Final Keynote Speaker – Indigenous Languages Conference Inaugural Session, Festival of the Pacific Arts, Guam, 2016 I Unibetsedåt Guåhan Notes by Isa Kelley Bowman Rev. Dr. Upolu Luma Vaai (Pacific Theological College, Samoa) The cosmic community everyone and everything included, not just people saluations and respect, tåno’, ancestors, spirits, sea, Chamorro people, etc. We are in … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: May 2016
Medal of Honor
About a year ago, we interviewed Chamorro military veteran Martin Manglona. The interview is up at Hongga Mo’na (along with an English translation). He was originally nominated for a Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War, but: Supporters of the provision say discrimination was the reason some Pacific Islander and Asian American … Continue reading
Notes from Dr. Souder
We all just finished the Indigenous Languages Conference at UOG. I’m sure my fellow bloggers may post about it more in depth. For now, a few quick posts. Today I got to sneak in for a bit to famed Chamorro scholar Dr. Laura Torres Souder’s presentation, in between finding buses for delegates and counting folding chairs. Below, … Continue reading
“Stolen People on Stolen Land: Decolonizing While Black”
Wonderful, thought-provoking essay from Adele Thomas: Searching for the answer brings me face to face with a difficult reality—a reality that means it is understood and acknowledged that I am here as a result of theft of life and culture. This feeling is hollowing and a specific loss of self and personhood unique to that of a non-Indigenous … Continue reading
Tres na Chalan
In Guam, the CNMI and in a variety of other similar indigenous contexts, there seem to be three basic ways in which cultural expressions and assertions are formed and whichever we chose to emphasize and privilege comes to define the limits of our political possibility. These three types are colonial, multi-cultural and anti-colonial. Each of … Continue reading
“Håfa Ta Påtte” pot “Håfa In Påtte”?
My childhood in church is coming back to me with all the news stories these days about delegates passing out from thirst and heat exhaustion at the opening ceremony for FestPac. Ya y jumonggueyo, taegüije y sinangan y Tinigue: y sanjalomña manmimilalag y sadog janom na lalâlâ. San Juan 7.38 So much about heat and thirst … Continue reading
“Maidenform Women”
Here’s a hot tip for all you New York Times reviewers! Why not avoid starting your review with an unecessary and not even funny joke about bras? Especially when you’re a woman, purportedly sympathetic to feminism, reviewing a new feminist book? Just a little thought. There was a time when many women would sooner have … Continue reading