NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

My students often ask me, "Who is the most famous Chamorro?" Meaning which Chamorro has achieved the most, has achieved fame or stardom? Which Chamorro is a household name, not just in Guam or the Marianas, but in the world? Are they any Chamorros out there who can represent the island, the culture and the people to the billions of people who aren't Chamorro and don't even know what Guam or a Chamorro is? There are lots of Chamorro musicians, some of whom have achieved minor fame outside of the Pacific, such as Johnny Sablan and Pia Mia. There are Chamorro athletes, many of whom are baseball players, but with the rise of fighting culture on Guam, we have seen some Chamorros truly shine in that regard. There are even a few Chamorro actors and filmmakers out there, although it can be hard to miss them when they appear in the periphery of major films. There are even Chamorros that have won Grammy Awards and Pulitzer Prizes. But who should receive the honor as the m

I just submitted my abstract to be considered for a very special journal edition based on indigenous activism and legends or wondrous tales. The special edition seems so exciting, as you can read below it is all based on recaptured the wonder in certain native tales and talking about the way in which they do not remain mere stories, but help to animate and activate political activity or imaginations. For my paper I'll be talking about the legend of how the women saved Guam, sometimes known as the story of why Guam is narrow in the middle. Elizabeth Kelley Bowman, un nuebu na ga'chong gi lina'la'-hu, will be co-writing the piece and helping make a connection between that story and contemporary female activism against US militarization of Guam.  The editors are still looking for more submissions. If you are interested please check out the CFP below. (the image comes from the 2014 Inachaigen Fino' CHamoru or the Chamorro Language Competition held at UOG ear

Ya-hu i titilu-na este na tininge' ginen i PDN. "Mas ki baila." Enao na tres na palabras kumubre meggai put hafa i bali-na i kinalamten baila para i taotao-ta. Ya-hu enao lokkue' na palabra "kinalamten." Sa' gi i sinangan-hu un po'po'lo na "kinalamten baila" put i kinalamten i patten i tahtaotao anai mambaibaila. Lao sina lokkue' un po'po'lo na "kinalamten baila" put i kinalametan pulitikat, kinettura yan sosiat ni' masusesedi desde i 1970s yan 1980s. Gi este na mes, siempre meggai para u fambaibaila. Kada un egga' este siha, hahasso na mas ki baila i bidan-niniha. Ayugue i anten i taotao-ta, i kinalemtan lina'la' gi kuttura-ta. Biba Mes Chamoru! ********** More than dance: Youths in guma' learn culture and language Lacee Martinez Guampdn March 1, 2014 Years after diving into the cultural and performing arts, Brian "BJ" Terlaje didn't expect he'd be learning a

US nearly detonated atomic bomb over North Carolina – secret document Exclusive: Journalist uses Freedom of Information Act to disclose 1961 accident in which one switch averted catastrophe by Ed Pilkington The Guardian/UK   A secret document, published in declassified form for the first time by the Guardian today, reveals that the US Air Force came dramatically close to detonating an atom bomb over North Carolina that would have been 260 times more powerful than the device that devastated Hiroshima. The document , obtained by the investigative journalist Eric Schlosser under the Freedom of Information Act, gives the first conclusive evidence that the US was narrowly spared a disaster of monumental proportions when two Mark 39 hydrogen bombs were accidentally dropped over Goldsboro, North Carolina

“Inagofli’e’” Michael Lujan Bevacqua Marianas Variety 3/5/13 This past Sunday the Guahan Coalition for Peace and Justice organized a peace vigil in Tumon, at the memorial site where a terrible attack took place two weeks ago. This vigil was meant to honor those who were killed and those who were hurt in the attack, and also provide a space for members of the community to come together and make sense of what happened. Candles were lit, blessings were offered, a song was sung, a healing circle was formed and some doves were let loose. Although the Guahan Coalition for Peace and Justice organized the event, it would not have been possible without the help of many local organizations and leaders, including a group of JFK high school students, who each contributed something. The vigil was given the name “Inagofli’e’.” This is a word that many people today may not be familiar with, but has a very deep beautiful meaning in Chamorro. The word can be broken d

The Honorable James Clyburn Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, South Carolina 2012 Democratic National Convention Thursday, September 6, 2012 Fifty-two years ago, President Kennedy accepted our party’s nomination saying, “We are not here to curse the darkness; we are here to light a candle.” This is the fundamental difference between the party of President Obama and the party of Romney-Ryan. President Obama has lit candle after candle, bringing our country out from the darkness of recession, only to see Republicans douse the flames and amuse themselves cursing the darkness. The Romney-Ryan Republicans, however, have walked away from bi-partisan efforts to find responsible approaches to moving this country forward, bringing only more darkness. The architect of the Republicans’ backward blueprint is none other than their vice presidential nominee, Paul Ryan. The Romney-Ryan plan will cut taxes for the wealthiest one percent, end the guarantee of Medicar

From the Huffington Post : Kirk Douglas' tenth book, " I Am Spartacus! Making a Film, Breaking the Blacklist ," is being released today by Open Road Integrated Media. ******************** When you reach 95, after you get over your surprise, you start looking back. I've been thinking a lot about my parents, Russian immigrants who came to this country in 1912 -- exactly one hundred years ago. For them, the United States was a dream beyond description. They couldn't read or write, but they saw a better life for their children in a new country half a world away from their tiny shtetl. Against all odds they crossed the Atlantic. And like millions of people before and after, they passed close to the Statue of Liberty as they entered New York Harbor. Perhaps someone who could read English translated the beautiful words of Emma Lazarus, etched in bronze on the pedestal: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe

A great post below from The Drowning Mermaid , titled " Desiree, Be a Lady ." My favorite line is this one: "The "melting pot," the "my land is your land, from California to blah blah blah blah" (I never bothered to learn that song) is only fun, positive, or happy when you are not the one losing yourself, or if you are not the one acting as the gracious host for someone rich and powerful enough to hit you over the head for not being enthusiastic about "sharing." It's not fun or easy to accept if the brand of "unity" they are pushing always forces you to "accept," while they "come together." The problem with decolonization in today's "multicultural" world is that there is so much pressure to give in, to let the prevailing powers, prevail. To give in and let the way things are continue as they are, since to challenge things or try to change things would mean making people feel uncomfortable,

Prime Minister of Japan Yukio Hatoyama has just resigned , and from the news reports that I've read, they are all attributing this to the fact that he could not keep a campaign promise that he made, to resolve the US basing issue in Okinawa. This is a very interesting turn of events. As I posted a few weeks ago, the road for the US military buildup to Guam is far from smooth, uneventful or straight. It is instead gof matahlek , very twisted and looks to only get mas matahlek as time goes on. A recently posted piece on The Huffington Post by Steve Clemons, can help shed some light on how it came to this: *********************************** Of Presidents & Prime Ministers in the Age of Obama by Steve Clemons Jan ken pon. Scissors cut paper. Paper covers Rock. Rock smashes scissors. There is an interesting drama playing out between several world leaders today that reminds of this game. President Barack Obama seems to be smashing the political fortunes of Japan Prime Ministe

Published on Sunday, January 27, 2008 by The New York Times A President Like My Father by Caroline Kennedy Over the years, I’ve been deeply moved by the people who’ve told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama. My reasons are patriotic, political and personal, and the three are intertwined. All my life, people have told me that my father changed their lives, that they got involved in public service or politics because he asked them to. And the generation he inspired has passed that spirit on to its children. I meet young people who were born long after John F. Kennedy was president, yet who ask me how to live out his ideals. Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals