Interview with Saina Geri Guiterrez and Saina Lo Souder
Interviewer: Siñora Marcia Aguon
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0:00
i bihu-hu ya gi san tatte ha' gi tenda ni mañaga ham sa' manmayamak of course todu i gima' nai ni gera
My grandfather, and behind the store is where we stayed because everything and the house was broken from the war
0:08
pues annai ma hats- mamahan tano' yan manhatsa i bihu-hu guini giya agana heights
When they built - when they bought land and my grandfather built a house here in agana heights
0:15
Un tungo' amanu gaige eskuelan agana heights pa'go?
you know where the agana heights elementary school is now?
0:17
hunggan
yes
0:18
i otro bandan chalan ha eyu na gaige siha i gima dikike eyu na eyu na mañaga ham ni guihi na tiempo
the other side of the road where the houses are at, the small house where we stayed during that time
0:25
pues
then
0:26
annai la apman si i bihu-hu taigue mañaga ham agana heights ha fahan este tano' guini ni mañasaga ham pa'go gi as Tun Atanacio ya eyu på'go, este på'go na mañasaga ham
when my grandfater had been gone for a while, we stayed in againa heights, he bought this land where we stay now by Tun Atanacio and here now is where we stay
0:39
lao pinat hagatna ha yan agana heights gi hinasso-ku
but mostly hagatna and agana heights i remember
0:42
na mañaga ham
that we stayed
0:44
maolek ha
it's ok
0:45
kontodu si nana-hu biha lokkue nu gaige nu Hagatna
even my grandmother also stayed in Hagatna
0:51
yan hagu Saina Laura, amanu na dumadang- dumongkolu hao na songsong
and you Saina Laura, where did you grow up?
0:58
annai pa'go mafañagu yu' esta nu ma hatsa este i gima-mami guini giya San Ramon
when i was born, our house in San Ramon was already built
1:06
gi hilo' hagatna ha' nai komu hagatna ha' este na lugat no
On top of Hagatna, because this is still Hagatna right
1:12
pues gaige ham disde eyu esta pa'go gagaige ha' yu guini nu ya ya guma'-hu este pa'go no i gima' i nana-hu an tata-hu
so we have been here since then until now i'm still here and it's my house now, it was my mother and father's house
1:22
ya manasaga ham guini giya San Ramon gi fi'on i obispo eyu i archdiocese, i ofisinan i archdiocese
we stayed here in San Ramon, next to the office of the archdiocese
1:31
i chancery office eyu na lugat na mangaige ham
where the chancery office is where we stayed
1:34
me too
1:36
gaige hao gi hulo' no san hilo'
you were at the top right? the top?
1:40
hilo' okso
on top of the hill
1:41
gi hilo' okso hunggan
on top of the hill yes
1:44
kao hagas ha- kao hagas hamyo manfifino' chamoru
Have you been speaking Chamorro ever since?
1:49
Saina? Geri?
Saina? Geri?
1:51
i fino' chamoru primet lengguahin-mami ti manmafino' engliglisi ham annai mandikike ham na famagu'on puru ha' fino' chamoru
the chamorro language was our first language. they didn't speak english to us when we were little children, only chamorro
1:58
ombres i--
even
2:00
i hagan Hannah
Hannah's daughter
2:02
i dos a'anos tarabiha
almost 2 years old
2:04
meggai-na fino' chamoru-na ki fino' englis-na
speaks more chamorro than english
2:10
lao annai manma- manhoben hamyo ti ma ummutta hamyo ni man ni man fifino' chamoru hamyo sa' in hingok na guaha ma ummutta nu i taotao-ta no hunggan
when you were young, did they fine you when you spoke chamorro? because we've heard of our people being fined for speaking chamorro right
2:23
pururu ha' fino chamoru gi gima-mami annai dumadangkolu yu
Mostly pretty much chamorro in our house when i was growing up
2:26
sa' i biha-hu pumoksai yu' sa' matai nai si nana-hu gi tiempon chapanes
because my grandma raised me because my mother died during the japanese time
2:31
un ano- __, ya eyu na matai si nana-hu pues i biha-hu pumoksai yu ya' pururu ha' fino' chamoru
one years old when my mother died so my grandmother raised me and only spoke chamorro
2:39
-inaudible-
2:43
puru ha' fino' chamoru
only chamorro
2:45
maolek
good
2:46
ya hagu nu Saina Laura kao mamutta hao ni annai dumadangkolu hao fumino' chamomoru hao
and you saina laura, were you fined when you spoke chamorro growing up
2:52
hunggan gi eskuela
yes at school
2:54
lao disde tutuhon-mami nai nu si nana mas nu
but since we started, my mother more
3:00
nu pumopoksai ham and i mane'lu-na as Auntie Peppa yan i mamalu no
raised us and her siblings like Auntie Peppa and the others right
3:06
pues man man-
so
3:07
taya tiningo'-niha put fino' englis pues i fino' chamoru ha' ma u'usa gi gima'
they didn't know to speak english so only chamorro they used at home
3:13
pues eyu na man na ma
so that's how they
3:15
ma fana'gue ham ni i primet lengguahi no i lengguahin mami gi gima' i chamoru gi as nana
they taught us our first language, our first language at home is chamorro from nana
3:22
si tata-hu sa ti sina fumino chamoru si tata-hu sa' etman ginen amerika pues nu guiya nu kumuentutusi ham gi fino' englis lao annai manhanao ham para eskuela ta tungo' ha no na gi eskuela ma probidu i fino' chamoru
my father couldn't speak chamorro because he was a clergyman from America so he spoke english to us but when we went to school we knew that they prohibited speaking chamorro
3:40
pues hunggan guaha na biahi na manmamutta ham taya salappe mami taiguihi para bei-n para bei-n apasi i mutta sa' guaha na biahi na twenty five cents guihi na tiempo
so yes there were times they fined us and we didn't have money to pay the fine because sometimes it would be 25 cents during that time
3:50
twenty five cents kalan five dollars pa'go pat taiguihi
25 cents is like 5 dollars now like that
3:53
pues nu sa' i soup a penny ha' i soup guihi na tiempo
so the soup was a penny only, during that time
3:58
singko sentimos esta nu sina chumocho hao soup sandwich yan yan leche pues nu
5 cents you can eat soup sandwich and milk so
4:06
manmana' macho'cho' ham gi eskuela an an in isa i fino' chamoru pues guaha na biahi na i squeegee eyu i i
they made us work at school if we used chamorro so sometimes we used the squeegee
4:16
i ifit eyu i satge i ifit na klasen satge pues in squesqueegee ni i ha'iguas nu nu i ha'iguas i--
the ifit, the ifit wooden floor, we had to squeegee it and the shells, the shells of the
4:31
niyok
coconut
4:32
i niyok ha'a i ha'iguas
yes the coconut shells
4:34
pues nu otro ta'lo guaha na biahi na ma na gasgas ham
another time they would make us clean
4:39
hu hasso ha' hu hasso ha' na ma na' gasgas yu kemmon lao gof ti ya-hu ya nu guaha na biahi ni ma na' yabbao ham ni eyu i-- gi uriyan i eskuela
i remember when they made us clean the bathroom but i really didn't like it and sometimes they made us cut trees around the school
4:52
annai manhanao ham papa' gi academy
when we went down to academy
4:55
an para u ma kastiga ham nai put in i'isa i chamoru pat hafa
when they would punish us for using chamorro or whatnot
4:59
an manatrasao ham
when we were late
20:00
uh
uh
20:01
"you know" atittuyi ennao na na tiningo' ya ta ta
you know follow that knowledge and we we
20:06
ta agradesi todu i bidåda-ña si Santa Maria para hita sa'
we appreciate all Santa Maria does for us because
20:12
maskeseha ti ma gofkomprende ni i ti manKatholiku no, lao hu såsangan ha' lokkue' in sasangan ha'
even though those who are not Catholics do not understand right, I say just say also we just tell them
20:19
an ma faisen ham
when they ask us
20:20
håfa na un adódora si Santa Maria, ti put ta adodora si Santa Maria na ta ó'onra si Santa Maria sa' guiya nanan Yu'os
why do you continue to adore Santa Maria, it is not that we are adoring her but that we are honoring her because she is God's mother
20:31
ya hita gi familia, ta ó'onra i nanå-ta no?
and we, in the family, we honor our mother right?
20:36
ta na'tatakhilo' i nanå-ta
we make our mom the highest
20:40
sa' siha fuma'ñå- fuma'ñågu hit
because they thirth- birthed us
20:43
otro ta'lo
again also
20:47
guiya muma'neni ha' i kinalamten i familia pues parehu ha' nai si Santa Maria an si Yu'os
she cradled the family activities so God and Santa Maria are the same
20:54
nu ya ya an ha' ñangon si Yu'os siempre nu si Yu'os ha' attendi i malago' nanå-ña
and if she whispers to God, God will attend his mom's wishes
21:08
para ta komprende ayu na rason
for us to understand that reason
21:13
na mangofsatton hit komu manCHamoru hit, manggofsatton hit as Santa Maria
that we feel very close with, if we're CHamoru, we feel a bond with Santa Maria
21:18
sa' guiya fuma'nåna'gue hit taimanu para ta attende i Lahi-ña yan i minalago' i Lahi-ña debidi ta ta
because she has taught us the way for is to attend her Son and her Son's wishes we, we must
21:30
dångkolo ennao na hinasso' lao ti ma gofkomprende ni taotao umbes este famagu'on
that is a great belief but people don't understand even these children
21:36
guaha na biåhi na u faisen håfa na manman- ta ó'onra si Santa Maria, ti ma tungo'
ther are times when I ask why we honor Santa Maria, they don't know
21:41
debi nai na ta fa'nå'gue famagu'on-ta håfa håfa este desde desde åntes di u fåtto' i Katholiku i relihon-ta Katholiku guini giya Guam, hagas ha' ta onra i nana gi familia
we must teach our children what this meant before the presence of Catholicsm, our Catholic religion here on Guam, we always have honored the mother in the family
21:57
komu- i kutturå-ta nai, ayu tiningo'-ta na' i nana mås impotånte gi familia
if, our culture nai, that is what we knew, that the mother was the most important in the family
22:06
pues debi nai lokkue' di ta prikura ya ta nå'i i mås dångkolo na onra sa' guiya mås maga' na maga'håga si Santa Maria
so then also we must preserve and give [her] the biggest honor because Santa Maria is the earliest chieftess
22:06
Maga'håga' is given the greatest respect and love throughout the area
22:19
bunitu, bunitu ennao na siñente ya olaha mohon no nu buente no fino'-mu ti este ha' na silebrasion i diha Disembre 8 no, ni' siña mulikoko' si Santa Maria
Beautiful, that is a beautiful sentiment and God willing that according to your word, that this is not the only celebration, the 8th of December right, the Santa Maria may be in procession
22:35
kumu siña mohon otro ta'lo nu tiempo sa' todu tiempo i taotao Guåhan
if possible again another time because all the time the Guåhan people
22:40
puet este katholiku nu i mangof nu i korason-ñiha nai
especially these catholics who are very- their hearts
22:45
todu tiempo manmalago' ma li'e si Santa Maria no Saina
all the time they want to see Santa Maria, right Saina
22:50
hunggan
yes
22:51
pues ah
so then
22:52
håfa? "go 'head"
what was that go ahead
22:53
ma'pos na såkkan gi ai "I mean" gi ma'pos, på'go ha' na såkkan gi Måyu
last year, I mean last year, this year in May
22:57
primet biåhi na ma cho'gue ayi ma na'liliku si Santa Maria guini islå-ta
the first time that they took Santa Maria in procession here on our island
23:02
bunitu Santa Maria todu ya ya gof måtto chi-ña gi man- manmagof i taotao manhuyong
all Santa Maria was beautiful and and the people were overjoyed and came out
23:10
pes ilek- fino'-ña si Mon Siñot James ilek-ña
so in the words of Mon Signor James nai, he said
23:13
mampos na nina'magof anggen un li'e i dångkolo na agradesimento ginen i taotao-ta ni manna'faloffan si Santa Maria ma binisita as Santa Maria
it is really makes people happy when you see the large appreciation from our people when the procession of people that came for Santa Marias visit
23:22
gi Måyu esta ha' nai nu Covid nai esta manmakåndålu hit todu ma faisen hit para ta fanádispåta didide' ya munga mandanña dimasiao pues
in May already Covid already we were all on lockdown and they asked for us to separate from each other and not to gather too much so then uh
23:34
ma- esta sigundo biåhi este ya ti bai ni' ngai'an na bai o'son yangen sigi ha' ma ma na' posipbli esta sa' ti ta tungo' nai lokkue' kao
they- this was the second time and I will never tire of it and if this continues to be possible because we also don't know
23:44
ngai'an na'påra u mana'påra este iyo-ta "lock down" no, pues ta sigi ha' manmanåyuyot
when they will stop this lockdown right? so we will continue to pray
23:49
ya guaha siha manhånao ya ni' ngai'an ni Nana na u abondona hit man-
there are those that leave and never will Mother abandon us, they
23:54
bula hit ni' mannåna ta komprende ennao, kontodu i ti mannåna ma komprende ha' ennao sa' guaha famagu'on-ñiha maseha ti finañagun-ñiha
there are many of us mothers that understand that, including those who are not mothers, they understand because they have children even though they did not give birth to them
24:02
hågu bula famagu'on-mu gi iyo-mu "classroom" sa' un komprende ennao na siñente pues nu
you, you understand that feeling because you have many children in your classroom so then
24:09
dångkolo, dångkolo na hinengge ya dibusion para i Santa Maria guini gi islå-ta ya ni' ngai'an na bai påra numå'i Yu'os dångkolo na gråsia ni ha' nå'i ni ennao na dångkolon nina'i para ta- u nå'i hit as nanå-ña
there is a large large belief and devotion to Santa Maria here on our island and I will never stop giving God large graces he gave us the precious gift of of giving us His mother
24:24
pues si Yu'os lokkue' na dos todu tiempo un kåtga este i preparasión para i Disembre ocho ya nu
so thank you both for always carrying the preparation for December 8
24:35
taiguihi hami in nánanga' i tiempo yan i ora i nubena yan hamyo in pripåra pues
even for us we are waiting for the time for novenas and your preparation
24:42
hamyo mås dångkolo na si Yu'os para hamyo
for you more appreciation to you
24:46
in agradesi
we appreciate
24:46
pues nihi på'go
so then let us go
24:49
ilek-hu ti este para hami, onra este
I said this is not appreciation from us, it is an honor
24:54
pues nihi på'go ya an esta nu ta tulaika på'go
so then let us change now
24:54
pues nihi på'go ya
so now let us
24:58
ah este na suhetu gima' Yu'os put no in
an the topic of church, it is not, we
25:06
taiguihi nai in ah håfa eyi, i tåya', para kuestion ha' este ti in tingo' håfa i ineppe' lao yanggen siña empåtte hami
like how is that, it is a question, there is no, we do not know the answer, but if you can share your answer with us