NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

My personal metric for determining candidates who get my vote boils down to these three things: 1. Do they speak Chamorro? 2. Are they supportive of Chamorro language, culture and rights? 3. Do they support decolonization and are they open to considering independence as a political status for Guam? This election there are fewer Chamorro speakers than ever, especially at the senatorial level. But that's why I was grateful that so many candidates ( such as those in these images) were willing to participate in a Chamorro language forum where they used the Chamorro language in their responses even if it was difficult for them. I've also been impressed with the number of candidates who are expressing an openness to decolonization and the possibilities of Guam becoming independent. Biba Ha'anen Botasion! Biba Chamorro! Biba Guåhan!

The exhibit I worked on for the Guam Humanities Council titled Sindalu: Chamorro Journey Stories in the US Military is currently on display at the Isla Center for the Arts at UOG. As part of the exhibit I've given several scholarly tours to students, teachers and veterans. Although the exhibit itself features so many stories, the interaction with these groups often yields even more stories. Sometimes people will find themselves or their ancestors in the photos. They will offer up another perspective or another facet of someone's anecdote. Sometimes they challenge things and sometimes they express their gratefulness that an exhibit like this has been put together. I teach many aspects of the exhibit in my own classes, but I have appreciated the way the research and writing for the exhibit and then the way I have developed my talk for the tours has led me to really think about the progression of Chamorros and their relationship to the United States, through their military servi