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Torres joins San Diego Chamorro festival
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, second from left, gestures during an interview at the 8th Annual Chamorro Cultural Festival over the weekend at the California State University-San Marcos grounds. At left is Guam Gov. Eddie B. Calvo. (Contributed Photo)
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Guam Gov. Eddie Calvo both attended the 8th Annual Chamorro Cultural Festival held over the weekend at the California State University’s San Marcos campus in San Diego.
San Diego-based non-profit group Chamorro Hands in Education Links Unity or CHE’LU, organizes the annual event, which aims to preserve the Chamorros’ Pacific Island culture. Che’lu means friend in Chamorro.
Torres said he supports efforts to preserve the indigenous cultural heritage of the Chamorro people.
“The CNMI Office of the Governor is proud to have helped CHE’LU in organizing the event, and to assist in promoting its mission of highlighting and strengthening the Chamorro language, culture and health through education,” said Torres.
The festival showcases the arts, culture, customs, and the people of the Mariana island chain—the CNMI and Guam—where it attracts citizens in the entire United States and from other countries.
The festival’s theme this yea is: Ta Na’ La’la’ Gi Halom i Famagu’onta… i Lengguahita yan Kutturata (Let it Live from Within Our Children…Our Language and Our Culture).
The festival, with its theme and venue, reinforced the organizers’ educational goals by immersing visitors in the arts and culture of the Chamorro people, and introducing them to the history and customs of the Marianas.
“The [CCF] helps many of us Chamorros celebrate our unique cultural heritage with a vast array of workshops, arts and crafts, and entertainment,” said CHE’LU board of directors chair Danny Blas.
“This event grows every year. The CCF has become the premier Chamorro event in the mainland [thousands of miles away] from the Marianas. Our team is proud to be able to continue the work to preserve [the Chamorro] culture, language, and way of life.”
CHE’LU, established in 2005 to help preserve and promote the Chamorro culture in the U.S. mainland, is proud of their achievement, knowing that many of their people share their passion and desire in their culture and heritage.
The Sakman Chamorro outrigger canoe project is their other way of reaching out to the community by reigniting their ancient seafaring traditions. They also have cultural music and dance programs for the youth.
