Congratulations to the newly-elected Ginen i Hila i Maga'taotao Siha Association Officers!
Ginen i Hila Membership Drive/Meeting Snapshots
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| Pictured L-R: Joseph Artero-Cameron, Department of Chamorro Affairs President; Onedera; Vincent Leon Guerrero, Chief Education Officer to Gov. Eddie Calvo; Senator BJ Cruz, Vice Speaker of the 33rd Guam Legislature; and Monica Okada Guzman, CAHA Board Chair. |
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| Pictured L-R: Jacqueline Balbas, CAHA Program Coordinator; Onedera; and Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera, FestPac Literary Arts-Publications Co-Chair & PIBBA/Ginen i Hila i Maga'taotao Siha Association Webmaster. |
Thank you to those who joined us in celebration of our 10th Anniversary.
Si Yu'os Ma'ase'!
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| Click here to view the Ginen Zombie Walk video. |
Project: Storytellers will share and talk story on ghosts, spectral figures and visions, frightening and unexplained experiences, haunted houses and places, and other occult and supernatural occurrences.
When: Saturday, October 25, 2025
Time: Sundown (7pm) – 9:30pm.
Where: Sagan Kotturan CHamoru (SKC), Ipao Point, Tamuning
Title: Puengen Estorian Fafa’ña’gue (Night of Ghost Stories)
Host: Ginen I Hila’ I Maga’taotao Siha Association (From the Tongues of the Noble People Association)
Language: CHamoru and/or English
Volunteers: Storytellers; Celebrities from civic, government, military, business, and other sectors of the community; tour guides; parking attendants; manpower at sign-in table; escorts; assistance in set-up, take-down, clean-up; donations of snacks, beverages, paper bags, etc.; food trucks; vendors; photographers. Note: There won’t be a PA system available, so storytellers must/should speak in a loud voice.
Tasks: Talk Story and Manpower
Requirements: MUST BE ATTIRED IN HALLOWEEN COSTUMES; Sign waivers of liability;
Need: Five sites for stationary storytellers; Mats-plastic, (even plastic rectangular or round table covers that can be spread on the ground; woven (guåffak) personal stools and foldable lounge chairs; hand-held flashlights; tables; chairs or benches; candles at sites; route map; small canopies and/or tents; trash bins; donations of goodies for children-fresh fruits like apples, oranges, peaches, plums, grapes, kiwis, etc.; fruit rollups, chewy granola bars, caramel-covered popcorn, Rice Krispies, wheat and miscellaneous crackers; lollipops, sugarless pop-in candies, belvitas, Reese’s chocolates, CHamoru pastries like roskete, guyuriha, cookies, coconut candy, flour tortillas, air doughnuts, small cakes, etc.; (because of allergies, no peanuts/other nuts and peanut flavored crackers and candies; as well, goodies that will spoil in a short period of time). Word-of-mouth advertisement, social media, media coverage (interviews and coverage need to be arranged).
Audience: Members of Ginen; the public including parents and children; celebrities; news crews; storyteller volunteers from throughout the island; teachers; government employees and leaders; military; veterans; developmentally challenged patrons on wheelchairs, walkers, canes; other sectors of the island.
Synopsis: 1. Volunteer for manpower, Ginen members who wouldn’t be “talking story,” tour guides, and parking attendants must meet on a late afternoon days before the event for a walk-run-through at the five (5) proposed sites.
2. Arrival at Sagan Kotturan CHamoru (SKC) expected starting at 5pm to sundown (again, around 7pm). Tour guides will assemble them in the space around the paved entrance of the park.
3. Whistle will be blown to start the walk to the sites.
4. Everyone will start to the sites at the same time. From each site, they will be guided by the tour guide after storytellers in one site after another are done. A designated chair (preferably a Ginen member who isn’t involved in telling story BUT attired in Halloween costume can designate speakers at a time. Total time at each site will be about fifteen minutes, once that is met, each group, led by a guide will move to the next site as another group arrives at previous current but vacated site.
5. Storytellers are requested not to use profanity as there will be children in their midst. In either CHamoru or English, a storyteller has an allotted time of three (3) to seven (7) minutes and once that has been reached, the Ginen member will signal each speaker to stop so as to allow another to “talk story.” The site person in charge of that group must provide a stopwatch, using cellphone, of course, to make sure time is met or the storyteller himself/herself can use his/her own cellphone stopwatch.
6. Tour guides must make sure his/her group with developmentally challenged audience members are assisted along the way.
7. Parking area must be closely monitored by parking attendants to ensure no break-ins to vehicles don’t occur. This may necessitate being stationed throughout the parking area in the dark. Safety, too, must be keenly observed and patrons leaving the grounds must be instructed to drive carefully in or out of the area.
8. Food trucks and vendors will be advised to provide their own lighting and they will be situated in the park under the supervision of Sagan Kotturan CHamoru (SKC) officials. Audiences will not be stopped for leaving a storytelling site immediately to go purchase something from the food truck or vendor or to go to a restroom. Tour guides will not be expected to leave the group that they are guiding.
9. Restroom facilities will be coordinated between Ginen and SKC officials but they will be alerted to the fact that Ginen doesn’t have the funds to rent port-a-potties.
10. Waivers of liabilities must be signed before ANYONE can participate in the event.
11. Any questions, comments, advise, or input can be sent via the email address at balauroboy1@icloud.com before the event.
Si Yu’os ma’åse’ and Have Fun!
For details, visit https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LaEmbv6P5URWQ_udyHUmH0HrvZ09HXj1/view?usp=sharing.
Our first public storytelling event will be on Saturday, October 25th, at Sagan Kotturan CHamoru at Ipao Point. It will be PUENGEN FAFA’ÑA’GUE starting at sundown. It is the Saturday before Halloween and it will be open to the general public. Attendance of children must be with an accompanying adult. If interested in talking ghost stories, spectral figures and visions, haunted places, unexplained experiences, and other occult phenomena are encouraged to participate. Storytellers may speak in English or CHamoru. As in previous events, audiences will travel from one storyteller to another in a guided tour. Food vendors will be at designated spots for purchases of refreshments. Members of Ginen I Hila’ are encouraged to dress in eerie costumes. Please join in! You may respond to me privately if you wish your identity to remain anonymous. It will add to the ambience! Darkness will prevail on the premises with flashlights only and stories will be under trees, bushes, and other surrounding vegetation, not in the buildings.
Ginen i Hila Meeting - Aug. 13, 2025 @ 6 p.m., CAHA Gallery, 2nd Floor, DNA Building
Guest speakers:
*Dr. Kelly Marsh-Taitano on the Ancient Remains of our Ancestors at the UOG Repository Center
*Barbara Dungca - Fanohge CHamoru
*Jeff Emmanuel - Banning of the Hima
*Rita Pangelinan Nauta - GuamPedia and its various programs
Songs:
1st Song: Ginen I Hila’ written/composed by David De Leon Flores, Jr.
Ginen i Hila’ i Maga’taotao Siha
Ginen i hinasson-måmi
Ginen i Hila’ i Maga’taotao Siha
Humuyong i mensåhi ginen i kurason-måmi!
Ginen i Hila’ i Maga’taotao Siha
Ginen i hinasson-måmi
Ginen i Hila’ i Maga’taotao Siha
Humuyong i mensåhi ginen i kurason-måmi!
2nd Song: Maria Lao (religious)
Maria Lao, Puti’on Yu’os.
In guaiya hao, Sinilo Jesus!
CHatma’lak i Atdao,
Yanggen ma’lak hao.
I ininan Yu’os, nina’ma’lak hao.
I Ånghet gi Langet,
nina’lålaolao,
Nu i ginatbo’-mu,
Yanggen annok hao!
Maria Lao, Puti’on Yu’os.
In guaiya hao, Sinilo Jesus!
In guaiya hao,
Sinilo Jesus!
**Please come and bring a friend or two or three. Refreshments will be served.
Ginen I Hila’ members are requested to sign up by informing Peter. The schedule for the three days is currently being finalized. Peter and other interested members will be sharing stories on all three days. Stories should be at least three (3) minutes long, with no maximum time limit at this point.
lalåhi:
Ai na tiempo mañottera!
Manchininina agaga’.
Matan-ñiha hao bumense.
Pachot-ñiha hao
fuma’ga’ga’!
famalao’an:
Ai na tiempo mañotteru.
Mangkina’susunes kaki.
Matan-ñiha hao
bumense.
Pachot-ñiha hao dumagi’
lalåhi:
Bunitåyi, bunitåyi,
apo’ mågi gi apagå-hu
Ya hu fa’nå’gue hao puminiti,
Ya un pininiti nu guåhu.
famalao’an:
Esta bente yu’ fumaisen
hågu mina’bente unu.
Hågu uttemo fumaisen
Neni, tåya’ parehu-mu.
I. Introductions and Call to Order.
II. Singing of the Ginen I Hila’ Song.
III. Kántan CHamorita (lyrics will be given separately below. The audience will sing first with the gentlemen, followed in response by the ladies).
IV. Guest speakers: 1. Dr. Laura Torres Souder; topic: World War II stories of the CHamoru on Guam, 2. Louie Gombar: Days of His Youth and what Liberation means to him, 3. Barbara Dungca: What significance is there about Fanohge CHamoru to her.
V. Nominations and Election of New Officers in the following order:
A. Historian
B. Sergeant-At-Arms
C. Secretary
D. Treasurer
E. Vice-President
F. President
VI. Announcements
VII. Adjournment
*Photo session immediately after adjournment.
**Refreshment follows
Guam Nikkei Association Hosts Panel on A Borrowed Land Written By Former Ginen President Onedera
The Guam Nikkei Association successfully hosted a panel discussion on A Borrowed Land, a groundbreaking publication by Former Ginen President Peter R. Onedera that documents the experiences of Japanese Issei and Nissei in Guam during World War II. Held on March 29, 2025, at the Central Community Arts Center in Sinajana, the event was a collaboration with NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation as part of their coverage of the 80th anniversary of WWII’s end.
Moderated by Guam Nikkei Association President David Okada and facilitated by the author, the panel featured prominent community members. Guam Nikkei Association Board Chairman Frank S.N. Shimizu delivered the welcome remarks, and Deputy Consul General Yoshiko Kobayashi attended as an observer.
NHK conducted interviews with Onedera and members of the Japanese/CHamoru community to document their stories, culminating in a five-minute segment to be aired on NHK’s English and Japanese language channels in commemoration of this historic milestone.
