Biba Eskuelan Hurao!


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 pictures of Lulai preparing for her first day of school at Hurao, I went back through my phone, my laptop, and some of my external hard drives for images of Sumåhi and Akli'e' from their time in Hurao over the years. 
 
There were times when we testified at the Legislature to get funding for Hurao. 
 
There were times we demonstrated to gain support for Chamoru language programs. There were dances and chants. 
 
To see how much the team at Hurao has worked over the years to sustain their mission and how far they've come, it was inspiring in the abstract and even more so to see how my family as been and continues to be a part of this movement to perpetuate language, culture and Chamoru identity. 
 
Biba Lulai! Biba eskuelan Hurao!
 
 

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