NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

This month, Lulai, my third oldest started her first year attending the Maga'låhen Hurao Charter School.  She had begun attending the Hurao Tiempon Somnak over the summer, but now this month has begun attending the Hurao school in earnest and Desiree and I are excited to say the least.  It has just been a few weeks, and so far guaha na biahi ya-ña, guaha na biahi ti ya-ña.  Every day she both enjoys attending school but is also struggling with separation anxiety saying "Ma'å'ñao yu' yan mahålang yu' para si nanå-hu yan si La'yak" (I'm afraid and I miss my mom and La'yak). Lulai's older siblings, Sumåhi and Akli'e' attended Hurao on and off in different forms over the years, sometimes the summer programs, sometimes the after school programs, and later even helping as aides.        All of this was across more then 10 years, yet Hurao wasn't to the point yet where it was an immersion or charter school in earnest.    After taking pi...

  Earlier this month, Siñot Kin "JC" Concepcion, who was an inspirational elder to me, but also a good friend passed away. I have spent the days since his passing reflecting on his impact on me and on the wider Chamoru/Guam community over the course of his life. The first time I really remember meeting and talking to Siñot Kin "JC" Concepcion was in 2014 when his family was pushing for the legalization of medical marijuana on Guam in honor of his son, the singer Savage K. The family had asked if I could sponsor a film screening at the University of Guam as part of their community campaign and I was very happy to do so. The love and loss he felt for his son who had died the year prior was powerful and manifest then and it remained so in all the time I knew him. For the next few years, I would regularly see Siñot Kin at KUAM, where he was sometimes interviewing me and sometimes producing others. I was thankful for what he was doing in terms of continuing to pr...