It is Guam’s Mes Chamoru (Chamorro month) once again! To kick off our celebration this month, our Saturday morning practice group will be reading the essay I Derechon I Taotao, written by Rosa Salas Palomo and originally published in 1987 as the opening essay to the book Chamorro Self-Determination. At that time, the Guam Commonwealth Act was up for the vote. In this essay, Señora Palomo repeatedly emphasizes the importance of the Chamorro language for our culture, our children, our people, and our future political status.

This post includes the Chamorro text, an English translation, and a Chamorro audio narration by Jay Che’le. Happy reading!

I DERECHON I TAOTAO

Tinige’ as Rosa Salas Palomo

Guaha un kádada’ na estoria kulan asentådu para u tinituhon este na tinige’. Annai gaige i lahi-hu gi sigundo grådu manhånao yan todus i famagu’on gi kuatto-ña para u ma bisita i palåsyon i Maga’låhi gi Ekso’ San Ramón. Manmafa’nu’i i famagu’on un litråtu ya mansinangåni ni sekritarian i asaguan i Maga’låhi na estaguiya na taotao dumeskubre Guahan. Ensigidas manoppe hulo’ i lahi-hu na i ManChamorro dumeskubre Guahan, åhe’ ti si Magellan.

Maskeseha ti klåru put håfa na rasón na ma dingu i orihinat na tåno’-ñiha i fine’nana na taotao ni manma’o’onra komu siha i tinituhon i gurupon taotao ni ManChamorro, en fin annai mana’yok gi inai Guahan ma kontinuha ha’ manlå’la’. Siha ha’ dumisiden maisa håfa siha para u ma cho’gue gi todu i kinalamten-ñiha gi nuebu na sinedda’-ñiha tåno’. Siguru na meggaiña gi che’cho’-ñiha para minaolek sa’ lámeggai na ManChamorro manmasodda’ ni Espanot annai ma diskubre’ Guahan. Gef impottante este na mumento sa’ måtai ha’ guihi i direchon-ñiha i ManChamorro para u disiden maisa i kinalamten-ñiha.

Este na tinige’ put este na asunto i dinetetminan maisa, pat self-determination. Gef impottante este sa’ ti apmam hit todus manhuyong para ta fanmambota kao para ta aksepta pat disaprueba i maprupóponi na Akton Commonwealth. Ti bai hu fångge’ put i ginagao kada attikulu gi Akto. Lao, ya-hu tumaka’ los kuantos na hinasso-ku siha ni siña umayuda yan numå’i hit mås chånsa para ta chule’ yan ehetsisio i derecho-ta para ta disiden maisa håfa malago’-ta para i kinalamten tåno’-ta, Guahan, yan i manachataotao-ta, i ManChamorro. Sásaonao guini siha na hinasso i asunto put lengguahi, kuttura yan i eskuela.

Ha rekoknisa i maprupóponi na Akton ’Commonwealth’ na hita i ManChamorro i natibu na taotao Guahan, guaha direcho’-ta para ta detetminan maisa i kinalamten yan estao pulitikåt-ta. Gi papa’ este, klåru para guahu na siempre takhilo’ na dinisidi i lina’la’-ta gi manmámamaila na siklus siha. Yanggen para ta fanggágaige yan fanmémetgot ha’ guini gi tano’-ta, nisisita na ta prutehi i lengguahi-ta yan kutturå-ta.

Gof tåddong gi kurason-hu i kinalamten i kuttura yan lengguahi. Hu gof hongge na i lengguahi numånå’i minetgot un gurupon taotao; este na minetgot i para u ma konsigi i kinalamten yan lina’la’-ñiha gi tano’. Gigon ha’ måfnas i lengguahen-ñiha, ma funas ha’ lokkue’ i kuttura, pues i mismo gurupon taotao. Put uttemo, ayu ha’ siempre sopbla put i ManChamorro i manmatuge’ gi lepblo siha ya meggaiña biahi na tinige’ taotao hiyong.

Tåya’ esta siña ta cho’gue para ta na’suha i fino’Engles gi tano’-ta yanggen ta hongge na todu i para ta cho’gue para i minaolek na kinalamten i famagu’on-ta. Mampos esta didok yan nisisårio i ma’usan i fino’Engles guini giya Guahan. Yanggen manmalago’ hit na todu i famagu’on-ta u fanggai chånsa para u ma chagi yan u fanlå’la’ gi tano’ ManChamorro yan i tano’ taotao lågu, pues siempre ha’ ta nå’i oputunidåt na u ma achatungo’ parehu i fino’ håya yan i fino’ lågu.

Maskeseha guaha didide’ ha sångan i Akto put i maprutehen i kutturan i taotao i tano’ mismo, håfa taimanu este macho’gue yanggen tåya’ håfa mana’klåru put i ma’usan i fino’ Chamorro? Yanggen i lengguahi muna’sigúguru i makontinuhan i kinalamten yan i lina’la’ un gurupon taotao, håfa gi kuttura para u makontinuha fuera di ayu siha i siña ta sén li’e’, humungok yan tumanna’? Sén siguru na manmåtai siempre ayu siha na påtte gi kuttura ni manggai fundamentu yan dumeferensíasiao hit yan otru siha na gurupon taotao. Ginen i lengguahi-ta na ta tútungo’ i rihilasasion entre i mañaina yan i famagu’on, i kinalamten i familia yan manátungo’ siha parehu gi tiempon minagof, chinatsaga pat finatai, yan lokkue’ ayu siha gi lina’la ni ta na’húhuyong kinemprenden iná’áfa’maolek, iná’ayuda, yan respetu para todu.

Guahu fine’nana bai hu atmiti na gai impottante i fino’ Engles giya Guahan, lao achaparehu ha’ yan i fino’-ta, i fino’ Chamorro. Sigún gi inatátan-hu, kulan guaha fáfatta yanggen hu li’e’ i taotao-ta manmañuchuchule’ gi fino’ Engles. Mås gai sustansia yan put mås, kabåles este na kinemprenden iná’áfa’maolek yan iná’ayuda yanggen ma’na’lå’la’ gi mismo hula’ annai ma tutuhon.

Tåya’ prublemå-hu put i ma’usan yan i impottanten i fino’ Engles giya Guahan. Esta hu sångan na ti siña esta ta na’suha. Nisisårio para i kinalamten ikonomihan Guahan yan impottante yanggen para ta fanákomprende yan todu i taotao hiyong. Yanggen para ta fanmama’tinas disisíon ni para i magåhet na minaolek-ta, debi di ta na’achaparehu i estaon todu i dos lengguahi. Lao, yanggen para ta fanma’onra kumu hita magåhet i mismo taotao i tano’, yanggen para ta na’sén ånnok na guaha mismo taotao-ña este na isla, ya yanggen para u siña ma distingi i ManChamorro yan i ManGuamanian, pues debi di u ta na’klåru i tagahlo na sagå-ña i fino’ Chamorro.

Håfa taimanu i famagu’on-ta ManChamorro ma hongge na gai impottante i lengguahen yan kutturan i mañainan-ñiha yanggen ayu ha’ na ma líli’e’ yan ma húhungok i lengguahi yanggen guaha ha’ fina’sikretu pat guaha manmalalalatde pat yanggen guaha un gurupon manåmko’ gi uriyan-ñiha? Debi di ta dimanda na u ma usa i fino’ Chamorro gi todu giya Guahan, parehu gi gubetnamentu, i familia, i kuminidåt, yan i bisnes ni iyon indibiduat pat gurupon taotao siha.

Ya-hu gumacha’ yan lumi’i i tiempu annai siña humålom yu’ gi maskeseha amånu na tenda ya yanggen manggågao yu’ ayudu gi fino’ Chamorro ti nisisårio na bai hu inestotba na siña ha’ i ayudante ti u ha tungo’ fumino’ Chamorro. Mientras ha’ ha estótotba yu’ este na hinalom, gaige i prublema giya guahu. Ti debi este. Yanggen ilélek-ña na ha sésetbe i gubetnamentu yan i bisnes i taotao siha, pues debi lokkue’ di u ma rekoknisa i lengguahen i ManChamorro ya u todu tiempu fanlistu para ta fanmasetbe. Kumeke’ilek-ña este na yanggen para u ma setbe hit, pues siempre u na’takhilo’-ña i ginagao na yanggen para u fanmangonne’ fáfa’cho’cho’ siha, debi di mås ki lamitá guini u ma tungo’ yan ma komprende manfino’ Chamorro, enlugat di i fino’ Chapanis.

Sásaonao guini lokkue’ yanggen para u gef annok na guaha lengguahen-ñiha i ManChamorro i ma hatsåyen tapbleru siha gi fino’ Engles yan fino’ Chamorro. I plasan båtkon aire ha’ na mås annok gi enterúru i gubetnamenton Guahan na guaha dos gurupon taotao ma’ó’onra guini giya Guahan. Maskeseha manmåfåtto taotao ni ti para u fañåganñaihon guini, gigon ha’ ma li’e tapbleru gi dos lengguahi manhålom ensigidas na hunggan, ‘Guam is where America’s day begins,’ lao guaha ha’ lokkue’ otru na gurupon taotao fuera di i ’Guamanians’ ni manggai lengguahi.

Håfa siña i eskuela u cho’gue para u ayuda i asunto na u ma nå’i parehu pudet-ña i hila’-ta taiguihi i fino’ Engles? Meggai sumåsångan na esta makkat na tareha i para u ma eyak yan ma tungo’ i famagu’on-ta unu na lengguahi. Hunggan, makkat, lao ti imposipble. Makkat i ma eyak i fino’ Engles para meggai giya hita sa’ ti este primera lengguahi-ta. Maneyak hit manguentos, manmanaitai yan manmångge’ gi mina’dos na lengguahi gi kinahulo’-ta. Ta tungo’ ha’ na ta na’siña sa’ meggai hit chumo’gue, lao mås fåsit siempre i ma eyak manmanaitai yan manmångge’ gi fino’Chamorro sa’ esta siña ta komprende yan ta sångan. I fino’ Engles unu gi i mås måkkat na lengguahi ma eyak, lao siña ha’ ta cho’gue.

I eskuela mohon u na’huyong un areklamento ni muna’klåru håfa taimanu siña para u ma atbansa i fino’ Chamorro. Yanggen ti siña ma na’posipble fina’nå’gue gi dos lengguahi todu diha, pues u na’siguru na i fina’nå’guen fino’ Chamorro kabåles yan para todu na klåsen estudiante siha. Debi di u sahnge i fina’nå’gue para ayu siha esta manfífino’ Chamorro, yan sahnge lokkue’ para ayu siha i mannuebu para i lengguahi. Put mås, debi di u ma na’takhilo’ gi este na kinalamten i kinemprende put i finalagon i lengguahi yan i ma’uså-ña gi todu na manera kontodu i mataitai-ña yan i matuge’-ña. Gef námagof yanggen ha tungo’ i patgon-ta manaitai yan mångge’ gi fino’ Engles. Lao, ada ti mås námagof yanggen ha achatungo’ manaitai yan mångge’ gi fino’ Engles yan fino’ Chamorro? Yanggen para ta konsigi i kinalamten-ta kumu ManChamorro hit, mas inayuda yanggen lámeggai gi taotao-ta siña manmångge’ taiguini.

Hita ni mismu ManChamorro nai gaige i derecho para ta disidi i kinalamten-ta guini gi tano’-ta. Sásaonao guini gi asunton dinetetminan maisa put estaon pulitikat, i dinisidi put håfa malago’-ta para ta cho’gue put i lengguahi-ta yan kuttura-ta. Yanggen manmetgot hit gi minalago’-ta na para ta kontinuha muna’lå’la’, umabiba yan umatbansa i fino’håya, pues nihi ya ta fanachu hulo’ ya ta sångan klåru håfa i minalago’-ta. Tåya’ otru gurupon taotao siña chumo’guiyi hit nu este. Taiguihi ha’ put asunton dinetetminan maisa, hita ha’ siña fuma’tinas i disisíon-ta put lengguahi yan kuttura.

Fanachu hulo’ yan na’metgot i mas guaguan na guinaha-ta — i lengguahi-ta, i guinahan i tano’-ta, i tano’-ta, yan i direcho-ta para ta ayek yan na’magahet i manmaolek para i lina’la i taotao-ta. Fanhuyong ya en fanmambota gi diha ocho di Agosto.

The Right of a People

Written by Rosa Salas Palomo

As language is the umbilical cord of culture, we recognize the centrality of, and the necessity to promote, the Chamorro language in any effort which seeks to improve and strengthen the status of the Chamorro people. We cannot afford to treat issues of language separate from land, immigration, economic development, and political status concerns. For Chamorros, these issues are all instrinsically bound together in our struggle to exercise our inalienable right of self-determination. It is fitting that we demonstrate our commitment to the Chamorro language and all that it embodies by beginning this volume of readings with a discussion of self-determination in Chamorro. (The Editors)

There is a short story that is suitable to be the start of this writing. When my son was in the second grade, he and all of the children in his class went to visit the Governer’s Palace on San Ramon Hill. The children were shown a picture and they were told by the secretary of the governor’s wife that here is the person who discovered Guam. Instantly my son spoke up that it was the Chamorros who discovered Guam, no, not Magellan.

Although it’s not clear why they left their original lands, the first people who are honored as the beginning of the group of people who are the Chamorros, in the end when they jumped on Guam’s sand they just continued to live. They were the only ones who decided for themselves what they were going to do in all of their activities in their newly discovered land. It was certain that their work was more often for the good, because there were more Chamorros found by the Spanish when they discovered Guam. This moment is very important because in that very moment, the rights of the Chamorros to decide for themselves their endeavors.

This writing is about this, the topic of self-determination. This is very important because soon all of us will go out to vote for if we will accept or reject the proposed Commonwealth Act. I will not write about the requests in every article in the Act. But, I want to explore some of my thoughts that can help and give us a greater chance to take and exercise our right to decide for ourselves what we want for the direction of our land, Guam, and our peers, the Chamorros. Included here in these thoughts is the topic of language, culture, and school.

The proposed Commonwealth Act recognizes that we, the Chamorros, are the native people of Guam, we have the right to determine for ourselves the future and our political status. Under this, it’s clear to me that our life will definitely be the most important decision in the coming centuries. If we are going to still be here and remain strong here in our land, it’s necessary that we protect our language and our culture.

The progress of the culture and language is deep in my heart. I really believe that the language is what gives strength to a group of people; this strength is what will allow the future and their lives on the land to continue. As soon as their language is faded, the culture is also wiped out, then the very same group of people. In the end, that’s all that will be left about the Chamorros, what is written in books, and most of the time written by outsiders.

We already can’t do anything to remove the English language from our land, if we believe that everything we do is for the good progress of our children. The usage of the English language is already very pervasive and necessary here on Guam. If we want all of our children to have a chance to try and live in the land of the Chamorros and the land of the outsiders, then we definitely need to give them the opportunity to know equally the native language and the foreign language.

Although the Act does say a little about the protection of the culture of the native people, how can this be done if there is nothing made clear about the usage of the Chamorro language? If the language is what makes the continuation of the activity and life of a group of people certain, what in the culture will be continued other than those things which we can really see, hear and taste? It’s certain that those parts in the culture which have substance and differentiate us from other groups of people will certainly die. It is from our language that we know the relationship between the elders and the children; the activity of family and acquaintances in times of joy, as much as in hardship or death; and also those times in life which we bring forth understanding of mutual kindness, assistance and respect for all.

I will be the first to admit that the English language has importance on Guam, but it is just the same as our language, the Chamorro language. According to what I am looking at, it is as though there is something missing when I see our people taking from the English language. It has more substance and moreover, this understanding of mutual kindness and assistance is complete if they are brought to life in its own tongue where it was started.

I don’t have any problem with the use and importance of the English language on Guam. I already said that we already cannot remove it. It’s necessary for Guam’s economic progress and it’s important if we and all the outsiders want to understand each other. If we will make decisions for our true benefit, we must make the status of both languages the same. But for us to be honored as the true native people, if we will make it very apparent that this island has its own people, and if it is going to be possible that the Chamorros can be distinguished from Guamanians, then we must clarify the important place of the Chamorro language.

How can our Chamorro children believe that the language and culture of their elders has importance if they only see or hear the language when there is something secret, or there are people being scolded, or if there is a group of elders around them? We should demand that the Chamorro language be used everywhere on Guam, whether in the government, the family, the community and the businesses which belong to individuals or groups of people.

I would like to catch and see the time when I can go into any store and if I ask someone for help in Chamorro, it won’t be necessary for me to be bothered that the helper may not know how to speak Chamorro. While this thought is bothering me, the problem is with me. It shouldn’t be this way. If it is said that the government and the businesses serve the people, then they should also recognize the language of the Chamorros, and they should always be ready in order for us to be served. This means that if they will serve us, then it must be made more important that if workers are going to be brought in (hired), more than half of them here must know and understand how to speak Chamorro, rather than Japanese.

Joining in this as well, if it is going to really be shown that the Chamorros have a language, is the raising of signs in English and Chamorro. It’s only the airplane plasa that is the most apparent in the entire government of Guam that there are two groups of people honored here on Guam. Even though people arrive who will not stay here for a while, as soon as they see the signs in two languages, they instantly figure out that yes, “Guam is where America’s day begins,” but there is still also another group of people other than the “Guamanians” that have a language. 

What can school do to help the topic that will give our tongue the same authority like the English language? Many say that it’s already a difficult task for our children to learn and know one language. Yes, it is difficult, but not impossible. The learning of the English language was difficult for many amongst us because this is not our first language. We learned how to talk, read and write in the second language during our growing up. We do know that we can make it happen because many of us were the ones who did it, but it’s definitely easier, the learning to read and write in Chamorro because we can already understand it and speak it. The English language is the one of the hardest languages to learn, but we can do it.

The school should produce rules and regulations which clarify how the Chamorro language can be advanced. If they cannot make instruction in the two languages possible all day, then ensure that the Chamorro language instruction is complete and for all kinds of students. The instruction for those who already speak Chamorro must be separate from those who are new to the language. Furthermore, the understanding of the running of the language and its usage in all ways, including its reading and writing, must be made important in this effort. It would be very satisfying if our child knows how to read and write in English. But is it not more satisfying if he knows equally how to read and write in English and Chamorro? If we will continue our progress as Chamorros, it will be helped more if more of our people can write like this.

The right to decide our progress is here in our land is with us, the Chamorro. Joining here in the topic of self-determination of political status, is the decision about what we want to do about our language and culture. If we are strong in our wanting to continue to give life to, encourage and advance the native language, then lets stand up and say clearly what we want. There is no other group of people who can do this for us. Just as with the topic of self-determination, only we can make our decisions about language and culture.

Stand up and strengthen our most precious possessions – our language, the wealth of our land, our land, and our right to choose and to make happen positive things for the life of our people. Go out and vote on August 8th.

Sources

Souder-Jaffery, L. M. T., & Underwood, R. A. (1987). Chamorro Self-determination : The Right of a People: I Derechon i Taotao [PDF]. Chamorro Studies Association. https://bsp.guam.gov/wp-bsp-content/uploads/govarchieve/G25-10.114_Chamorro%20Self-Determination.pdf