Biba Mes Chamoru at Santa Barbara Catholic School
It may no longer be CHamoru month, but the fiesta spirit was alive and well at Santa Barbara Catholic School as they celebrated Mes CHamoru with a fiesta on school grounds on Friday, April 13, 2018.
The day started with a special program in the Petrie Gym with performances honoring and reflecting the theme ““I Fino’-ta yan Kotturå-ta: Hongge, Praktika, Yan Abiba I Fina’nå’guen I Mañaina-ta” (Our Language and Culture: Believe, Practice, and Praise the Teachings of Our Ancestors). Eighth grade students led everyone in chanting “Hinatsen i Latte”. This was followed by musical performances special guests Fantaysha Rioja and Rachel Esteves.
And in true CHamoru fiesta spirit, colorfully decorated huts were set up around campus, and local tunes sound from speakers as students sang along and danced to the island rhythm. Each class offered CHamoru BBQ, titiyas, kelaguen, and other local delicacies! Demonstrations of weaving, fishing, and local cooking were also part of the celebration. As a nod to the future, SBCS students were the audience to presentations from Island Girl Power and the Guam Department of Agriculture Forestry and Soil Resources Division as they talked about ways to protect our island, our culture and one another.