Saving the Chamorro Language

Saving the Chamorro language
Monday, 3/11/13
by Joy White
Marianas Variety New Staff

OVER the past 30 years, the number of Chamorro speakers on Guam has declined steadily – from 35,000 in 1990 to 25,000 as of the last census in 2010.

Such decline, according to scholars and cultural activists, underscores the need to preserve the language that has been pushed to the periphery due to the pre-war ban on the language, coupled with Western influence and the influx of immigrants.

Saving the Chamorro language from the brink of death is the focus of this year’s Chamorro Month celebration with the theme “Learn the Language of Your Elders and Practice It Every Day.”

“It’s all about getting the language taught,” said Joseph Artero-Cameron, director of the Department of Chamorro Affairs. “The theme this year is to get that language to our children in any shape or form.”

The theme, according to Artero-Cameron, seeks to encourage the daily use of the Chamorro language, “whether it’s in the school system or at home.”

Language ban

According to linguists, Chamorro constitutes a possibly independent branch of the Malayo-Polynesian language family. Unlike on Guam, the language is still common among Chamorro households in the Northern Marianas.

Chamorro language was suppressed on Guam in 1917, when the Naval Government Executive General issued Order No. 243, which banned speaking Chamorro and designated English as the only official language of Guam and ordered that “Chamorro must not be spoken except for official interpreting.”

According to Guampedia, speaking Chamorro was also forbidden on baseball fields, a sport growing in popularity, to encourage English use. “In the early 1920s, ‘No Chamorro’ policies were implemented and enforced within the schools and playgrounds. Public school students were reprimanded or penalized for speaking their native language. This policy continued after World War II.”

In recent years, Guam is seeing a cultural resurgence to learn the language.

School setting

Artero-Cameron believes the key to promoting the language is through the Department of Education’s Chamorro Language Curriculum.

“Students need to be able to use the Chamorro language for real communication by speaking; understanding what others are saying; reading; and interpreting written materials – all in the Chamorro language,” Artero-Cameron said.

“For too long, Chamorro language students in Guam have been judged by the number of years they have spent in the classroom rather than by their actual performance in the Chamorro language,” he said, adding elementary, middle, high school, and higher education instruction programs must be better articulated.

In 2011, Public Law 31-45 introduced by former Sen. Mana Silva Taijeron expanded previous legislation requiring Chamorro language instruction for elementary schools and one year at each level of education, to all grade levels in elementary and middle school and two years in high school. The law also mandates a reformation of the curriculum to incorporate a new curriculum for Beginning Chamorro (Introduction to Chamorro Language), Intermediate Chamorro (Basic Usage and Application of the Chamorro Language), and Advanced Chamorro (Conversational Chamorro).

By the new school year, 2013 to 2014 course work in the 7th grade should start and by the following school year, 2014 to 2015, the course will be included in the 8th grade. High schools should start the required course work by 9th grade, with the 10th grade mandated program starting in school year 2014 to 2015.

In addition, the law requires a Chamorro Language Department and department chair for all programs to be created at all schools to develop and implement the curriculum.

Competition

Rosa Salas Palomo, educator and coordinator of the University of Guam’s Chamorro language competition, stresses that oral competency must come hand-in-hand with social or cultural literacy.

The competition, themed “The Chamorro Language: Learn, Use, and Show,” starts at 3 p.m. today

“Aside from the language, we also have the linguistic competency, where they can speak the language but we also need to focus on the cultural or social competence, because sometimes we have someone who is using Chamorro but behaving like a mainlander and they contradict each other. Sometimes it’s difficult for children to grasp this, but there are mannerisms associated with individual languages. You need to make sure they are intact, that they match,” Palomo said.

“It’s our obligation as teachers to teach this, as well as the language because they go together. Why teach a language if you're not going to teach how to use it competently?” Palomo added.

Private efforts

Private individuals are also trying to create venues to learning the language more accessible.

For example, Troy Aguon created the Learn Chamorru! DVD and website for children.

Born and raised on Guam, Aguon worked in Las Vegas for about 13 years. When he returned with his two young children, he found there were no kid-friendly learning tools for Chamorro.

After being away for so long, he promised he would learn to be more fluent in the language and teach his children.

“My desire is to put as much Chamorro lessons, games, trivia and challenges on the LearnChamorro.com website for mom and dad to learn with their children in a fun and interactive new media resource tool (Internet audio/video, SMS, email, and smart phone). We believe teaching the language must start in the home and reinforced at home. Without language, there is no culture,” said Aguon, who is also partnering with Pay-Less Supermarkets to promote the Chamorro language.

The partnership promotes the language by identifying grocery items in the store and providing interactive activities, such as a scavenger hunter promotion that will be tied in with the website.

In addition, Aguon is working on volume two of the Learn Chamorro DVD and other technological tools, such as mobile friendly website software that will help children learn the language.

Finding a New Purpose in the Chamorro Language

Finding new purpose in Chamorro language

The Marianas Variety

Friday, 27 January 2012 04:27 Letter to the Editor

THERE continues to be noticeable reverberation surrounding GDOE’s Chamorro Language Program and its ineffectiveness as a mandate for preserving the island’s native tongue.The absence of any supporting evidence, particularly in the form of data compiled through a formal Chamorro language assessment tool that substantiates Chamorro proficiency among public school students, has brought forth irrational policy-making based on what seems on the surface as personal beliefs and posturing to cultural correctness.Before attempts at passing additional laws which are economically and strategically flawed, policy-makers and legislators alike must first consider two limiting factors that sway in the face of the Chamorro language dilemma: language dominance and language purpose.

First, if it has not yet become apparent to GDOE’s leadership, English is and has been the dominant language on Guam for the last 40 years.This will not change if the response at preserving the Chamorro language continues to come as irrational and illogical judgments favoring expansion of Chamorro curriculum within GDOE. Any passion of loyalty and obligation to Chamorro heritage should not overshadow a greater sense of strategic responsibility and planning, and the fact that Chamorro speakers will continue to be an endangered minority on Guam. Passion without common sense is as meaningless as “boyoing” one’s head half clean and wrapping around a “saude” in this modern age.

Second, although there is prevailing dominance of the English language on Guam, its strength can be diluted by first ensuring that the Chamorro language evolves to be more purposeful and rewarding in daily life throughout Guam society. Presently for the majority of students in GDOE, the sole purpose for learning Chamorro is wholly for compliance rather than for a need or urgency. More specifically, the Chamorro language fails at having personal relevance outside of its historical significance and curricular mandate for a majority of Guamanians. Therefore, new approaches that incorporate a greater purpose for Chamorro language use must be realized through bold changes in public policy.

In an attempt at developing social purpose in the use of the Chamorro language, educational leaders should first establish a graduation requirement stating, “No student may graduate from a Guam Public High School without first passing a Chamorro Proficiency Exam in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.” Within this scenario, the responsibility for learning Chamorro shifts from the institution of learning to the home, and ultimately society as a whole. Imagine how much more beneficial it would be if this concept were extended to those about to graduate from the University of Guam or the Guam Community College. Another purposeful shift can also occur if a government-wide “Chamorro Speaking Only” policy were implemented, where everyone’s livelihood would suddenly become dependent on comprehending and speaking Chamorro. And, what if GDOE could take the millions it presently spends on teaching Chamorro and instead develop a monthly Chamorro-speaking contest, where $20,000 in prizes could be given out to the most proficient Chamorro speakers? Wouldn’t there be tremendous savings within GDOE and at the same time an establishment of genuine purpose and reward that all Guamanians can participate in?

The English poet, philosopher and critic Samuel Taylor Coleridge once said, “Language is the armory of the human mind, and at once contains the trophies of its past and the weapons of its future conquests.” Mai’la pago ya ta u’sa i tohm’to’ta para ta na fo’na, gof la’la, yan kinalamten i lingua’hita para todu i tao’tao Guahan. Ti i eskuelan publiku ha ni mu’na fo’fona i lina’la I koturan Chamoru. Prisisu na ta na mas metgot i plan’un linguahita, ni sina mas u mu’na sao’nao todu i rasas siha. O’la’ mohon ya sina ta taka este na punto!

Elwin Champaco Quitano,
Dededo

Chumachalek Hao Pa'go...

“Chumåchalek Hao På’go…”

Michael Lujan Bevacqua

The Marianas Variety

11/16/11

As usual over the weekend I found myself with far too much work to do and not enough time before Monday morning to get it all done. There were stacks of papers to grade, grades to prepare, a column to write for this newspaper, a speech to finish for an upcoming conference in Okinawa, and so much more. I was hunched over my computer trying to focus, all the while distracted by the sounds of my two kids, Sumåhi (4) and Akli’e’ (2) tearing up the house behind me. At regular intervals they would appear at my side, eyes pleading to get some snack or some juice. Sometimes they would appear to crave recognition instead, perhaps for a recently completed drawing of a family of dragons in the case of Sumåhi, or in Akli’e’s case, perhaps the proud admission that his diaper is full of “tå’keeee.”

When the kids have spent too much time in the house they tend to get antsy. Sumåhi, being the more articulate of the two usually leads the charge in getting me to take them somewhere else. “Malago’ yu’ humanao para i fanhugånduyan” is a usual refrain, making clear her desire to visit a playground.

When I have less on my plate I usually reply, “Hunggan, nihi ta fanhanao!” to which my two kids scream and run blissful circles around each other. But this past weekend, I felt I had too much to do, and so I couldn’t take them. “Ahe’ ti siña yu’ på’go.” To which my daughter responded immediately “Sa’ hafa?” wanting to know why I couldn’t take them today.

“Miche’cho’ yu’ på’go. Meggaigaigai i che’cho’-hu på’go, siempre otro biahi.” In more ways than one I told Sumåhi and Akli’e’ that I had far too much work to do, and that I’d take them another time. My son shook his head angrily refusing to accept my claim to being too busy. My daughter did the same, albeit with a more direct strategy. She said to me, “Anai matmos hao gi i tasi, un ågang yu’. Anai tumotohgue hao gi i tano’, un yute’ yu’!”

For those of you who don’t know, this is an old Chamorro saying, and it might come as a pretty big surprise to hear a four year old today saying something that I’ve only heard Chamorro women over the age of 80 use. Since the moment both of my kids were born I’ve spoken Chamorro to them, and it has worked to the point where my daughter is fluent in Chamorro and can speak comfortably about a storybook or a movie in Chamorro with me. Recently I’ve tried to enhance her Chamorro by teaching her some pidasun finayi, or pieces of Chamorro wisdom. These are short sayings meant to convey morals or life lessons. They are becoming less and less heard as Chamorro becomes less and less spoken or understood.

Although Sumåhi understands the literal meaning of the phrase she chose to try to guilt me with (When you are drowning in the ocean you call for me, when you are standing on land, you get rid of me), she still doesn’t quite understand when she’s supposed to use it. The phrase is intended for a fair-weather friend or some ungrateful person who loves you when they are in need, but forgets you exist once they are doing ok. Although Sumåhi looked at me intensely after she said this phrase, and her eyes attempted to burn a hole through me with guilt, all I could do was smile.

While she fumed, knowing that her old Chamorro wisdom assault had not been effective, I tried to think about which old saying might be effective in this case. My mind settled on a saying I’ve seen written often by Guam oral historian Toni Ramirez. I have written about it on my blog and used it in my own life at certain points. It is a long saying, but for those of you who can read and understand Chamorro it is profound and worth reflecting upon.

Fanatguiyan i ha’ani-mu / Chumåchalek hao pa’go / Kumakasao hao agupa’

Desde i mafañågu-mu / Asta i finatai-mu / Fanatguiyan i ha’ani-mu

Gefhasso na tåya’ orå-ña / I minagof yan i piniti gi lina’lå-mu / Chumåchalek hao pa’go / Tumåtanges hao agupa’

The last line translates roughly to: “Remember that there is no set time for the happiness or pain in your life. You are laughing now, you may be crying tomorrow.” With this in mind, and the beautiful faces of my kids waiting for me, I left my work and took them to the playground.

Learn Chamorro Program Launched

Local Family Launches "Learn Chamorro" Program
Janela Buhain Carrera
The Marianas Variety
11/1/11

Troy Aguon spent 13 years in Las Vegas, Nev., not knowing how to speak Chamorro, the language of his home island.

Stumped by this, he set out to learn the “dying language” to revive it and pass it on to his children. He then moved back to Guam about 13 years ago and began his endeavor.

He visited the University of Guam and local bookstores, searching high and low to find every available kid-friendly tutorial for his children to learn Chamorro, but to no avail.

“There was none; it didn’t exist,” Aguon told Rotary Club of Northern Guam members during a meeting yesterday at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

“They had other books, but they were too in-depth and too formal.”

Because of this, Aguon, along with his wife and a few friends, has decided to embark on a journey to introduce educational materials that will encourage children and the general public to learn Guam’s native language.

Aguon is on a mission to get every single word in the dictionary translated into Chamorro within three years. He has launched a website, learnchamorro.com, which aims to teach Chamorro to anyone wishing to learn in a fun and friendly environment.

He has also produced an educational DVD with similar content as the website for $20. The price for the DVD, which is a “kid’s edition,” he said, is to cover the cost of producing the DVD, among other expenses. He also noted that any excess funds from DVD sales will go directly back to his cause. While the website is free of charge, Aguon said the DVDs can be purchased as a gift or for collection.

“It breaks my heart to know that you have to pay for something that’s dying right now,” he said. “So I’m going to do it myself and I’m going to challenge everyone on Guam.”

The DVDs can be purchased at Bestseller Bookstores, Nunu Tree at the Agana Shopping Center, The Piazza Restaurant, the USO headquarters, Che’lu Store at Chamorro Village, Cost-U-Less in Tamuning, and Island Fresh in Ordot/Chalan Pågo.

Aguon has also partnered with the Marianas Variety to introduce a section today that will feature Chamorro words/phrases and their English translations.

Speaking Impossibility

I often write that I love to collect “impossible things.” Some might call them miracles, moments that take your breath away, things that are so inspiring in the way they defy some expectation or some assumption. Impossibility is a very intriguing concept; it is a way of talking about something you can’t actually talk about. It is a way of attempting to put a face, a name on some fundamental glitch or gap in the human experience, something beyond our ability to comprehend or integrate safely into our consciousness. Impossibility is all about the things which cannot happen, but also about the things we can’t imagine happening. It is a realm of terror and fear, but also of things that inspire us to no end.

The Chamorro language is one place where we see regularly the tragic taking place, as the language becomes less and less spoken, yet also the miraculous, the impossible take place, as people work tirelessly to attempt to bring it back to health. In March I had the privilege of being a judge for the 8th Annual Chamorro Language Competition held at the University of Guam, and this was one such place where I was awed to see the impossible made possible, right before my eyes. What I witnessed there, ha gof pacha’ i korason-hu, it truly touched my heart. This event was attended by dozens of schools from across the Marianas Islands and featured students of all ages and ethnicities, not only speaking and singing in Chamorro, but also displaying it proudly (or sometimes shyly) to thousands of cheering family members. It was not an experience I’ll soon forget.

Although I am a fluent speaker of the Chamorro language, I only learned as an adult through speaking to my grandparents and taking classes at the University of Guam. Like most people in my generation, we have felt so deeply in our lives the pain of language loss and alienation, where we were not taught our native tongue as children. Many might argue that the Chamorro language is esta kumekematai, already close to dying, especially when we see very few young people speaking, using or even proud to know the language. For generations after World War II, the language was slowly stripped of most of its social value, and so we live in a Guam today, where relatively few people, young and old, truly feel that there is any value in learning or speaking Chamorro.

But this is why the Chamorro Language Competition is so important; because it is helping to re-instill value into the Chamorro language, which is part of the sacred heritage of these islands. At the event, you see thousands of children put their time, energy, their hearts and souls into learning to speak sometimes just a few sentences, or the lyrics to a song, or even entire speeches. They display their poems, songs and stories in front of their families and thousands of others in a crowded auditorium. To have so many people gathered together to celebrate the perpetuation of the Chamorro language and to have children compete and brandish their skills to all, is something that a generation ago was unfathomable. It was something that few could conceive of happening or would want to happen. It is so drastically different from just a few decades ago, where the idea of having a Chamorro Language Competition would have been derided and attacked by the community as handicapping our students and their ability to speak English properly. The impossible has happened right before our eyes. The flow of history which was once against the Chamorro language, that made it seem inevitable that it would die and be erased to make way for English, has been slowed and is reversing. We are now not only celebrating the language in word alone, but also through deeds such as this event.

What is most inspirational about this competition is that it is still in its early stages, and it is helping build the foundation for the eventual return of the Chamorro language. The value that it gives even for just that one day, of giving children and families a place where they can feel intense pride at using and hearing the Chamorro language, that can grow into so much more. Should this competition be held regularly, it can be the foundation of more events of the similar intent, providing a space for speaking and celebrating the language.