Pilar Cruz Lujan (1930 – 2022) was a CHamoru language advocate and leader, groundbreaking educator, and a six-term senator in the Guam Legislature.
With the enactment of PL 33-236 re-establishing I Kumisión i Fino’ CHamoru yan i Fina’nå’guen i Historia yan i Lina’la’ i Tåotao Tåno’ (Kumisión) came the responsibility to refine a standard way of linking the atfabeton CHamoru to the sounds of our indigenous language.
CHamoru Orthography Rules Read Post »
“Juan Malimanga” is the first comic strip in local print news that is written completely in the CHamoru language. The comic strip, originally written by Clotilde Castro Gould and illustrated by Roger Faustino, centers around humorous observations and adventures of the character Juan Malimanga. Despite its continued publication in the Pacific Daily News (PDN), the origins of this iconic comic strip signaled a landmark victory in efforts to overturn the controversial language policies of print media on the island of Guam.
CHamoru Comic Strip: Juan Malimanga Read Post »
In 1817 Adelbert von Chamisso recorded the CHamoru terms for what he assumed were cardinal directions: Timi (North), Seplun (South), Manuu (East), Faniipan (West). These terms are sidereal or star directions and not completely analogous to the Western concepts of North, South, East and West. Nevertheless, these sidereal directions (of or with respect to the distant stars, i.e., the constellations or fixed stars, not the sun or planets) are fixed and not situational positions on the horizon and can easily be used as abstract cardinal directions.
CHamoru Sidereal Direction Terminology Read Post »
3rd Workshop in Preparation for the 12th Festival of Pacific Arts. Guam hosted the Festival of the Pacific Arts (FestPac) in 2016, a region-wide festival celebrating the various arts and cultures of the Pacific. As the host of FestPac 2016, Guam chose the kinds of events to highlight, including traditional performances, arts and craft displays and demonstrations, music, dancing and story-telling.
CHamoru Seafaring Lexicon Workshop Read Post »
In westernized Guam the cardinal directions are lågu for north, håya for south, kåttan for east and luchan for west. If you examine the map of Guam, produced by the CHamoru Language Commission, that is what you will find in the map legend. However, the directions are different, depending on where you are on the island. Additionally, CHamorus on Saipan say that kåttan is north, luchan is south, håya is east and lågu is west.
CHamoru Directional Terminology Read Post »
The goal of education in any society is to impart knowledge and to equip people with the tools necessary to become valuable and contributing members of their community. Yet, who determines what should be taught or what kind of knowledge people should acquire?
Role of Education in the Preservation of Guam’s Indigenous Language Read Post »
CHamoru activism in the 1970s. In the 1970s, several CHamoru activist groups organized to resist both local injustices and United States colonialism on Guam in general. PARA-PADA was formed from two activist groups that merged together and operated outside the traditional political leadership circles on Guam.
Guam Community College created a series of 16 videos in Fino’ Håya, the indigenous language of the island of Guam, in an effort to revive, promote, and preserve this unique bond to our ancestors.
Fino’ Håya Project Read Post »
Lagrimas Leon Guerrero Untalan (1911-1997) was an educator, political pioneer and cultural advocate. Born and raised in Guam, Untalan was at the vanguard of bilingual education and will always be remembered for translating the Guam Hymn into the Chamorro language. She was also one of the first Chamorro women to be elected to the Guam Legislature. Untalan volunteered extensively with community groups, including service as President for the Guam Women’s Club from 1957-1958. She also was involved with the various activities of her church and parish.
Lagrimas Leon Guerrero Untalan Read Post »
