NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

  Put si nanå-hu biha, i puti'on gi langhet-hu, i anghet-hu para i kotturå-ta yan i lengguahi-ta.        Put si nanå-hu, i pilan gi langhet-hu, un chalåni yu' sa' achokka' guaha na biahi echong yan matahlek yu' gi chalån-hu todu tiempo un pupulan yu'.        Put i guinaiyå-ku, un na'kabåles i korason-hu yan i familia-ku. Hu agradedesi i guinaiyå-mu yan i sinapotte-mu mås kada diha gi este karerå-ta.      Magof Ha'ånen Mannånu nu hamyo na tres ya hamyo todos ni' mannåna.

If you are looking for articles, essays, poems, and other random things written in Chamoru, about a wide variety of topics, then you should definitely check out "I Sakman i Fino'-ta." It was started in 2022 by Benny Anderson as a means of promoting Chamoru language and writing. Anyone can submit for the website, which is filled at this point with hundreds of short pieces written in Chamoru. The inspiration for the name is that the website is a vessel for the language in the same way the såkman was a vessel for the Chamoru people the past, using it to travel and transport. If we continue to use our language on a daily basis and pass it on to the next generation, it will continue to evolve and grow as we grow. It will stay with us on this journey. The published pieces come from active, current learners of Chamoru, first language speakers of Chamoru and second language learners of Chamoru. They are free to write about whatever they are interested in. You will find plenty of ...

  Trumitriste i pilan Sumåsahi gi sasahnge na inina   Manånanges i puti’on I kandet-ñiha manmilalak påpa’ Mana’abak gi hinanao-ñiha para i tano’ Manenekkon i flores   Ma tatitiyi papa’ i lipes hinemhom para i puengi Manu’u’u i petlas-ñiha para i lago’-ñiha   Todu i mundo gi oriyå-hu kumeketu Nina’keketu nu i minanengheng   I minanengheng humuyong sa’ chago’go’ i minaipe, taigue i guaifen i guinaiya-ku guini gi este na tåno’   Sa’ este i primet na puengi-ku guini sin hågu

 Ai mohon na mås gailugåt yu' yan mås gaifuetsa yu'! Fihu hiningongok-hu ginen otro taotao put i mineggai hu cho'cho'gue yan mampos tinanane' yu'. Ya achokka' hu tungo' na guaha minagahet gi håfa ilek-ñiha, gi minagåhet todu tiempo, hu siesiente na ti nanahong i bidadå-hu. Guaha mås gi este na bånda, gi ayu na bånda, gi este na påtte, put este na prublema, todu tiempo guaha mås siña hu cho'gue. Un maolek na hemplo put este, este na blog.  Gi i ma'pos na simåna, sinangåni yu' nu dos na taotao na hagagas ininspired siha nu este na blog. Ma taitaitai, ma a'atan. Gof maolek na resource este na blog put i litråtu siha, i commentary, i Fino' Chamoru na tinige'.  Hu agradesi este na sinangån-ñiha, nina'magof yu', sa' guaha na biahi pine'lolo-ku na esta manmaleffa todu put este na blog.  Sa' gi minagåhet, mås ki sesso Guahu lokkue' maleleffa yu' put este na blog.  Put enao na råson, na chini'ut lokkue' ...

When we think of the past in terms of Chamoru history, we tend to simplify and flatten it. I am not immune from this, even when lecturing or teaching about Chamoru history, I have caught myself doing it as well. For instance, when we look at the ancient past we often times ignore references to castes or classes in Chamoru society prior to colonization by Europeans.  For me, I don't believe that the representations offers by the early Jesuit missionaries are particularly accurate in terms of describing Chamoru power dynamics.  But there was definitely divisions in society, but it is so tempting to simple ignore them and act as if all were united prior to Magellan.  A similar phenomena exists in relation to the pre-World War II era.  It is very tempting to see that time through the lens of nostalgia and simplicity, as an epoch prior to the complicated times of today. With so many of our elders telling stories of no crime, unlocked doors, close knit families, everyone h...

Typhoon Mawar was the first major typhoon for all of my children. My two older children who are in their teens, had experienced Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018 and Typhoon Dolphin in 2015. Both of these typhoons were damaging to Guam, but not in the same way that Mawar was last month. For my two smaller children, Lulai and Makåhna, this was their first typhoon of any type. And what a first typhoon it was for both of them. Lulai who will be turning 2 in a few months and Makåhna who wasn’t yet 3 weeks old when the storm hit. I am grateful that we weathered the typhoon well, no major injuries other than diaper and heat rashes. Two weeks later we still didn't have electricity and our cellphone service and data remains intermittent. But thankfully we had water albeit low at times, throughout. My partner Desiree and I have both been through major typhoons, with catastrophic destruction and disruption. Mawar was our first as parents. Looking back, it was a dramatically different expe...

Chenchule' kumekeilekña nina'i para ayudu gi maseha håfa na cho'cho' familia pat cho'cho' gi halom i kumunidåt. Siña ha' mana'enñaihon salåpe' pat efektos yanggen guaha gupot nobena, fandanggo, måtai, bautismu, showern nobia pat showern påtgon yan yanggen guaha makompliåñios. Gof ayudu på'go na tiempo este i kostumbren Chamoru ni' chenchule', pi'ot ha' sa' gof guaguan siha i bentan nengkånno' gi tenda. Yanggen guaha måtai gi familia, meggai na tåya' plånu ya ti mampriparao i familia para i manadan gåsto. Mangof guaguan lokkue' i ata’ut yan i para ma'entieru. Guaha nai kahulo' ha' i gåsto gi tres pat kuatro mit pesos. Ti opbligao i familia na para u fanna'chocho, lao kostumbren Chamoru na para ma'agradesi i finatton i taotao gi che'cho'-ñiha. Guaha lokkue' meggai na familia ginen i chago' para u fanmanayuda ya nisisario na u mana'fañocho. Tenga ma...

I have for several years now been collecting plåkan Chamoru or Chamoru vinyl albums.  Each week I scour the internet searching for records I haven't seen or heard yet.  Every few months I'm able to find a new one to fill in the gaps in my collection.  I have over the past few years been able to find four copies of this album "Dalai Nene" released by Johnny Sablan in 1968. This was the first ever Chamoru language music album and was released when Johnny Sablan was just 20 years old.  I have collected four in all, one for each of my kids (three are already here, one more is a few months out from when I am typing this).  Each will inherit one of them when I pass away.  This album is historic in so many ways, but one thing for me makes it even more unique and special, namely its use of Chamoru for its text.  There are hundreds of Chamoru albums that have been released on vinyl, cassette and CDs. And while all used Chamoru as the primary language for their ...

I islå-ta siha giya Marianas i fine’nana entre todu i islas Pasifuku ni’ masagåyi. I manmofo’na na mangguelo-ta mantekngo’ put båtko yan i tasi ya maasusuma na manmanaliligao nuebu na lugåt ni’ para u ma sagåyi anai manmåtto mågi.   Annai ma tutuhon i mangguelo-ta manmañaga guini, ma usa todu klåsen rikesa gI isla para u ma få’tinas i ramientan-ñiha para i gualo’ yan peska, yan lokkue’ ma få’tinas åtmas siha para u maprutehi i guinahan-ñiha.   Guihi na tiempo, duru machalapon siha gi todu isla ya maestablisa songsong siha giya interu Marianas.   Yanggen guaha ira komu påkyo pat tiempon fañomak’an guaha na ma dingu i lugåt-ñiha para otro na isla para nengkanno' yan liheng. Mit años tåtte guaha matulaika gi hagas payon-ta, i hinalom fama’åyan yan i acho’ latte.   Uniku i gima’latte giya Marianas tiot guihi na tiempo annai guaha dångkolo na tinilaika yan hinanao taotao.   I latte un simbilon i menhalom-ta. Komo i haligi para gima’ mangguelo-ta, ha repr...

 Earlier this year, for the website I Sakman I Fino'-ta , I began writing a semi-weekly creative story in the Chamoru language. I've always wanted to try writing a romance story in Chamoru, and this was my first mixed attempt at doing so. I have enjoyed it, but I've found myself struggling with how I've read hundreds of romance stories in English, but none in Chamoru and this affects everything from the plot, to the metaphors, to the culture involved. It has been a struggle at times gi minagahet. I am up to part 11 at present. Head to the site itself to read them all as well as articles in Chamoru from a wide variety of speakers/writers. But for now, here is the first installment. ******************* HACHA   “Nobia kahulo’ Ya fa’gåsi i matå-mu Sa’ u fåtto i nobio-mu Ya lini’e’ ni churå-mu”   Ginen i mames na guinife-ña, si Maria ha hungok este na kånta gi bos nanå-ña.   Gi guinife-ña, umasodda’ siha yan i guinaiyå-ña gi halom un g...

When San Vitores first came to the Marianas the Chamoru people were largely accepting of the new religion for a few reasons. The Spanish offered gifts to those who converted to the new religion, including sometimes precious  lulok or metal. They were the newest hottest thing on the island. Exciting simply because it was different, like when Applebee's or McDonald's first came to Guam. Some converted seeing the chance for greater power by being closer to those that they perceived might shake up island hierarchies. Some may have followed the new religion, because it truly spoke to them.  But one of the things that helped San Vitores win over the people in many ways was his ability to speak to them in Chamoru. Chamorus had interacted with Europeans for more than a century at that point via hand gestures and sailors from the Philippines and Southeast Asia who were able to communicate using Austronesian terms with the Chamorus they encountered. Spaniards, Filipinos and African slav...

Kao guaha manli'e' hao guali'ek gi tasi yan kumekemåtmos gui'. Ha å'agang hao gi i batko-mu lao tåya' nina'sinå-mu. Manli'e' hao gekpu na kabåyu gi i mapagåhes ya un agångi gui' kao siña ha goggue i mamåtmos na guali'ek. Lao i kabåyu achokka' malåte' gui' ti siña ha komprende i fino'-mu sa' kabåyu gui'. Lao ti un embestiga sa' hafa na siña un komprende i guali'ek lao i kabåyu ti ha hulat kumomprende hao. Un hasso na gaige gi halom i betså-mu un lepblo put taimanu na siña hao mamå'tinas "tilifon para i kabåyu." Anggen siña un få'tinas este siña komprendeyon i kuentos-mu nu i gumugupu na kabåyu. Un tutuhun fumå'titinas i tilifon yan ha ayuda hao i mas mafñot na ga'chong-mu Si Maga'låhi Hurao. An munhåyan hao un oño chaddek i buttones gi i tilifon lao tåya' humuyong. Un atan i santatten i tilifon yan un komprende på'go na taibatteria gui'. Ti siña humånao hao para i tenda ...