Afánelós,
Let us not forget that our culture, beliefs and our people
have been suppressed for going on for a few hundred years. Our history portrays us as always giving with
open doors and open arms to all. How
much longer can we as a People continue this behavior when our resources and
surroundings are diminishing at a very fast pace with the assistance and our
growing dependency on both industrial and commercial growth? The time has come for us to make a stand in
preserving what's left of our lands. We
must all decide what fate is to be determined of our sacred island before it
falls entirely in to the hands of others who only have personal financial
interests in mind, and not the interest of the people as a whole.
Our first step in perpetuating our goal is to first bring
common ground with our CHamóru brothers and sisters both on, and off-island. It is time to start renewing our faith and
beliefs as CHamórus. Some of us might
have forgotten who we are in this time and age and from where we've come from,
but I sure haven't, and neither should you.
This is what makes the world such a fascinating place to live on,
"A diversity of cultures." "Be proud of who you are" and
"try not to portray yourself as someone who you can never be."
Fan ha'su CHamóru, "No matter what you wear, how
expensive your clothes are, the size of your home, what country you're
currently in, or what color you paint your skin, whenever you bleed, you will
still bleed CHamóru blood.
It is time to committing ourselves in educating our children
and ourselves of our true culture. The CHamóru
culture. “I Kotturan CHamóru.” Let us not laugh at those of our brothers and
sisters who attempt to speak our language and make mistakes. Instead, we should educate them on the proper
manner in which to pronounce or speak it.
"Accept who you are and nothing less," learn of your history,
and teach our next generation of our enlightenment. It is only from when one identifies their
historical past, learns and understands the importance and relevance of it,
then the individual can bond together with others in the same plight and moves
forward in the right direction. Håfa
Mohon?
"CHamóru"
Saina Ma’åsé
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