NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

I will be in Saipan for the next few days at this conference, the first annual Marianas Indigenous Conference. Here is the draft schedule for the event. I'm sure I'll be writing more about it in the coming week. ********************* A NORTHERN MARIANAS DESCENT CORPORATION (NMDC) SPONSORED EVENT ”Lessons Learned and A Way Forward” 2014 1 st Annual Marianas Indigenous Conference Multi-Purpose Center, Saipan September 29 th & 30 th , 2014 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM NMDC Vision:     A Self-Sustaining, Self-Governing Commonwealth whose destiny shall continue to remain in the hands of the Indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian people of Northern Marianas descent, in close partnership with other persons who are residents in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. NMDC Mission:     Empowerment of the indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian people in the CNMI’s economic, social & political development and the preservation & promot

Maila ya ta fanhita sumilebra i mas nuebu yan mas gefpago na prugrama gi UOG, CHAMORRO STUDIES! Come and let's celebrate the newest and most awesome program at UOG, Chamorro Studies! This Thursday, the launch event will feature presentations, performances, displays and the start of a new Chamorro language lecture series. Below is the schedule:

On August 30th I'll be presenting at the 2nd Annual Marianas History Conference at UOG. Here is the schedule thus far for those who might be interested in attending. The website to find more information is: http://marianashistory.guampedia.com/ And here is a video of two of the organizers Dr. Anne Hattori (from UOG) and Rita Nauta from Guampedia giving an interview on KUAM News Extra: Tentative Conference Schedule Thursday, August 29 5:30 pm Welcoming Reception: Paseo, Hagåtña Friday, August 30 8:30-9:30 am Keynote Address, Dr. Keith L. Camacho, CLASS Lecture Hall, UOG 9:30-10 am Break 10 – 11:30 am Session 1 (A and B) Session 1A: Chamorro Agency in the Spanish Marianas David Atienza: The Mariana Islands Militia and the Establishment of the “Pueblos de Indios”: Indigenous Agency in Guam from 1668 to 1758 Carlos Madrid: 1800´s in the Marianas: A Nation in the Making Mariana Sanders, Francine Clement and Carla Smith: Social Realities and Legal Regulations

Daily Yomiuri Shimbun Decision on Futenma Relocation Unlikely Until at Least 2011 Satoshi Ogawa / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent Aug. 22, 2010 WASHINGTON--It has become almost certain that essential details of the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture will remain unresolved until at least 2011, as the Japanese and U.S. governments have basically agreed to abandon the Aug. 31 deadline they set earlier. The two governments agreed Thursday on the outline of a report--to be released by working-level experts from both countries by the end of this month--regarding an exact location for the Futenma replacement facility and the design of its runway, according to sources familiar with the matter. The outline calls for the forthcoming report to incorporate two plans as "feasible options" for the relocation facility: two runways in a V-shaped formation or a single runway, with the understanding that the facility will be located on the shore

For the next two days I'll be in and out of the "Guam Community and Economic Development Forum: Strategies for a Sustainable Future" which is taking place agupa' and agupa'na at the Sheraton Resort in Tamuning. I'm hoping to live blog for the parts that I attend, and so stay tuned for an update tomorrow. This forum promises to be an interesting one. There are plenty of people speaking whose ideas and insights I trust, but even more people whose ideas and plans for Guam I find incredibly suspect. Most economic forums on Guam, especially those related to the military buildup, tend to take the form of yard sales, where local and Federal government officals, as well as local businessmen promise that everything and anything on the island is up for grabs, and that there will be plenty of money to be made by those who do the grabbing. So as I said, there might be a serious dimension to this conference, and might actually provide some critical thoughts on economic d

We're about a month away from the very exciting Guma'Famoksaiyan gathering to take place May 23-25, 2008 in San Diego, California. For those who don't know what this gathering will entail, let me post a description below: In times past, knowledge, skills, family and village histories were passed down to the younger generations through different guma’ or houses, such as the guma’saga’ or the family home, or the guma’ulitao, the bachelor’s house. In these spaces young Chamorros, would be given the crucial knowledge of their family, clan and village genealogy, and also be imparted the necessary skills for tasks such as planting, fishing, navigation, debate and weaving. Through this inter-generational sharing, young Chamorros would be prepared to be productive, respectful and active members of both their clan and their village. As Chamorros and their islands face uncertain futures due to various economic, health, environmental, military and social concerns, it is crucial that