Carrying the Next Generation (Literally)


During last month's HITA Talk at the Guam Museum focusing on expressions of Chamoru identity across time, my four year old Lulai walked up on stage and asked that I hold her while I was presenting. 

 
I had already started to talk about my section of the talk which focused on the pre-World War II version of the Guam Museum which was started in 1932 and destroyed during World War II. 
 
Before I had gone up on stage and started presenting, I had asked Lulai, "Håfa malago'-mu? Kao para un såga guini gi siyå-mu pat kao malago'-mu hao tumattiyi yu' gi piso?" (What do you want? Will you stay here in your chair or follow me to the stage?) Lulai was insistent in that moment "Bai hu såga guini, maolek ha' yu'." (I will stay here, I'm ok)
 
Part way through my presentation, she started walking up onto the stage, arms out, indicating na malago' gui' mahoggue. I knew it would mean that my focus would be divided, but it also made me happy. 
 
I remember both my older children Sumåhi and Akli'e' walking up onto stage while I was presenting and me holding and carrying them while talking. 
 
Even as after several minutes Lulai started to feel very heavy in my arms, I was still happy to have her there, as I was thinking how in a few years she'll have her own path in life to follow and it wouldn't even occur to her to run on stage to be carried by me. 
 
Below is the video for the entire livestream for the HITA Talk which features presentations by Siñot Bal Aguon, Dr. Kelly Marsh Taitano, Edward "Pulan Speaks" Leon Guerrero and myself. It was overall a very informative and enlightening event. I'm including the press release for it as well below.

 
 
 ***********************************
 

Ginen i Tiempon I Manaotaomo’na Esta På’go
Expressions of CHamoru Identity Across Time

 

The Guam Museum will host a powerful new HITA Talk on Saturday, May 16, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. in the museum’s indoor theater. The program will also be livestreamed on the Guam Museum’s social media platforms, expanding access to audiences across the Marianas and beyond.

This compelling panel will feature Baltazar Aguon, Edward Leon Guerrero, M.A., Dr. Kelly Marsh-Taitano, and Dr. Michael Lujan Bevacqua. Each speaker brings years of research and experience in sharing the histories, identities, and lived experiences of the people of the Marianas. Together, they will explore the theme: “Ginen i Tiempon I Manaotåomo’na Esta På’go: Expressions of CHamoru Identity Across Time,” offering distinct yet interconnected perspectives.

The talk will open with Baltazar Aguon, who will share the next chapter of his personal journey retracing ancestral footsteps through DNA testing. This process has reaffirmed his connection to the land and the CHamoru people, while deepening his sense of responsibility to both. From this has emerged a profound awakening and a clear sense of purpose: to help bring the Naton Mañaina home. Aguon will speak to his developing vision for their return and his ongoing efforts to advocate for their respectful reinterment.

Dr. Kelly Marsh-Taitano, a curator at the Guam Museum, developing the museum’s first Cultural Anthropology and History division, will explore the lives of I Manaotåomo’na, or “The People from Before,” through the lens of three villages. Her presentation considers what communities across Guåhan may have shared, as well as what might be distinct.

Edward Leon Guerrero, M.A., widely recognized for his popular and well-researched YouTube series PulanSpeaks, will discuss his work connecting contemporary CHamoru cultural symbols and artistic expressions to their historical roots, highlighting continuity across generations.

Dr. Michael Lujan Bevacqua, Chief Curator of the Guam Museum, will reflect on the museum’s early history following its establishment in 1932, examining how the experiences of CHamoru people within the museum have evolved over time, and how those early foundations helped shape the institution as it exists today.

Guam Museum’s HITA Talks are an important platform for engaging the public in meaningful dialogue about heritage, ideas, traditions, and art. They reflect the museum’s role as a space where knowledge is created, shared, and carried forward. This upcoming talk continues that tradition, offering audiences an opportunity to engage deeply with the past and present of CHamoru identity.

 

 
 
 
 

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