Litekyan Redux

Several years ago, there was a small but significant spike in Guam/Chamorro based activism around the announcement that rather than Pågat, the US military not intended to build their firing range complex for their military buildup near Litekyan or Ritidian as many know it on Guam. For those unfamiliar with the long, winding road for this the US military buildup to Guam, they created a DEIS around their intent to build the firing range complex in Pågat. After push-back from the community, lawsuits and also problems at the US federal level, this was withdrawn and a SEIS or supplementary environmental impact statement was conducted, identifying the area above Litekyan in Northern Guam as the new location. I attended the public comment meetings, participated in protests and demonstrations and also helped organize teach-ins and forums to educate the public about the military's intended use of this very important cultural and historic area for Chamorros. The level of public outrage never reached the levels it had for Pågat and so the buildup pushed away, bringing us to the present day, where in the mind's the US military this deal is already done and there are simple technicalities to take care of before Litekyan is closed and the firing range construction begins. Below is my statement that I gave at the public comment meeting for the SEIS in Mangilao.

Recently a new group has formed to try to challenge the closing of Litekyan to the public and its use for these militaristic purposes. I am wondering if I should join this new group and provide whatever I can. It is a difficult choice, as much of the openness of the process has already been closed off and so there are very few viable routes left within the system. Siempre ta li'e'.

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I Na’ån-hu Si Michael Lujan Bevacqua. Profesot yu’ gi UOG para i Prugråma Inestudian Chamorro. Guaha meggai na i hinasso-ku put i maproponi na buildup para Guåhan, lao estågue unu.

Gi kutturan Chamorro guaha dipotsi dos na manera put taimanu mantråta hao taotao, taimanu un tråta i otro. I fine’nina, un fa’taotao i otro. Un tråta gui’ komo taotao. Gairespetu sa’ un komprende na debi di u matråta maolek. Un li’e’ i tinaotao gi tiguang-mu.

Gi otro kånnai, siña un fa’ga’ga’ i otro. Gi hinenggen Chamorro gaige gi papa’-ta i manggå’ga’ siha. Anggen un fa’ga’ga’ i otro, un tråta gui’ sin respetu. Ti guailayi na un konsidera i otro sa’ taihinasso, ti impottånte, ti anggokuyon. Maolekña un cho’guiyi gui’ todu taiguihi un påtgon pat un gå’ga’, sa’ ti siña ha attenden maisa gui’.

Ginen i estoria-ta yan i US, ko’lo’lo’na i militat-ña, malago’ yu’ na para bei na’hasso hit put un otro na manera. Siña un sångan “mafa’atmas” pat “mafa’lansa.” Gi este na manera gaibali hit, lao gaibali hit put i tano’-ta ha’. Ma tråta hit komo tåno’, taitaotao na tåno’. Sesso ma fa’na’an este na tano’ i puntan i lansa, gi este na hinasso i bali-ta na siña inisa hit ni otro. Siña ha na’setbe hit para i minalago’-ña.

Para Guahu, put i estao-ta na makoloninisa ha’, taisetbe todu este na hunta taiguini. Ti bali este achokka’ ma hohokka i sinangån-ta siha kontat ki cocolony ha’ este na islå-ta. Ilek-hu este kuatro años tåtte na tiempo, ya bai hu sangan gui’ ta’lo. Mangge i respetu anggen este ha’ i fuetså-ta ni’ ma nå’na’i hit gi este na buildup?