The 40 foot Chamorro Flying Proa sailing canoe shown in this drawing made in 1742 was once the fastest sailing vessel in the world! Find out how you can help revive the lost art of building and sailing the Chamorro Flying Proa (called "Sakman" in Chamorro). Visit the web sites of Sakman Chamorro, Inc. and The San Diego Chamorro Cultural Center!   Welcome to the Web Site of the Worldwide Chamorro Community!     Guma'Famoksaiyan: Gathering Our Strength for the Journey Ahead: The 2008 Famoksaiyan gathering will take place May 23-25 in San Diego, California and is co-sponsored by Chamorro Hands in Education Links Unity (CHELU) Inc. For more information please click on this link: Famoksaiyan Blog. If you'd like to see the schedule which includes sessions on Chamorro film, Guampedia.com, the environment, Chamorro language and music, click here. If you'd like to donate money to support Famoksaiyan please Click Here. Help put Guam Band Mud on MTV!!!!: The band Mud's music video for their latest song "Should've Known" is on Youtube, and if it gets enough clicks, it could end up on MTV. Show your support for Chamorros and people from Guam by watching it here!!!!. Puengen Minagof - A Night to Remember!: A Pacific Islander play/musical performed by the Kutturan Chamoru Performers. April 13, 2008 in Fullerton, California. For more information click here. Guam-Pacific Islands Music Festival in Las Vegas!: April 27, 2008 - at the Clark County Amphitheater in Las Vegas. Bands include SOJA, Rebel's Conscience, Mud and Dedicated Minds. For more info call 702-860-9300 or click here. Maga'haga': Guam's Women Leaders Say No to the Military Buildup: By 2014, the United States plans to spend $10 billion to move 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents from Okinawa to Guam, increasing its presence there by more than three fold. The small island of Guam, where only 172,000 people live, will be flooded with the burden of 40,000 more people associated with the military build-up. On August 13, 2007, in a meeting with U.S. Congressional representatives, a group of Guam's maga'haga raised their hands and voices against the movement of thousands of marines, sailors and airmen, and more nuclear submarines and bombers to their island home. In Ancient times, "maga'haga" were the eldest daughters of a clan, who shared the responsibilities of running the clan's affairs and governing its resources with the "maga'lahi," or the eldest sons. Today, the term refers to a strong female leader.Maga'haga, a short film that documents the meeting, shows how the decision to increase the U.S. military presence on Guam is being made without the consent of Guam's people. The film also illustrates the unwavering strength and determination of the island's women. Maga'haga (the film) can be viewed on youtube in two parts. Here are the links: Part 1, Part 2. Ethnic, Indigenous and Postcolonial Studies Conference: The Ethnic Studies department at University of California, San Diego is hosting a conference titled "Postcolonial Futures in a Not Yet Postcolonial World: Locating the Intersections of Indigenous, Ethnic and Postcolonial Studies," on March 5-7, 2008. The conference theme focuses on the contemporary position of indigenous peoples (such as Chamorros), who struggle against colonialism, in a world where colonialism isn't supposed to exist anymore. If you are interested attending this conference, please click on this link for more information. Conference Website. Justice for Nuclear Survivors Petition: To sign the petition to help the people of the Marshall Islands get justice for their treatment by the United States government and military Click Here. To read more about the petition Click Here. Stay Informed About the Planned Military Build-Up on Guam: Click the following link to download documents regarding the military build-up on Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, the relocation of thousands of US Marines from Okinawa to Guam, and the general realignment of United States military forces in the Pacific. Click Here to Download the Documents Decolonize Guam Blog: Guam, as the “tip of America’s spear” and its “unsinkable aircraft carrier” is making more and more national and international headlines, because of the increased recognition of its strategic importance in maintaining American military power in the Asia-Pacific region. Over the next ten years, we will see a drastic and dramatic increase in the amount of military personnel and infrastructure in Guam, as United States military forces in South Korea and Okinawa are transferred there. While some say that these buildups will make Guam’s economic dreams come true, others say that these perceived benefits will either be for a slim privileged group only, or will cause widespread cultural, economic, environmental, social and political damage to the island. For a collection of news articles on this buildup and other issues affecting Guam, please check out: the Decolonize Guam Blog. Weekly Saipan Commentary: Get the real story on news and events in the Northern Marianas. On My Mind, by long-time Saipan resident Ruth L. Tighe, and Food for Thought by Saipan radio personality Harry Blalock. New columns come out each Friday. New Minagahet e-zine: Check out the latest issue of Minagahet e-zine. Minagahet is published bi monthly by the Chamorro Information Activists. This is where you'll find well-written articles and intelligent discussion on contemporary Chamorro issues. Previous "Spotlight" items...     What's Happening on Guam - Headlines from KUAM.com   Rev & Tax preps more than 3,000 rebate checks Rev & Tax director Art Ilagan says 3,022 rebate checks totaling $2.4 million will be mailed out today ... Your tax rebate, dissected While many on Guan are anticipating receiving their tax rebates, it seems as if just as many are still confused. Some of the questions being thrown out there include things like what is a tax rebate? Who is eligible? And why are some checks being garnished? Rev & Tax director Art Ilagan joined KUAM News today to hopefully clarify the tax rebate issue once and for all ... Governor recognizes GPD's efforts Protecting our community is our government's most fundamental commitment to the people that we serve, from safety on Guam's roads to securing island villages are a few responsibilities the Guam Police Department carries out everyday ... Progress Report: Wettengel Elementary School With the recent closure of at least three public schools, work continues at other campuses in order to get the facilities up to standards. Like all other schools, Wettengel Elementary School in Dededo, the Home of the Binadus, suffers from the lack of working air conditioners ... Governor notes benefits of increasing vehicle registration fee Guam's governor says while there may not be money in the General Fund to make the $7.9 million payment by June 1 to cover the local government's streetlights debt, he does say raising the island's Motor Vehicle Registration Fee by $72 through the 'AAA' process would help for the future ...   What's Happening in the CNMI - Headlines from The Saipan Tribune   Bush signs federalization bill President George W. Bush has signed into law the bill applying federal immigration law to the Northern Marianas and granting the Commonwealth a non-voting delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives. 'Process begins now to stabilize workforce' With the signing of the federalization bill by President Bush yesterday, proponents said there are so many things to be done now to stabilize the workforce during the transition period. PTI purchase of IT&E now final Pacific Telecom, Inc.'s Guam subsidiary, PTI Pacifica, Inc., has completed the purchase of selected current telecommunication assets and the IT&E brand name. The company will continue to operate as IT&E. All plans, rates and service charges will continue without any changes to IT&E customers. 'Rehab of power plants is best right now' Antonio Muna, the new Commonwealth Utilities Corp. executive director, said the rehabilitation of engines at the power plants is the best option that right now rather than privatization.

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