NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

Kao guaha finaisen-mu siha put decolonization? Kao malago' hao manungo' mas put independensia? Anggen hunggan, put fabot bisita i lamasan-måmi gi Java Junction gi 11/4 gi alas 3 gi talo'ani. Estague i fine'nina na "Decolonization Coffee Convo."

Six years ago under the guidance of Peter Onedera, the Chamorro language program at UOG held a Chamorro Language Forum, in which senatorial and gubernatorial candidates were asked questions in Chamorro about pertinent island issues. It was on one hand a great success. Students asked hundreds of questions to the candidates in the Chamorro language. But on the other hand, the format of the forum made it so that candidates didn't have to speak in Chamorro, they could just respond in English. I assisted Peter Onedera with these forums both as a student and a professor at UOG, and so I found it on the one hand inspiring to see a place where the Chamorro language was the focus for political discourse. But it was also so depressing to see so many leaders and would-be leaders not even trying to speak Chamorro, even though they were given the questions ahead of time and could have prepared answers. Fast forward six years and through my Chamoru Culture class at UOG, we have decided to br

It is finally here. Put fin mafatto gui'. Election Day for Guam and the CNMI. I Ha'anin Botasion para todu i Islas Marianas. I have so much to do today but I am hoping to post some of my thoughts on the election before the polls close. Meggaigai na bai hu cho'gue pa'go, lao hu diseseha mohon na sina hu tuge' magi i hinasso-ku put i botasion pa'go antes di machuom i sagan mambota siha. Most importantly, who I plan to give my votes to. Put hemplo, hayi i gayu-hu siha ni' bai hu bobota pa'go. Here are some thoughts from my male' Victoria Leon Guerrero on how to pick a good candidate for you and for this island. Estague i hinasso-na i male-ku Si Victoria LG, put taimanu sina manayek hao maolek na gayu para Hagu yan para i isla.  ****************** FROM VICTORIA LEON GUERRERO: When I vote for a person, I ask myself some important questions. 1. Can I trust this person? 2. If I approach this person with ideas or concerns, will I

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

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

There were a number of things which overshadowed my trip to South Korea, and when I say overshadowed, I mean things which would constantly appear, be brought up or dictate the conversation regardless of where I went. For instance, the World Cup was huge while I was in South Korea and so everywhere I went, people were talking about it or sporting their pride in their national sport's team. Another issue was reunification and how recent elections this month have helped diminish so many hopes for progress on the re-uniting of the two Koreas. One issue however, especially in conversations with South Korea activists, whether in Seoul, Paju, Pyeongtaek or Jeju, which was always very prominent and had so many people angry, frustrated or on edge was the sinking of the South Korean military ship, the Cheonan in March. The ship was participating in joint training exercises with US military forces, when it ran aground and split in two 58 of those aboard survived while 46 died. The South Kor

Continuing off the discussion from last week's post Sota i Manmapongle , the column below is from the blog The Western Confucian , and asks a simple but very relevant question, that any colony, which is serious about itself, should consider very carefully. What would you do without the colonizer? And when I say consider carefully, I mean really actually think about it, and really analyze and hopefully free yourself from the everyday dependencies which you take for granted and sometimes treat as if they are God's will. The Western Confucian deals with the question, What Would Asia Do Without America? and critically reverses it, to as What Would America Do Without Asia? It is easy to live in commonsense, it is even easier to stew in colonial commonsense, because it comes with extra comfort and illusions. That is the space of decolonization, once you get past the desolate wasteland of dependency, which intimates to anything that doesn't have the United States' stamp, ba

I've dreamed for years about a Chamorro Studies program or department at the University of Guam. This possibility was one of the things which helped push me through graduate school and compelled me to return to Guam and work at UOG. A Chamorro studies program could be an incredible force in assisting with various potential processes of decolonization. It could be a central force in the publication of historical, cultural, critical or consciousness building texts. It could be a key player in helping build social social for different movements or help in the securing of funding and other resources. It could also be a site for the grooming and educating of future Chamorro/Guam leaders. It could, on the other hand be none of the these things and end up as a conservative department, and maybe just existing as an arm of the Guam Visitor's Bureau, where kosas Chamorro are just things to pretty the island up for tourists. But the possibilities that it represents are worth those sort

Last week I taught my first classes ever. I've guest lectured and substituted for people before, but this was the first time that I had my own classes and that I was the one in charge. Thing went pretty well. I'm taking over four History of Guam classes for November, since the professor is off-island for medical purposes. At first I wasn't quite sure how to approach the classes, since I'll be the third teacher for them (their real professor, another sub and then me), and what I might want to do, will no doubt conflict with what the others have taught. Also, since I have a dissertation that still needs to be written and finished, I have to find a way to be creative and get my students thinking, without taking too much time away from my writing and research. For my first round of classes, things went pretty well. At least from my perspective. I gave some background on myself, gave a little lecture on what I see as being the importance of history, and also talked about

Lipstick on a Wing Nut by Katha Pollitt from The Nation September 10, 2008 John McCain chose the supremely under-qualified Sarah Palin as his running mate partly because she is a woman. If you have a problem with that, you're a sexist. She talks incessantly about being a mother of five and uses her newborn, Trig, who has Down syndrome, as a campaign prop. If you wonder how she'll handle all those kids and the Veep job too, you're a super-sexist. "When do they ever ask a man that question?" charges that fiery feminist Rudy Giuliani. Indeed, Palin, who went back to work when Trig was three days old, gets nothing but praise from Phyllis Schlafly, James Dobson and the folks at National Review, who usually blame all the ills of modern America on those neurotic, harried, selfish, frustrated, child-neglecting, husband-castrating working mothers. Even stranger, her five-months-pregnant 17-year-old, Bristol, gets nothing but compassion and respect from Bill O'Reilly,