Culture Doesn't Survive by Accident
Håfa Adai fam,
The older I get, the more I realize that culture doesn't survive by accident.
It survives because somebody decides to put in the work. Somebody decides to teach the language. Somebody decides to teach the dances. Somebody decides to tell the stories. Somebody decides to show up every week, every month, every year and keep pushing it forward.
That's exactly what Guma' Imahe has been doing for over a decade in Washington State.
What started in 2012 in a three-car garage with just 24 students has grown into one of the strongest Chamorro cultural organizations in the Pacific Northwest. Think about that for a second. Thousands of miles away from Guam. Thousands of miles away from Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. Yet somehow they continue carrying our culture forward.
Honestly, I think that's one of the most Chamorro things you can do.
The Diaspora Is Keeping the Culture Alive
People always ask me why I'm so passionate about incorporating culture into my knives.
The answer is simple.
Because if we don't carry our culture forward, who will?
I think sometimes when you're living back home in Guam or the CNMI, it's easy to take certain things for granted. The language is around you. The food is around you. The culture is around you. It's part of your everyday life.
But when you're stateside, it's different.
You have to intentionally seek it out. You have to create opportunities for your kids to learn it. You have to build a community around it. You have to make the effort.
And that's what makes organizations like Guma' Imahe so special.
Not because they had to do it.
Because they wanted to.
Because it's in their spirit.
Because it's in their blood.
Because they understand that culture is something worth fighting for.
More Than Dance, More Than Performances
A lot of people see Bailan Chamorro performances and think that's what Guma' Imahe is all about.
But it's much deeper than that.
The dance is the vehicle.
The culture is the destination.
Through song, chant, dance, language, workshops, and community events, they are helping people reconnect with who they are and where they come from. They're creating a place where young people can learn from elders, where traditions can be shared, and where stories can continue living.
That's not entertainment.
That's legacy work.
Real legacy work.
The kind of work that changes generations.
My Experience at Chamorro Day
Last year I had the opportunity to attend Chamorro Day in Tacoma, and honestly, I left inspired.
Sure, the food was amazing.
The performances were incredible.
The music brought back memories.
But what stood out to me most was the people.
The pride.
The amount of young kids running around learning the culture.
The elders sharing stories.
The families showing up together.
The volunteers working behind the scenes.
The genuine happiness people had just being around each other.
That's when it hit me.
Culture isn't sitting in a museum somewhere.
It's alive.
It's breathing.
It's growing.
And organizations like Guma' Imahe are a huge reason why.
What Inafa'maolek Really Looks Like
People throw around the word inafa'maolek a lot.
But when I was at Chamorro Day, I saw exactly what it means.
I saw volunteers showing up early and leaving late.
I saw people helping each other without being asked.
I saw families supporting one another.
I saw strangers becoming friends.
I saw a community coming together simply because they love where they come from.
That's inafa'maolek.
You don't need a dictionary definition.
You can feel it.
It's in the way people treat each other.
It's in the hospitality.
It's in the willingness to give.
It's in the desire to leave things better than you found them.
Why This Matters to Me
I think that's why I connect so much with what Guma' Imahe is doing.
When I'm researching ancient Chamorro pottery designs from Achugao, studying historical artwork from the Marianas, or creating new knives inspired by our ancestors, I'm trying to do the same thing in my own way.
Keep the culture moving forward.
Because culture isn't something we simply inherit.
It's something we steward.
Something we protect.
Something we pass on.
I want my kids to know where they come from.
I want their kids to know where they come from.
And I know that's exactly what Guma' Imahe is working toward every single day.
A Thank You to Guma' Imahe
To Saina Joel, the instructors, volunteers, performers, students, parents, and everyone who supports Guma' Imahe:
Si Yu'us Ma'åse.
Thank you for the countless hours that nobody sees.
Thank you for teaching the next generation.
Thank you for carrying our culture with pride.
Thank you for proving that no matter how far we travel from the islands, we never really leave them behind.
The Marianas lives in us.
It lives in our language.
It lives in our stories.
It lives in our values.
It lives in our inafa'maolek.
And as long as there are people willing to do the work, our culture will continue to thrive for generations to come.
Stay SHINARP.