CHamoru Quest for Self-Determination

Yu’us Prutehi I Islan Guåhan! More than 30 years ago historian and education leader Dr. Pedro Sanchez noted that Guåhan’s quest for political self-determination lies in the desire of its people to control the island’s (and their own) future. Similar to the practice of navigation, the people of Guåhan must plan their efforts and decide upon their destination. In doing so they must draw upon their history, culture, language, knowledge, and experiences, as well as those of other Indigenous peoples, to chart a course forward, towards envisioning and enacting their collective future.

CHamoru perspectives have many times been at the periphery of the federal government’s decisions regarding Guåhan’s political affairs. An example of this was the signing of the Organic Act of Guam into law by President Harry S. Truman in Washington, DC, on 1 August 1950. 

CHamoru efforts toward self-determination and decolonization have brought about the revitalization of CHamoru history and culture. Yet, the need to protect our cultural resources and heritage has become even more urgent given the demographic, climate, economic, political status, and national security developments facing our island today.

Cultural preservation is an important aspect of self-determination. For modern day descendants of Indigenous cultures, links to the past demonstrate unity, identity, distinctiveness, and relevance in a global world. We rely on our past to give us a sense of who we are and how we identify ourselves in relation to others. Likewise, we draw upon the past to understand our responsibility to care for our historical and cultural resources so that they can be passed onto future generations.

In the CHamoru culture, as in many other Pacific Island cultures, elders (mañaina) are held in high regard and treated with deep respect. Individuals grow in status because of their age and experience as keepers of traditions, customs, genealogy, history, landholdings, and family secrets.

Throughout the second half of the 20th century Guåhan’s leaders encountered multiple challenges to pursuing self-determination through the mechanisms available within the US domestic legal and political systems. In a plebiscite vote in 1982, 49 percent of voters chose Commonwealth as their preferred choice resulting in the drafting of a Commonwealth Act under the administration of Governor Ricardo J. Bordallo.

Often, discussions of Guåhan’s quest for self-determination are mired in terminology that is difficult to make sense of. We unpack some of these terms here to allow visitors to engage more deeply with the stories presented.

Few issues in Guåhan’s history garner such diverse reactions as the efforts for CHamoru self-determination and the decolonization of our island. Opinions differ on the most viable political status option, who should participate in a political status plebiscite, and whether Guåhan should even continue to pursue a change in its relationship with the United States. Part of the challenge is visualizing what a change in political status would mean for our island’s people.