LT. Governor Tenorio Must Apologize to CHamorus for Statment Made Over the Weekend During Reimer Showcasing

Afanelos,
 
Perhaps many did NOT catch what LT. Governor Tenorio mentioned during the CitiBank event showcasing the photos of the Reimer collection taken during the 1800s. So here I go.
 

During the Citibank showcasing of the Reimer Collection of photos taken on Guåhan during the 1800s in East Hagåtña, and after the opening blessing performed by Pa'a Taotao Tano, LT Governor Tenorio mentioned during his speech to the on looking audience and media, “… I don’t care if you’re Palau’uan, I don’t care if you’re Chukese…You are CHamoru…” It clearly appears that his speech during the showcasing event of the photos of 1800, that the LT Governor seemed to have gotten just a bit carried away, and clearly appeared NOT to offend any of the other nationalities that may have been present during the event, or others that may have been watching the televised recording of it.
 
To be clear, the CHamorus are the native inhabitants of what we know today as the Mariana Islands, and NOT Palau’uans, Chukese, or any other Pacific nationality for that matter. If they were born on Guåhan after August 10, 1950 and non-native to the Island, they legally can be considered to be Guamanians, and NOT CHamorus.
 
CHamorus have endured overtaking and occupation of at least three known technologically advanced empires since the 16^th hundreds. The Spaniards, the Americans (December 1898 to December 1941, and the Japanese (December 1941 to July 1945). Eventually, the Americans re-occupied the Islands immediately after the end of the Pacific War in 1945.
 
LT. Governor Tenorio, owes the NATIVE CHamorus their much DUE apology for making that statement, especially right at the onset of what was recently publicized as “CHamoru Month.”
No disrespect to any of our other Island brothers and sisters, but when a Chamoru moves to another Island, they are NOT and will never be categorized as a TRUE citizen of those lands. If CHamorus packed up (again) and moved to Palau, the Palau’uans would never call these new immigrants Palau’uan, and so on as it applies to other lands of the Pacific.
 
LT Governor Tenorio, “Please refrain in the future in calling immigrants to our land CHamorus."  It is an insult to many of us, and those whom have died before us, whom have made it our goal to perpetuating our language, culture, traditions, and the protection and conservation of our lands so that WE can exist to be Taotao Tåno.
 
LT. Governor Tenorio, "Apologize to our people, and MOVE on."
 
Saina Ma’åsé