PulanTumaiguini
Volume VII
Issue I
GUAMPEDIA
Know Our Islands, Know Our History
Fibreru 2-Måtso 3, 2024
Biba Mes CHamoru!
Tumaiguini, the first moon of our Chamorro/CHamoru lunar calendar, means ‘this is the way.’ Our lunar calendar offers us knowledge of the way our ancestors passed down stories, wisdom, Fifty years ago, Governor Carlos G. Camacho signed a bill into law that created a five-year program to begin teaching Chamorro/ CHamoru language and culture in schools. In the past half-century, we’ve seen the growth and success of the Chamorro/CHamoru studies program in our school system, and even the
and lived connections with our lands and waters. This tumaiguini, we can be inspired to turn to the stories that have been passed down to us to chart our way forward. emergence of an immersion language school which was designed to fully surround youth with our native language and worldviews. Learning about our island’s history and the stories that we’ve inherited prompts deeper reflection on the resilience and strength of our people.
For example, did you know that Carlos Camacho was also Guam’s first governor ever to be elected by the people? Following many years of Naval rule, Camacho’s election in 1970 marked the first time that the people of Guam chose their own leader since the beginning of Spanish colonization in 1668. This history also speaks to our island’s continued struggle for self-governance and empowered indigenous leadership. Hinanao: Travelers and Descendents of Travelers by Karen A. Fury Cruz Karen Cruz’s work experience has focused on health and education and the use of oral histories to document Guam’s past and the people’s stories. This book examines through interviews the time period of the late 1800s to the late 1940s to determine what factors contributed to the travel of CHamorus/Chamorros from Guam to other parts of Micronesia. These CHamoru/Chamorro “travelers” reflect on how decisions and travels of their parents and grandparents impacted their lives. Click here to find Hinanao at the Heritage Gift Shop. Guampedia is a non-profit affiliate of the University of Guam with operations funded by the Government of Guam’s tourism attraction fund.