NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

Todu i taotao-ta på'go ma tungo' i pusision-ña i sihek, ya ma tungo' na esta sen hassan i paluma. Guaha mås ki un siento ha' na sihek tetehan gi mundo lao manlå'la'la' yan mañåsaga todu gi halom gigao siha gi fanggå'ga'an pat otro taiguihi na lugåt siha.  Put este na råson, esta ti tahdong i tiningo'-ta put i sihek, sa' para i meggaiña na Chamorun på'go tåya' nai ta ripåra siha manlibre gi halomtåno'. Lao estague un lihende put i sihek, i taotao ma sångan gi åntes na tiempo put i sihek, ni' umeksplikåkayi hit put i kustumbre-ña yan i bonito na pusision-ña i paluma.  Estague i lihende: Gi åntes guåntes na tiempo, eståba un taklalo' na biha ni' sumåsaga na maisa gi halomtåno'. Mampos banidosa yan presonida este na biha. Gof ya-ña mamåhan guaguan na magågu, esta bubula todu i aparadot siha gi halom i dangkolo' na kastiyu-ña. Sesso di manusa kulot åsut na bestidu, åpa’ka’ na tapes yan kulot kåhet na pañelu.

  Humånao si Lulai (si Chuguangguang) para i Fangga’ga’an San Diego para i primet na biahi gi nigapña. Gof ya-ña!     Manli’e’ familian hiarafa (giraffe) minetras manmamomokkat yan mamboboka. Gof annakko' i aga'ga'-ñiha!   Manli’e’ gago’ na hippo, umåsso gi inai. Ilek-ña si Lulai, “ayu na yommok na crocodile!” Hu admimite na ti meggai tiningo’-ña i neni put i dos.   Manli’e’ katdumen meerkats taiguihi ginen i mubi i Rai Leon (Lion King). Gigon ha hungok na gaige si Timon i atungo’ Simba, inalululala lumi’e’. Gof dångkolo’ i chinalek-ña anai hu kantåyi gui’ “Dångkolo’ i daggån-ña” gi i tunadan “Hakuna Matata.”     Manli’e’ yan este i mas ya-ña un elefånte, i na’ån-ña si Shaba.    Gof dångkolo’ yan makalelu i elefånte! Ilek-ña si Lulai, “Anakko i gui’eng-ña!” Hu sangåni gui’, hunggan, adahi sa’ kada umachem kalang un kañon. Pangpang! Anai ha hungok este, ha tåmpe i talanga'-ña, gof kinute!   Gi todu, un gefpågo yan didide’ manengheng na talo’åni gi fangga’ga’an.    

Every day I have a conversation about Guam and its political status and decolonization. At least once a week though, I have a conversation about decolonization or political status that crosses territorial lines.  It might be between Guam and any of the other territories or colonies of the United States.  It might be just a comparative discussion about where each territory is at. It might be a conversation undertaken to talk about how one territory should learn the lessons that others have.  For example, Puerto Rico being so much larger than the other territories, it is common to see the Independence movement there as looming large, and to feel that there is much other territories can learn from Puerto Rican independence activists about growing or sustaining their own movements.  But the visibility of the movement, especially given the larger population of Puerto Ricans in general, can sometimes obscure the fact that within Puerto Rico, the dynamics are much more complicated.  Within th

  Trumitriste i pilan Sumåsahi gi sasahnge na inina   Manånanges i puti’on I kandet-ñiha manmilalak påpa’ Mana’abak gi hinanao-ñiha para i tano’ Manenekkon i flores   Ma tatitiyi papa’ i lipes hinemhom para i puengi Manu’u’u i petlas-ñiha para i lago’-ñiha   Todu i mundo gi oriyå-hu kumeketu Nina’keketu nu i minanengheng   I minanengheng humuyong sa’ chago’go’ i minaipe, taigue i guaifen i guinaiya-ku guini gi este na tåno’   Sa’ este i primet na puengi-ku guini sin hågu

  Ya-hu este na litråtu. Lao guaha råson siha, ni' muna'ti ya-hu lokkue'.    I posted this image a few months ago on the Guam Museum's social media as well as my own.    It shows a Guam classroom in the late 1940s. Manggagaige todu, i ma'estra yan i estudiante siha gi halom un kuatto. Tumotohge i ma'estra gi me'nan i pisåra. Esta matuge' guihi i leksion. Uno na hobensita tumotohge mientras i otro manmata'ta'chong. Håfa ilelek-ña este na påtgon? Kao magacha' gui'? Pat kao gof osgon na estudiante ya ha kehåhayi i otro estudiante lol. Hekkua'.   Regardless of whatever is happening in the image itself, I have mixed feelings about this picture, reasons I really like it and reasons it makes me feel uneasy. I like this picture because it shows Chamorus just a few years after the end of the Japanese occupation, life is returning to normal. Schools have been built or rebuilt. Education which was paused or disrupted for two to three years becau

  Prior to World War II, Sumay was the second largest village of Guam and because of its location near Apra Harbor, was very economically important as a hub for the island in terms of communications and trade. Because of this status, the families with ties there had a great deal of pride in their village identity and community.   The Trans-Pacific Cable Company, which laid the first telegraph wire across the Pacific, set up its station in the village in 1903. Sumay was also the landing site for the China Clipper from Pan American Airways, which built a hotel there in 1935.    Most of the first bombs that fell on Guam in the Japanese attack on the island on December 8th, 1941 were dropped on Sumay because of its strategic importance. The US Marine Barracks and tanks from Standard Oil were both hit. Within days after the Japanese invasion, all residents were evicted.    The bombardment and subsequent re-invasion of the island by US forces in July 1944 almost completely destroyed Sumay. A