New year, new endeavors for Guampedia Guampedia is a community project that highlights the history of Guam and the CHamoru heritage of the Mariana Islands. Through peer-reviewed entries and accompanying media, we provide an educational resource for teachers, students, diaspora CHamorus, for visitors to our island, and for those who want to deepen their understanding of Guam and its people. This year, we will be working on several exciting projects, creating more educational resources and expanding our reach in the region and beyond. From documenting history as it unfolds to archiving more oral histories from our elders, as well as launching our second book publication featuring women in Guam’s history. Another new endeavor will be Guampedia’s participation at CHELU’s annual CHamoru festival in southern California on
Julie Q. Benavente, Master of Body Ornamentation, in Guampedia’s new fundraising t-shirt at Guinahan CHamoru located in Sagan Kotturan CHamoru. See page 6 for more info on how to buy one.
March 30th of this year. We’d also like to share some new, free resources available online, for community members of all ages and educators: our Micronesia Milestones history
timeline along with 15 lesson plans. These projects focus on teaching Micronesia history with an indigenous perspective, fostering cultural sustainability in our region.
Page 2 | Guampedia Newsletter, January 2019
New Resource:
Micronesia Milestones Timeline With a grant from the Guam Council on the Arts and Humanities Agency (CAHA), we’ve written our region’s important historical events into the context of world events with an online timeline. Guampedia’s managing editor, Shannon Murphy explains, “We often think of events happening in Micronesia as separate and apart from the rest of the world. Most textbooks seldom mention our part of the world. With the creation of this new dynamic timeline, it is hoped that those interested in learning our history can get a better grasp of the sequence of world and regional events that have brought us to where we are today.” To bring our history, separated for so long by world forces, back together to give us a better grasp of who we are as one, our team decided to include not just historic events of Guam and the Marianas, but of the entire Micronesia region.
The timeline begins in 2500 BC when the Egyptians built the Sphinx and ends in 2018 with the Guam Museum’s opening of its permanent exhibit “I Hinanao-Ta Nu Manaotao Tåno’-I CHamoru Siha: The Journey of the CHamoru People.” The 182 items featured in the Timeline is just the beginning in bringing to light the historical milestones of Micronesia. Guampedia hopes that this timeline, which can be easily added to, will help students see the bigger picture and develop a context for historical thinking. To promote the regional Timeline, a poster was created by talented graphic artist Kie Susuico highlighting Micronesia’s seafaring tradition spanning 4000 years.
Page 3 | Guampedia Newsletter, January 2019
New Lesson Plans
Educators workshop on culturally sustaining teaching Guampedia is offering more resources for the classroom with 15 new lesson plans added to our Educators Portal. The lesson plans were created by a group of educators in July 2018, as part of a three-day workshop. The objective of the workshop was to gain a deeper knowledge of Micronesia and instructional resources specific to Micronesian cultures. The workshop, “Culturally Sustaining Education: The Micronesian Context,� was a collaborative effort between the University of Hawai`i Center for Pacific Islands Studies, Chaminade University Center for Teaching and Learning, Senator Antonio M. Palomo
Guam Museum and Educational Facility, and Guampedia. The lesson plans reflect the diversity of the participants, addressing subjects such as Social Studies, CHamoru, and Language Arts; topics like migration, oral history, and regional geography; and skills such as literacy, map reading, and cultural practices. These lesson plans can be adapted for other subjects and grade levels and are models of educational activities that can honor the people and cultures of Micronesia. This body of work is just the beginning as we hope to expand our collection with lesson plans from educators in other islands of Micronesia.
Page 4 | Guampedia Newsletter, January 2019
Meet our new team members!
To help develop Guampedia into the future, we added three talented and hardworking research assistants to our team in November 2018. Our research assistants are University of Guam students who help manage Guampedia’s daily activities, create video content for the website, and contribute to research to enrich our online academic resource. Shannon Ada is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Communications with a concentration in mass media, journalism, and public relations and a minor in mathematics. Artemia Perez is studying Anthropology with minors in Sociology and CHamoru Studies. Lazaro Quinata is a Sociology major and CHamoru Studies minor. He has contributed and collaborated with Guampedia over the past four years. Guam history was more than just a subject in school for Ada, Quinata, and Perez. All three were winners in the Guam History Day competition and participants in the National competition.
da ShannoantioA s n and
Communic istant Research Ass
Lazaro Quinata Media Production and Research Assistant
Artemia Perez Administrative and Research Assistant
To read more about our interns, click on their pictures!
Page 5 | Guampedia Newsletter, January 2019
Si Yu’os Ma’åse yan Adios to Governor
Lou Leon Guerrero, Guampedia’s First Board President Guampedia bids farewell and heartfelt thanks to our first Board President Lourdes A. “Lou” Leon Guerrero, as she was elected the first woman governor of Guam in November 2018, with Joshua Tenorio as the Lieutenant Governor. She was instrumental in the establishment of Guampedia as a non-profit organization in 2009, to ensure that the project be community-based and focused on developing an educational and scholarly resource. Leon Guerrero served as President of the Board for eight years, helping to realize Guampedia’s vision during her tenure. She stepped down as the Guampedia Board President in December 2018. Stepping into Leon Guerrero’s leading role will be Dr. Anita Borja Enriquez, Guampedia’s Board Vice President.
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Women in Guam History Book
Guampedia Newsletter, January 2019
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Historical Herstories
2019 kicks off with a historic milestone for Guam with a female-led local government in all three branches. We plan on bringing 28 women in Guam’s history to focus in our second book publication set to be released in March for Women’s History Month. To celebrate women in Guam’s history and help fund the book publication, Guampedia will be selling Maga’håga t-shirts, designed by graphic artist Odyessa San Nicolas. The Maga’håga t-shirts call to mind the role of women as protectors of the island. Across the shirts reads “Gogue Guam,” or “Protect Guam.” Starting at $25 and available in three different styles, Maga’haga t-shirts can be purchased at Guampedia’s office or online gift shop.
