NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

When we think of the past in terms of Chamoru history, we tend to simplify and flatten it. I am not immune from this, even when lecturing or teaching about Chamoru history, I have caught myself doing it as well. For instance, when we look at the ancient past we often times ignore references to castes or classes in Chamoru society prior to colonization by Europeans.  For me, I don't believe that the representations offers by the early Jesuit missionaries are particularly accurate in terms of describing Chamoru power dynamics.  But there was definitely divisions in society, but it is so tempting to simple ignore them and act as if all were united prior to Magellan.  A similar phenomena exists in relation to the pre-World War II era.  It is very tempting to see that time through the lens of nostalgia and simplicity, as an epoch prior to the complicated times of today. With so many of our elders telling stories of no crime, unlocked doors, close knit families, everyone having land to w

Hagas umatungo' ham yan este na taotao, si Siñot Joe "Dågu" Babauta, un ma'estron Chamorro yan gof maolek na titifok yan danderu. Desde i ma'pos na såkkan hu ayuyuda gui' mama'tinas lepblon e'eyak para i ma'estron Chamorro gi GDOE. Hu kekeayuda gui' på'go mama'nå'gue klas gi UOG para i otro semester (Fañomåkan 2018). Halacha nai hu interview gui' para i website Hongga Mo'na , ya debi di bei edit yan na'funhåyan ayu. Estague un tinige' put guiya yan i bidadå-ña ginen i gasetan PDN. **************************** "Chamorro teacher Joe 'Dågu' Babuata keeps weaving tradition alive" by Chloe Babauta Pacific Daily News August 7, 2017 When Joe “Dågu” Babauta saw “Tan Maria” weaving a hat out of coconut leaves at 12 years old, his lifelong love affair with the art of weaving began. “Being that I was so young, I had to ask older friends who drove to take me down there from Agat, to wh

This legend of Gådao is an intriguing one. In some ways it fits the mold perfectly for a Chamorro legend. In other ways it feels different, like something borrowed from a Greek legend perhaps. One thing that stands out is the idea of Gådao becoming a Maga'låhi or a king for the entire island. This stands in contrast to much of what we know about ancient Chamorro culture. Where they seemed to be like most indigenous people, where they had a society were power was actively distributed and made diffuse to prevent anyone from dominating too much over others. Although the emphasis on great accomplishments bringing one great social standing feels very appropriate. If I had to guess about the origin of this story, it seems in some way like a legend made by a Chamorro during the Spanish period, meant to reflect the greatness of their ancient past. Gådao existed in some form for sure, and perhaps the legend of him and Malagua'i or Malaguaña is an older form. But this

--> Ti Guahu tumuge' este na estoria, lao fihu hu sangan este na estoria gi klas-hu siha yan gi me'nan i famagu'on-hu. Estoria na estoria ni' mafa'na'an "Puntan Patgon." Este na estoria put i fihu na prublema siha gi familian Chamorro (yan gi todu i familian taotao). Achokka' mamparerentes, guaha nai ti maniniha put chinatkomprende. I Puntan Patgon na estoria uma'aya yan i estorian "Sirena" sa' i dos put i prublema anai ti manafa'maomaolek i manaina yan i famagu'on, sa' binibu pat hinesguan umentalo'. Hu hahasso este na dos na estoria todu tiempo, ya i mensahi gumigiha mo'na komo tata. *************         Åntetes na tiempo gi tiempon i man mofo’na na taotao eståba un taotao i na’ån-ña si Masåla. I gima’-ña gaige gi inai giya Tålagi Si Masåla gof banidosu sa’ pudi sumen dangkolo yan sumen metgot gue'. Mansen ma'åñao i Chamorron Guahan.   Tåya' gi isla siña umigi si Masåla.  

People often conceive of colonization as being a formal process carried out by militaries or governments. These institutions play essential roles and the political system naturally becomes the primarily target for most movements for decolonization, but as I have stated many times, the process is much more diverse and complicated. Although it is easy to focus on what we consider to be the formal and concrete forms of power, they way that things are forcibly imposed, the world of the abstract, the conceptual and the ideological can have a deeper and more lasting impact. If we see for example in two former epochs of colonization in Guam, the formal ways in which things were imposed on Chamorros did not necessarily have a significant colonizing impact on the identity and consciousness of Chamorros. The imposition of governments on Guam by the Spanish and by the US led to great outward changes on the island, and histories tend to conflate the effect on the outward appearance of the i