As you carve your turkeys and gather with loved ones this Thanksgiving, there’s finally a song to celebrate the holiday. We sat down with Dr. Samuel Betances and Dr. Laura Souder, who share the story behind their Thanksgiving tune — including its new Chamoru version.
There are countless Christmas songs to choose from, but have you ever wondered if there’s a song for Thanksgiving? It’s a question longtime educator Dr. Betances once asked himself — a spark of curiosity that blossomed into his very own Thanksgiving tune. What started as a family song shared between him, Dr. Souder, and their children has now traveled far beyond their home, finding its way into families’ celebrations across the nation.
“They kind of motivated me to take this catchy tune: gobble gobble gobble the turkey is in trouble because Thanksgiving Day is not so far away," he said.
Today, that familiar melody is beginning a new chapter— this time, in the Chamoru language. The Kumisión I Fino’ Chamoru launching a new addition to its read/sing-along series in honor of Native American Heritage Month, featuring the Thanksgiving song.
Dr. Souder, the Kumisión’s chairperson, translating and localizing the piece, weaving cultural meaning into every word. “Here on Guam, I Ha’ånen Mannå’i Gråsia is a very important day for our families too. Of course, it’s significant nationally, and there are many countries in the world that celebrate some form of thanksgiving, not necessarily on the same day. Still, they celebrate harvest, they celebrate bounties from the earth—so it was a great way to galvanize all of those celebrations into our CHamoru heritage as well," she said.
Bringing the project to life are the vibrant voices of students from the Maga’låhen Hurao Charter Academy. “The children sang with such gusto and articulated every part of the word. They're so eloquent. And then I realized, language is best taught through singing," said Souder.
For Dr. Betances, the song also carries a deeper reminder of what Thanksgiving represents. “Still has the tradition that calls us and says when the Europeans were in need, they got help from the indigenous," he said.
I Kåntan Ha’ånen Mannå’i Gråsia is available to the public on the Kumisión’s website and social media platforms.