Where Do We Hear Chamoru?
For each Inacha'igen Fino' CHamoru, the Chamorro Studies and Chamoru language faculty at UOG collect or produce a handful of creative and expressive texts in the language. These texts are used as part of the competition for these categories, Lalai (chant), Rinisådan Po'ema (poetry recitation) and Tinaitai Koru (choral reading). Students have to memorize and then recite or perform these either as individuals or as a group.
For the longest time, there wasn't a lot produced creatively in the Chamoru language. Most of it could be found in terms of music, as Chamorus were making songs, releasing albums and performing. Much of the publication and promotion of Chamoru could be found in the church, but little of it was creative. Much of it was translations of things written elsewhere in the Catholic universe and localized to Guam. In this way, the church preserved words and meanings in Chamoru, it helped teach and propagate the language, but it wasn't a venue for Chamorus to be creative in it, to push its boundaries.
Eventually, following the establishment of the Guam Department of Education Bilingual and Bicultural programs in the 1970s, GDOE has produced a great deal of content. All of it aimed at teaching parts of the language, but by virtue of the fact that little resources existed, it required Chamorus being creative and producing things to fill the gap. This meant, new songs, stories, poems and everything else under the trongkon niyok.
Many of this material that has been produced sits in storage at GDOE schools or on shelves at the Micronesian Area Research Center. The materials were used at different periods, but never in any sustainable way. As grant money appeared, books would be made, posters would be printed, and other materials thrown together, but often times there wouldn't be any concerted effort to push them into the classrooms or the community. As a result, you will find in these archives, beautifully written things in the Chamoru language, that other than the writers themselves, few know about.
Earlier this week I was speaking to my students in my classes at UOG, all of whom are majors or minors in Chamorro Studies, many of whom want to become fluent in the Chamoru language. We were talking about this issue of learning and becoming fluent in Chamoru, and how difficult it can be to hear it or learn it despite this island being i Tano' i Chamoru. How you can hear Chamoru actively being spoken in a small number of areas and within particular generations, but with the exception of music playing in a store, you actually have to be intentional about your daily journey if you want to immerse yourself in Chamoru.
The truth is that Chamoru is largely disappearing from life already. I hear Chamoru all the time, I hear it while I drive, with my kids, when talking to others, when I teach. Some may have similar lives as me, where because of what I do and what I believe in, the language is always around me. But for most people this isn't their experience. The language appears in scarce ways and definitely not enough to ever really learn or grow in it.
We have see a shift where the language has achieved a powerful symbolic status again, where we see it being invoked in the Inifresi or being sung and chanted at events, but it still hasn't returned to any semblance of being a natural and everyday part of the island.
I bring this up because in some ways, the teaching of Chamoru in schools became a type of trap. As the island was changing and modernizing rapidly, the fate of the Chamoru language became tied to token classrooms and classes, yet it largely has disappeared in so many other parts of life. In a way, the focus on producing for the classroom may have created the means by which the language and its vitality, would only remain, blunted and stunted in the classroom. Chamoru becomes disconnected and detached from the community that it is born from.
It doesn't need to be this way, but it is sadly sometimes how life unfolds. It is one reason why I often don't allow students to record my classes or lessons. I feel that if you record it, you will pay less active attention and therefore gain less.
I am always happy when I see people defying this logic and reminding us that the Chamoru language will be as alive as we let it. That if we use it in our social media posts, with our kids, in different aspects of our lives, it will remain alive and healthy. But if we just leave it written in books collecting dust in back rooms, then we might as well start to prepare its obituary for the PDN. Release the books into the community, let the language breathe, let people see what it can do, what it has to offer.
I like that for each Inacha'igen Fino' CHamoru we have to create these texts and then distribute them to the public schools to have students read and memorize. At last in this instance, that which is created for the classroom, leaves its initial purpose and travels.
Below was my contribution to the Inacha'igen from earlier this year. I wrote a choral reading titled "Lina'la', Guinaiya yan Pås gi Tano'-ta."
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For the longest time, there wasn't a lot produced creatively in the Chamoru language. Most of it could be found in terms of music, as Chamorus were making songs, releasing albums and performing. Much of the publication and promotion of Chamoru could be found in the church, but little of it was creative. Much of it was translations of things written elsewhere in the Catholic universe and localized to Guam. In this way, the church preserved words and meanings in Chamoru, it helped teach and propagate the language, but it wasn't a venue for Chamorus to be creative in it, to push its boundaries.
Eventually, following the establishment of the Guam Department of Education Bilingual and Bicultural programs in the 1970s, GDOE has produced a great deal of content. All of it aimed at teaching parts of the language, but by virtue of the fact that little resources existed, it required Chamorus being creative and producing things to fill the gap. This meant, new songs, stories, poems and everything else under the trongkon niyok.
Many of this material that has been produced sits in storage at GDOE schools or on shelves at the Micronesian Area Research Center. The materials were used at different periods, but never in any sustainable way. As grant money appeared, books would be made, posters would be printed, and other materials thrown together, but often times there wouldn't be any concerted effort to push them into the classrooms or the community. As a result, you will find in these archives, beautifully written things in the Chamoru language, that other than the writers themselves, few know about.
Earlier this week I was speaking to my students in my classes at UOG, all of whom are majors or minors in Chamorro Studies, many of whom want to become fluent in the Chamoru language. We were talking about this issue of learning and becoming fluent in Chamoru, and how difficult it can be to hear it or learn it despite this island being i Tano' i Chamoru. How you can hear Chamoru actively being spoken in a small number of areas and within particular generations, but with the exception of music playing in a store, you actually have to be intentional about your daily journey if you want to immerse yourself in Chamoru.
The truth is that Chamoru is largely disappearing from life already. I hear Chamoru all the time, I hear it while I drive, with my kids, when talking to others, when I teach. Some may have similar lives as me, where because of what I do and what I believe in, the language is always around me. But for most people this isn't their experience. The language appears in scarce ways and definitely not enough to ever really learn or grow in it.
We have see a shift where the language has achieved a powerful symbolic status again, where we see it being invoked in the Inifresi or being sung and chanted at events, but it still hasn't returned to any semblance of being a natural and everyday part of the island.
I bring this up because in some ways, the teaching of Chamoru in schools became a type of trap. As the island was changing and modernizing rapidly, the fate of the Chamoru language became tied to token classrooms and classes, yet it largely has disappeared in so many other parts of life. In a way, the focus on producing for the classroom may have created the means by which the language and its vitality, would only remain, blunted and stunted in the classroom. Chamoru becomes disconnected and detached from the community that it is born from.
It doesn't need to be this way, but it is sadly sometimes how life unfolds. It is one reason why I often don't allow students to record my classes or lessons. I feel that if you record it, you will pay less active attention and therefore gain less.
I am always happy when I see people defying this logic and reminding us that the Chamoru language will be as alive as we let it. That if we use it in our social media posts, with our kids, in different aspects of our lives, it will remain alive and healthy. But if we just leave it written in books collecting dust in back rooms, then we might as well start to prepare its obituary for the PDN. Release the books into the community, let the language breathe, let people see what it can do, what it has to offer.
I like that for each Inacha'igen Fino' CHamoru we have to create these texts and then distribute them to the public schools to have students read and memorize. At last in this instance, that which is created for the classroom, leaves its initial purpose and travels.
Below was my contribution to the Inacha'igen from earlier this year. I wrote a choral reading titled "Lina'la', Guinaiya yan Pås gi Tano'-ta."
*****************
Lina’la’, Guinaiya yan Pås gi Tano’-ta
By Michael Lujan Bevacqua
Taotao Tåno’! Famagu’on i tano’!
I hagas mañasåga gi ini na gefpågo na isla siha
Ini na lalai un fanhassuyan put håyi hit
Yan i guinaiya yan pås gi lina’la’-ta.
Uniku, tåya’ achaigua-ña yan taiprisu i rigålon i lina’la’-ta guini
Debi di ta prutehi mo’na siha
I ga’ga’ siha, gi tano’, gi tasi, gi aire
I trongko siha, gaitinekcha’, gaihågon todu gaibåli
Ini na miguinaha na tåno’ muna’fanlå’la’ i mañainå-ta
Ma pulåni hit ni’ todu este siha
Ya debi di ta prutehi este na tåno’ para i manmamaila na famagu’on lokkue’.
Miguinaiya i lina’la’ guini. Debi di ta ayuda todu gi oriyå-ta siha
I familia-ta siha, mañaina, mañe’lu, mamprima yan mamprimu
I manatungo’ siha, gi eskule, gi sengsong, todus hit guini mambisinu
Manlå’la’ i mañainå-ta guini gi tiempon gera, linao yan påkyo
Sa’ manafa’maolek ya manafa’maolek todu sa’ managuiya
Ya ma gof guaiya lokkue’ este na tåno’
Anggen ta prutehi i guinahå-ta! Anggen ta gofli’e’ i manguinaiyå-ta!
Siempre para ta famå’tinas pås gi tano’-ta!
Gi fino’ i manåmko’, “kada mandanña’ i taotao put guinaiya put lina’la’, u guaha pås lokkue’.”
Taiguenao mohon
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