NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

Este i nuebu na hinekka ginen as Craig Santos Perez yan i asagua-ña si Brandy Nalani McDougall.  Anggen ti un fåhan este trabiha, put fabot, yemme' i link gi papa'.  Meggai na gefpå'go na tinige' ginen i mantitige' yan manyiyinga' ginen i islan Guåhan yan i islas Hawai'i guini.  Banidosu yu' sa' unu na tinige'-hu "Ga'pang's Quest" mana'saosaonao gi este na hinekka.  Gof maolek i prisu lokkue', ti gof guaguan.  Dosse pesos ha'. ************************* Home(is)lands: New Art and Writing from Guahan and Hawaii, edited by Brandy Nalani McDougall and Craig Santos Perez. Purchase from Amazon here. “Despite the vast distance between Hawaii and Guahan (Guam), these islands and their peoples have experienced similar cultural, historical, ecological, and political struggles. Writers and artists from both places have been engaged in unwriting colonial representations and envisioning decolonial fut

I used to run (with the help of a few others) the blog Peace and Justice for Guam and the Pacific . It is still online and features more than a thousand articles from a variety of sources dealing with issues of peace, militarization and culture primarily in Guam, but also in the wider Pacific. I was working on the draft of an article recently talking about Nasion Chamoru and their effect on Chamorro activism and Guam society. I found on that blog several articles and I wanted to share some of them below. ***************** Mayors shuns Chamorro Nation By Mar-Vic Cagurangan Variety News Staff July 16, 2007 GUAM senators yesterday gave the Japanese delegation a rundown of demands that they want from the U.S. government in exchange for hosting the 8,000 troops that will be relocated from Okinawa, while Chamorro activists told the delegation that they don't want the Marines to come to Guam at all. The delegation, however, declined to give audience to Chamorro Natio

To be very honest I used to hate the comments on the Guam PDN website before. Every couple of weeks someone would tell me something someone was saying about me on in the threads. I wouldn't often check it out, but when I did it was never pleasant. It was like a no-reality zone there for most people. I would be called all sorts of names and people would make up some pretty insane things about me. The PDN comments were filled with so many people who had left Guam behind, but their disdain for the people of the island or disgust for the island burned brighter than ever. That disconnect was very intriguing for me. How the people who took that space the most seriously in terms of dominating it with their ideas were those who probably at the least to gain or least actual investment or connection to what they were arguing over. Since the PDN changed their comments over to Facebook and requiring that people be signed into Facebook in order to comment the dialogue has cleaned up quite a

The Guam Legislature will be voting Friday on several bills to provide money from the Tourist Attraction Fund to support several important projects for Chamorro culture and language. One such project is the funding of the non-profit “Dukduk Goose” which has created a wonderful pilot for a local children’s show called “Nihi.” For those not familiar with Chamorro, “Nihi” is an inviting word and one that fits perfectly as the title for a kids’ show. It is used in sentences to convey togetherness and doing something as a group. Most people translate it to mean “let’s.” As in Nihi ta hanao = let’s go. Nihi ta fanocho = let’s go eat. It is a beautiful everyday way of inviting people to do something with you or go somewhere together. “Nihi” is a show that I worked on, helping my cousin Cara Flores-Mays. She had an idea and was looking for creative and cultural minds to make it possible. I helped write a pilot episode and some children’s songs that used Chamorro and English. I assis

Below is my testimony in support of my cousin Cara's project Nihi. A locally made kids learning show, that I helped to write one of the pilot episodes for. The other day a hearing was held at the Guam Legislature to provide some funding to help get this project off the ground. As someone who helped make it possible, but also somehow who sees the potential for a project like this I was happy to come and show my support. You can read more of my thoughts below. I testified along with my daughter Sumahi, who was on my lap while I was speaking.  ****************************** Tinestigu ginnen Dr. Michael Lujan Bevacqua The Guam Legislature 6/12/13 Este i hagå-hu. I na’ån-ña Si Sumåhi. Desde mafañågu gui’ hu fino’ Chamoruruyi gui’ todu tiempo. Humuyonogña, siña gui’ fumino’ Chaomru. Esta kapas gui’ gi fino’ Chamoru. Kada diha kumuentos ham put mubi siha, cartoons, ga’ga’ gi lepblo yan maseha hafa otro gi lina’la’-mami. Lao achokka’ fifi

Bluem Pacific will be hosting its first Film Workshop Series on September 2nd 2012! Explore how to write a script, get tips and advice on acting, learn how to choreograph awesome fight scenes, and much more at the UOG Lecture Hall starting at 3pm! All workshops will be intro-styled workshops, so don’t you dare be intimidated about anything! Following the workshops, is a film showcase exhibiting 100% locally produced films that promote culture appreciation, environmental care, and community development! Both the Film Workshop series & the Film Showcase will be FREE!? Wow Wee!!! *IMPORTANT INFO – All workshop participants under 18 years of age must have a parent/legal guardian present to register. Registration begins at 230PM in the UOG Lecture Hall. Event Location: UOG Lecture Hall (between The English and Communications Bldg and The Humanities and Social Sciences Bldg) Workshop Series: 3PM to 6PM Film Showcase: 6PM to 9PM The mission of Bluem Pacific is: