NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

Each semester I try to organize a Dinanna' for our majors and minors. We have grown as a program so much in the past three years, even though I am the gehilo' for it, I have trouble keeping track of things. There are so many things which make Chamorro Studies as a program or discipline different than other academic units at UOG. We are one of the programs which you could argue is most connected to the community, save for those who are explicitly about community service or engagement (such as the cooperative extension). We are also a program which, in the scheme of things at UOG, has to regularly argue for our existence, against all manner of colonial and ignorant nonsense. Many programs exist simply because they are part of an established Western or international canon for education. There is little obligation for the faculty, the students or the program, since their vitality is assumed to be a given because of that relationship between power and knowledge. Women and Gender

Going through my files tonight trying to find stuff for my Guam History class that I'll be teaching starting tomorrow and I came across the following list. Every March, people on Guam celebrate Chamorro month. This is a wonderful change from the past when there was little to no positive public recognition of Chamorro culture, language and peoplehood. But at the "national" level, March is also supposed to be a month for celebrating women, as Women's History Month. The list that I found in my notes was from the American Association of University Women and their Guam Chapter, after they researched a list of Chamorro female "firsts" to be presented March of 1991. The list is very interesting and informative even if some of their choices could be questioned. Some of the names might be familiar to you, whereas others might be lost to history. ********************** Rosa Roberto Carter First Chamorro woman to be president of a university (UOG) Doris Flor

Dinana' Minagof, the annual Chamorro dance competition sponsored by Pa'a Taotao Tano' is happening this weekend. On July 5 and 6th at the UOG Field House you will see different houses or guma' within the Pa'a' Taotao Tano' family competing through dances from ancient, Spanish and contemporary periods. I've been to many Dinana' Minagof competitions over the years, but I am most excited this time around because I will be a judge for the competition! I have always sat in the audience or sat at a table selling my grandfather's tools. This time I will be judging the performances of so many students and fafan'ague that I know. Pa'a Taotao Tano' does such amazing work in the community, especially in terms of building Chamorro identity and a sense of cultural continuity. For years people criticized Frank Rabon and his groups for "making things up." This criticism makes no sense when you think about it, but as culture is one of t