Students showcase CHamoru language skills at annual competition

The vibrant sound of the CHamoru language -- living and breathing.

Students from across the island and the CNMI gathered at the University of Guam Monday for Inacha’igen Fino CHamoru—an annual CHamoru language competition that started in the early 1990s.

It’s one way to perpetuate the CHamoru heritage, most especially among the youth— participants breathing new life while honoring tradition through spoken word, art, dance, and more.  

For two M.U. Lujan students participating, they’re holding onto the art of storytelling—doing so in their native tongue. 

“I’m reading Chalan Para Ilan Soya, by Teresita Flores,” Terah Dela Cruz said. 

“I’m reading Sumåhi and the Karabao by Micheal Bevacqua and Jack Bevacqua," Olivia Tareyamasaid. 

The two rehearsed for more than three months, memorizing 41 pages worth of stories combined

 It's a proud feat for these young Chamorritas.

“It feels like, I’m proud to know it because some people can’t get a chance to learn it, and it’s cool to learn how to pronounce it.” Terah said. 

“I’m really, really proud because not a lot of people know how to do it—even people who speak fluent CHamoru, it’s hard for them to memorize a whole story," Olivia said. 

It's a sense of cultural pride that unifies participants

Sinot Jonas Barcinas is the director of the CHamoru & Carolinian Language and Heritage Studies Department for the CNMI Public School Systems who also attended the event. 

“We always promote that It doesn’t matter how far up from Guam you stay in, this is still the Marianas—politically, we might be two entities, but we are still the Marianas,” he said.  

He’s leading the largest delegation from Tinian, Saipan, and Rota to Guam for the competition since the pandemic. 

“The good thing about this competition is that it doesn’t just showcase the level of comprehension of the language for our students, it also shows the resiliency of the culture that the language they are competing to showcase is," he said. 

You can catch the second half of the competition on Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at UOG's Calvo Field House.