About the Author

Michael Lujan Bevacqua comes from the Bittot and Kabesa clans and is the father to the mas ñangñang na nene giya Guahan Sumåhi, who is notorious on island for ruining numerous R-rated movies for childless adults. He has way too many websites and is involved in too many different activist projects, that all keep him from finishing his Ethnic Studies dissertation. Michael has many dreams some of them possible, others needing lots of work in order to become possible. He dreams of an independent Guam, and a Guam where the Chamorro language is more pervasive than yellow-ribbon-car-magnets, watching a Test Cricket series between India and Pakistan in India, and becoming the front-man for a Chamorro language Ska Band.

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1. 

   Comment by Kel Muna on 7 April 2009:

   In Obama’s case, I can somewhat understand, since he has to shed whatever he can that he inherited from Bush. No, it’s not a real end to the war - it’s just a PR move.

   But with the sudden consideration for unifying the Marianas Islands for reasons from the US Govt. or for commerce instead of for our cultural unity - hmmmmm…i don’t know about that.

   It reminds me of this opening scene from “The Office”:
2. 

   Comment by Joseph Certeza on 7 April 2009:

   Man, I do not know guys. Very good literature on my point of view. I am totally against the thought of Guam and the Northern Mariana islands to become a state of the “U”"S”, with complicated reasons. I feel that the unification of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam is very beneficial for our Chamorro culture and for our own Chamorro people, since the culture was fading due to people assimilating to western standards and culture. Sadly to say, on my point of view again, I feel that too many people look to the U.S. Military as a last resort of financial dependence.

   I really like your last two paragraphs, the theme seems perfect “Chamorro Dreams”. It does seem depressing, because most of our dreams now reflect the perks of an american, but thats just me. MY dream though is to begin a grassroots movement using art as the vehicle, like how Bob Marley used music as his vehicle, to strengthen our ancient Chamorro culture. Only for example, our grandparents, the keepers of the very few threads of our culture, will be lost if it not passed down, like in ancient time when we had master craftsman passing the tradition through apprenticeship. My grandma, known as Josefa Certeza or Tem’pie, was a suruhana in Agat/Piti , but she just passed her knowledge and powers down to her daughter in order to keep a piece of what is our culture. The people before us was divided and up till not we still are being divided, we have to become untied in order to overcome our past injustice and opression.
3. 

   Comment by Jayton Okada on 7 April 2009:

   I’m against statehood.
   I’m also dead-center for supporting and being against the military.
   Sure we have the highest enlistment rates, so does American Samoa.
   I’m tired of seeing friends go to the military.
   I found out yesterday 3 of the people in my graduating class are now in Iraq fighting for the overseas contingency operations.
   One close friend just graduated the air force last week, but still has about a year before she can begin college.
   And I wonder… will she ever start college?

   How many more of our friends and family have to resort to the military as there last chance off the rock?

   I love the United States, I’m for the military on some points and against for the rest.

   The last 10 years and for the next 4, we’ve been continually promised change.. I’m tired of waiting.

   I love the U.S. and the good thing’s it does, but having a 51st state from Guam (with or without the CNMI)… I cannot agree on, especially if we’re only gonna be considered as a military training ground and housing archipelago.

   Fix Hawaii before you consider Guam being a state.
   Make a public education and the school systems worthwile and less like a penal institution.

   Melvin Won Pat Borja sums up my worries about education in this poem he did in Saipan last week:
   http://blip.tv/file/1960394/

   [blip.tv ?posts_id=1970103&dest=-1]
4. 

   Comment by Charissa Aguon on 8 April 2009:

   Its all about the word play isn’t it.

   Whats interesting is that in 1969, a Marianas Reunification was sought for the very same/similar reasons that the issue is brought to light today- economic viability and a closer relationship to the United States.The economic environment of the CNMI today mirrors that of that time period as well. It will be interesting to see how voters this time around-both in the CNMI and Guam- truly feel about it-how they vote on it. Will Guam reject reunification? Will history repeats itself? Will we ever develop a higher consciousness about the issue that revolves around righting a historical wrong and a right to a sovereign self-sustaining future together as one people- inclusive of our now diverse populations? This is a great opportunity to show how we learn from history.
5. 

   Comment by Joseph Certeza on 8 April 2009:

   I hope people are willing to organize when that time comes around for the benefit of the Chamorro people living on island. Will the youth be educated enough to make a conscious choice, and who will be there to enlighten their decision making?
6. 

   Comment by Jayton Okada on 8 April 2009:

   Joseph, good points. I don’t believe that the youth will be.
   Another subject that needs to be looked upon is families in the CNMI.
   Now that the Feds are taking over Immigration and Labor, families who are immigrants but have children who were born as U.S. Citizens will be greatly displaced.
   Teachers in Saipan that I talked to at Kagman High School (although a relatively high local population students) were worried how it would affect the youth in Saipan.

   What is the U.S. going to do for these families aside from showing them the door?

   The U.S. hasn’t ever really been kind about there deportations and making things easier on deportees, even if the deportees have U.S. born children….
7. 

   Comment by si selina on 8 April 2009:

   As a child, I remember being told that the people of the Notte Mari’anas were sell-outs to the Japanese during WWII. And as I’ve gotten to learn things on my own, I realize that Guam isn’t very well-liked among my friends and/or relatives in Sa’ipan either. I bring this up, because I’m curious about a few things when it comes to the unification of the Mari’anas.

   My first concern is how long it may take for us to unite in terms of culture. If/when the unification becomes a reality, this means that those of us in Guam will finally have closer ties with our Refaluwasch brothers and sisters. We will, then, have to focus our efforts on protecting the rights of the Chamorros as well as the Refaluwasch. (FINALLY!)

   My second observation is that until we get rid of our island-centricities, we may not be able to actually UNITE when it comes to policy-making or laying a stable foundation for our people. I remain optimistic though.

   And third, I think unification would be a capitalist’s DREAM-COME-TRUE so there’d be more land to exploit just as much as this current administration has clearly demonstrated. Suffice it to say, I find it fitting that this governor would be the captain of the ship that’s being steered into “unifying” the Mari’anas Islands! The People of the CNMI may soon be at risk of not being able to hold on to their lands for too much longer.

   I’d like to provoke the emic and etic arguments for unification, and I hope someone responds soon.

   p.s.
   I hope I make sense.

   ’sta!
8. 

   Comment by Jayton Okada on 8 April 2009:

   Selina, capitalists’ dream come true most definitely.

   Everyone should also pay attention to Article XII of the CNMI Constituion, especially with more U.S. Federal Gov’t involvement in the running of the CNMI, and this possible reunification… Article XII is gonna be one of the big problems in the way.

   Article 12 is the portion of the CNMI Constitution that talks about land ownership by native islanders. Look it up, there’s plenty of resources to help.

   I’d also recommend reading Marianas Variety’s CNMI section over the next few months.
9. 

   Comment by Joseph Certeza on 9 April 2009:

   I do to have many family in Saipan. I am related to all the Diza families in Saipan and my great grandma Gumataotao was originally from Saipan, until she was married and moved to Guam. Sadly I have no connection with them at all, only knowing that I have relatives there.

   Selina I like that you think of really good points, but we have ideas and thoughts. How can we our other channel our idea and turn them into to actions. What are these terms in the Chamorro culture, where Guam and Saipan, or even between all the islands of the Northern Mariana, see difference. How can we find it, or who do we talk to, in order to connect the bridges. Of course peoples minds are going to differ when it comes to policy making, people are power hungry, and it is the people right to decided consciously for their island.

   I wonder in Saipan, would anyone know who the land belongs to or is it sold off to outsiders, like Guam. Is it beneficial? Who allows people with special interest to invest on lands, probably unknown to themselves?

   I am just thinking though, who would be down to start to take action. I believe in the Chamorro people both on Guam and the other Northern Mariana islands, which the Chamorro inhabited. Who will teach the truth to the youth about our history, or are we gonna have westernized books lay out the good and bad things about the world. I only realized that our people have been oppressed and forcefully had to change traditions, due to the fact that outsiders believed that our ways were not fit for their ways. I grew up believing in the that the U.S., like what Bob sings “only your friends know your secrets, only behind they su’su pon you”, meaning that they use you.

   sorry if its too much, but my head kept rambling on and on
10. 

    Comment by Jayton Okada on 9 April 2009:

    Joseph, on the land issue, research Article 12. Article 12 dictates land ownership only goes to residents who have proof of 25% or more indigineous blood.

    Only natives can buy or own land.
11. 

    Comment by Jayton Okada on 9 April 2009:

    Also, Michael is organizing a youth rally, but it’s probably gonna include more than just youth.

    Please leave us your e-mail here on the site in another comment if you’re interested.

    We’ll be meeting at Skinner’s Plaza sometime next month, and we’ll be briniging together many different people.
12. 

    Comment by Michael Lujan Bevacqua on 9 April 2009:

    A great discussion going on in here, people are bringing up all the different desires, dreams, but also dangers and obstacles. There are so many different levels here, it takes quite a bit to wrap your head around. And at different levels there’s different possibilities and impossibilities.

    It seems that we have some government movement in terms of reunification, but only geared towards economic cooperation or working together to give the military whatever it wants. If this is the impetus for reunification then we might as well be the 51st state, since we are unifying ourselves in order to satisfy America.

    Also, as Selina mentioned, this sort of government hand holding, doesn’t mean anything for regular people, who are the ones who in my opinon often do the most dividing and are the most likely to support reunification as rhetoric, but not necessarily in their own lives. The CNMI and Guam have been divided by the United States and Japan for more than a century, and over that time each island has created their own stories of how they were screwed, how they were hurt, how they were abused, teased, mistreated, how another island was lucky, is better off. We see this in how we talk about people from the other islands, and our relatives from the other islands. How we hold onto to personal things, and turn them into massive political obstacles or cultural arguments about the way people from Guam or the people from the CNMI are. Chamorros from Guam looked down on the CNMI for decades. Then later it was the CNMIs turn. And now we’re both basically in shitty positions, our islands being recolonized by the United States and our language slowly slipping away, and we cling to those old feelings of superiority and inferiority.

    Also, you have the obstacle that Jayton is mentioning which is the legal aspects. The CNMI will lose a big chunk of its sovereignty over the next year, and reunification would most likely mean the path to it losing everything else. Reunification if and when it happened, would most likely reduce the CNMI to Guam’s status. That’s one reason that the CNMI might now want to start this process.

    How to get over these obstacles though, that’s all the toughest part. How do you protect the islands from predators such as the United States military which would love to reunite the islands and turn them into a big massive military colony? How to you build momentum for reunification when so many people’s arguments against it boil down to that time my cousins teased me, or that the people from that island aren’t really Chamorro like us?

    I think its really important that those of us who want reunification, start working to attach some concrete details, ideas or plans to what we want. Just because we are all Chamorro, all related or because in the case of the Refaluwasch as well we all call these islands our homeland, isn’t enough. There has to be more ways to bring us together, and help us overcome the divided history we share but refuse to admit we share. I would love to hear any ideas people might have for that.
13. 

    Comment by Jayton Okada on 9 April 2009:

    Great comment Michael,
    thanks for that.

    We can all find ways to unify, but we need to also look at the big picture.
    Our islands aren’t just Chamorro, we are a melting pot, but we’re gonna see a lot more people being kicked out of the CNMI because the new proclamation of the federales taking over immigration and labor.
14. 

    Comment by Nanu on 26 April 2009:

    History repeats itself!

    Look at Hawai’i.
15. 

    Comment by Michael Lujan Bevacqua on 28 April 2009:

    Thanks for your comment Nanu. You’re right, everyone on Guam, especially those who are Chamorro should look at Hawai’i. There you see the incredible contradiction of American style colonialism, capitalism and militarism. Hawai’i is a very rich place, but its indigenous people aren’t the rich ones and Native Hawaiians have been largely displaced. Guam and the CNMI could be headed in that same direction, especially with a huge influx of people and corporations in anticipation of the latest military buildup.
16. 

    Comment by Joseph Certeza on 11 May 2009:

    Very true, and western education is the blindfold that has been placed over most of the peoples eyes, covering up the history of colonialism and oppression.

    i would like motion a “Renaissance”, or agon’patto, if it is reasonable. (”agon-” meaning again and “patto” meaning birth)
17. 

    Comment by gidz on 25 July 2009:

    i’m a filipino…
    and i think it would be better if guam and the cnmi would reunite as one independent country or an autonomous region in the philippines rather than being a us state…
    americans are snatchers of territory…
    marianas islands are part of the philippine territory under the spanish rule in manila…
    but when the americans won the war against spain, they take charge of the philippines and displaced the marianas from the philippine territory without asking the population…
    in the ancient period marianas, are populated by native micronesians, indonesians and filipinos due to migration or because of trade, and now, filipinos comprises a huge number in the marianas population…
    so i think, marianas would have better reunification if they are under philippine rule because philippines are not abusive in the field of culture, and they are economically the same as the philippines
18. 

    Comment by 671cZAR on 30 July 2009:

    are you all forgetting all the Tribal Native Americans? Alot of them still sturggle to this day. sure they get a check from the government every month, have some land here and there, and are exempt from certain tax and fishing laws. its still messed up.
19. 

    Comment by Brandon L. Cruz on 27 October 2009:

    In response to this article, I have mixed emotions on what the U.S. wants with the so called build-up. Our island the now called “Mariana Islands” should really consider unification politcally and become one entity. In my opinion I feel more interested in the idea of become reunifying with the outcome of “Commonwealth” status.

    Culturally it’ll be very beneficial for both Guam and C.N.M.I to unite. I do understand that our islands are a melting-pot, but in terms of unifying, we have to look past that, becase we have to pay homage to our ancestors by changing the dividence of our people.

    It really saddens me when I hear the whole unification talks and it doesn’t happen. Our people need to come together as one and unite politically, socially, economically, and culturally.

    A couple hundreds of years have split it, and it shouldn’t go any longer. Fom what we read on the papers of the news, no matter what we say or do, the military build-up will happen on both Guam and C.N.M.I. whether or not we are able to unify because ofthis issue, I believe we have to take that risk.

    Unifying our islands and becoming one will better our chances of cultural preservation. If we enact a unified standard of the national anthem, a unified standard of cultural and indigenous(Chamorro/Fino’ Haya) education in our schools, with the buildings of more structures like the Guma’ Latte’ Sakman and what not, our islands are in need.

    Why not rename the whole Marianas as “Guahan” since we are the biggest island in our change.

    Our people have to s the negative thinking about eachother. The youth is who will change the image and provide abetter path for all native Chamorros.

    Unification is a must. Only indigenous should vote. Non-Chamorros should not be allowed to vote, and NO this isn’t a prejudice thinking, but more of a respect, pride, and problem that has to be chosen by the indigenous peoples, because our great-great grandmothers and fathers are awaitin us to promote this change.

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