyi gui'!" I respond, "Maolek! The Kantåyi is strong with this one." As a back up, in case they aren't cringing to death already, I might throw in "ti este na Kantåyi ta espipiha" or "This is not the kantåyi we are looking for." ****************** Annai i Ni ñ o minida as Maria ( When Mary clothed the infant ) Ya nina’ åsson gi hilo’ ngåsan ( and made Him

Ti Guahu tumuge' este. I sodda' este gi internet lao ya-hu muna'famta este guini gi iyo-ku blog. Sa' ti meggai na kabåles na tinige' taiguini gi Fino' Chamorro sodda'on gi internet. Gof impottånte este na estoria gi kotturan Chamorro. Gi inaligao-hu put i estoria-ta, esta hu interview fa'na'an mas ki dos siento na manåmko'. I meggaiña manininterview hu faisen este na finaisen "gi dumangkolo'-mu, håfa i lihenden pat estoria na'manman sina un huhungok ginen i mañainå-mu pat i manacha'amko'-mu?" Kalang kada unu sumångan este na estoria put si Sirena. ********************** Estorian Sirena Åntes na tiempo, guåha un familia mañasaga giya Hagåtña . Guåha lokkue' un bunitan palao'an gi familia ni na'an-ña si Sirena . Gus ya-ña si Sirena ñumangu, espesiatmente gi halom i saddok Hagåtña. I nånan Sirena ha sangani gue' na kalan guihan gue' gi halom hånom. Un diha, tinago

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

“Trump and Consequences” by Michael Lujan Bevacqua The Guam Daily Post March 30, 2016 There’s a Chamorro saying, comes in different forms, but follows this basic logic, “ an esta masångan, mappot pumañot tåtte .” Once something has been said, it’s difficult to swallow back. This applies to what parents say to their children. What friends say to each other. What people post on their Facebook or Instagram. It is a simple reminder, that while it is easy to spit whatever nonsense comes into your mind at any given moment, the ease with which it is verbalized, is in direct contrast to how impossible it may be to rid the world of it. Nowhere is this more true than for politicians. There is an amazing process in which lifetimes of public service, legacies of accomplishment are reduced to gaffes, or mistakes or slips of the tongue. You must always be vigilante about what you say, because once it leaves your mouth, it belongs to the world, and it can be used to elevate you higher

Click here to DONATE to support the website Common Dreams! Here is a sampling of the type of news you can find there. It has been a main source of information for me since ever since. Here is a sample of the news you can find there from just the past week.  ************* Published on Saturday, December 26, 2015 by Common Dreams 'Whatever It Takes': Okinawa Sues Tokyo in Effort to Block US Base Prefecture's governor vows to take anything necessary to block construction of American military camp by Nadia Prupis, staff writer   Okinawa officials on Friday filed a lawsuit against the central Japanese government in a new bid to block the slated construction of a U.S. military base in the prefecture's Henoko region. "We will do whatever it takes to stop the new Henoko base," Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga said during a press conference Friday. "Okinawa's argument is legitimate, and I believe that it will be cer

So many people ask me this each year, I decided to post a reply from Pale' Eric Forbes from his blog four years ago to save me time. One of these days, I'll make a post of my own and add some other options to the list. ******************** http://paleric.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-do-you-say-merry-christmas-in.html Thursday, December 22, 2011 HOW DO YOU SAY "MERRY CHRISTMAS" IN CHAMORRO? SHORT ANSWER Felis Påsgua or Felis Påsguan Nochebuena or Magof Nochebuena LONG ANSWER First of all, not all cultures have an old custom of using specific greetings for special occasions.  The phrase "Merry Christmas" is an American/British custom.  The phrase appeared in some English writings many hundreds of years back, but didn't become popularized till Christmas cards started using them in the early 1800s.  In times past, "merry" meant "pleasant" or "agreeable."  But it a

I collect Guam mentions from national and international media and this one has to be one of the more interesting ones I came across this year. ******************* How Guam Stole Christmas by Kimberly Robinson http://www.bna.com/guam-stole-christmas-b57982065502/ December 23, 2015 Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot ... But the Guam officials sued in this Ninth Circuit case , did NOT! On (the eve of) Christmas Eve, they asked the U.S. Supreme Court to step in and revive their expedited tax refund process that was struck down by the Ninth Circuit in the summer season. Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason. It could be that their heads aren’t screwed on just right. It could be, perhaps, that their shoes are too tight. But some think that the most likely reason of all … is that the officials wanted to keep expediting their own refunds while making the majority of Guamanians wait months or even years for their

Some articles about Puengen Minagof Nochebuena. This past year and some press releases from years before. Si Yu'us Ma'ase to the Pacific Daily News for their generous coverage this year!! Ko'lo'lo'na si Jojo Santos Tomas yan Si Sue Lee! Puede ha' nina'haspok hamoy ni' todu i kinanno'-miyu buñelos gi ma'pos na simana!  ***************** Fashion, doughnuts highlighted at UOG's Puengen Minagof Nochebuena 2015 Jojo Santo Tomas   Pacific Daily News December 3, 2015 Cultural fashion and delicious treats will highlight Puengen Minagof Nochebuena 2015 Friday night at the University of Guam campus, and the public is invited. The event is presented by the  University of Guam Division of Humanities at the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and the Chamorro Studies Program. It runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4 in the Humanities and Social Sciences Building (HSS) Atrium. "For this year's Puengen Minagof No