Wednesday, June 26, 2013

CHamoru / Taotao Tano’/ Manaotao Tano' / Manaotao Håya

  Let us not forget that our culture, beliefs and our people have been suppressed for going on six 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 is 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 CHamoru brothers and sisters both on, and off-island. It is time to start renewing our faith and beliefs as CHamorus. 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 afanelos, "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 CHamoru blood.

   It is time to commit ourselves to educating our children and ourselves of our true culture. The CHamoru culture. I Kotturan CHamoru. 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.

Hafa Mohon?

"CHamoru"


 
 


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