The 40-foot Chamorro Flying Proa sailing canoe (called "Sakman" in Chamorro) shown in this drawing made in 1742 was once the fastest sailing vessel in the world! Find out more at Sakman Chamorro.   Welcome to the Web Site of the Worldwide Chamorro Community!     Summer Film Internship Opportunity!!!: FYI Films, a program that teaches filmmaking to youth in the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles, is looking for undergraduate and graduate student interns this summer to aid in various short and long-term projects. This is an exciting opportunity to learn about the nonprofit media arts community and filmmaking. The time commitment is 10-15 hours per week, flexible schedule. This is an unpaid internship. To apply email Gena at gtmoto@gmail.com, or head to FYI FILMS for more info. Guampedia website is now online!: After three years of planning and three years of software and content development, Guampedia.com is online! Guampedia is a Guam Humanities Council community project to create a comprehensive online encyclopedic resource about the history, culture and contemporary issues of Guam. Click here to visit the site.. Chamorro Announcements: Chamorro.com receives bula requests, annoucements, notices, questions all the time and unfortunately we are not able to respond or accomodate all of them. We've gathered some of these announcements and notices on a page for the general public. You can view them by clicking here.. Guma'Famoksaiyan: Gathering Our Strength for the Journey Ahead: The 2008 Famoksaiyan gathering will take place May 23-25 in San Diego, California and is co-sponsored by Chamorro Hands in Education Links Unity (CHELU) Inc. For more information please click on this link: Famoksaiyan Blog. If you'd like to see the schedule which includes sessions on Chamorro film, Guampedia.com, the environment, Chamorro language and music, click here. If you'd like to donate money to support Famoksaiyan please Click Here. Help put Guam Band Mud on MTV!!!!: The band Mud's music video for their latest song "Should've Known" is on Youtube, and if it gets enough clicks, it could end up on MTV. Show your support for Chamorros and people from Guam by watching it here!!!!. Maga'haga': Guam's Women Leaders Say No to the Military Buildup: By 2014, the United States plans to spend $10 billion to move 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents from Okinawa to Guam, increasing its presence there by more than three fold. The small island of Guam, where only 172,000 people live, will be flooded with the burden of 40,000 more people associated with the military build-up. On August 13, 2007, in a meeting with U.S. Congressional representatives, a group of Guam's maga'haga raised their hands and voices against the movement of thousands of marines, sailors and airmen, and more nuclear submarines and bombers to their island home. In Ancient times, "maga'haga" were the eldest daughters of a clan, who shared the responsibilities of running the clan's affairs and governing its resources with the "maga'lahi," or the eldest sons. Today, the term refers to a strong female leader.Maga'haga, a short film that documents the meeting, shows how the decision to increase the U.S. military presence on Guam is being made without the consent of Guam's people. The film also illustrates the unwavering strength and determination of the island's women. Maga'haga (the film) can be viewed on youtube in two parts. Here are the links: Part 1, Part 2. Stay Informed About the Planned Military Build-Up on Guam: Click the following link to download documents regarding the military build-up on Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, the relocation of thousands of US Marines from Okinawa to Guam, and the general realignment of United States military forces in the Pacific. Click Here to Download the Documents Decolonize Guam Blog: Guam, as the “tip of America’s spear” and its “unsinkable aircraft carrier” is making more and more national and international headlines, because of the increased recognition of its strategic importance in maintaining American military power in the Asia-Pacific region. Over the next ten years, we will see a drastic and dramatic increase in the amount of military personnel and infrastructure in Guam, as United States military forces in South Korea and Okinawa are transferred there. While some say that these buildups will make Guam’s economic dreams come true, others say that these perceived benefits will either be for a slim privileged group only, or will cause widespread cultural, economic, environmental, social and political damage to the island. For a collection of news articles on this buildup and other issues affecting Guam, please check out: the Decolonize Guam Blog. Weekly Saipan Commentary: Get the real story on news and events in the Northern Marianas. On My Mind, by long-time Saipan resident Ruth L. Tighe, and Food for Thought by Saipan radio personality Harry Blalock. New columns come out each Friday. New Minagahet e-zine: Check out the latest issue of Minagahet e-zine. Minagahet is published bi monthly by the Chamorro Information Activists. This is where you'll find well-written articles and intelligent discussion on contemporary Chamorro issues. Previous "Spotlight" items...     What's Happening on Guam - Headlines from KUAM.com   GPSS federal programs in jeopardy With the Guam Public School System under the microscope by the U.S ... Tint bill debated in session Today in session senators spent much of the afternoon discussing tint. Bill 163 as introduced by Senator Frank Ishizaki (R) would regulate the amount of tint citizens are allowed to put on their vehicles ... GEPB: Double session meeting premature While the Guam Public School System had scheduled a meeting for this evening to provide information about the possibility of double session at George Washington High School, it seems at the last minute, the meeting was cancelled ... Amendment introduced to guarantee funding mechanism for loan Wanting to guarantee that the government of Guam won't default in paying back a $13.8 million loan to pay off a more than decade old streetlights debt, Senator Eddie Baza Calvo introduced an amendment to Public Law 29-82 today that would provide such a mechanism ... Volunteers recognized for donation to GW High An appreciation luncheon was held this afternoon recognizing a group of volunteers who put in their time and sweat to construct concrete benches at the school ...   What's Happening in the CNMI - Headlines from The Saipan Tribune   'Big projects will get priority' The federal cap on the number of foreigners labor officials can permit to work in the Commonwealth after the passage of legislation federalizing local immigration laws has yet to be reached, according to Division of Labor chief Barry Hirshbein, but regulators must still give many available openings to key development projects to spur economic growth. MPLT funds soar to $77M in FY07 An independent audit has shown a significant growth in the Marianas Public Land Trust's financial standing during the 2007 fiscal year. Businesses eye wind energy With a recent spike in electricity rates forcing scores of small businesses in the Commonwealth to cut costs in order to survive, many are eyeing wind energy as a potential solution and zoning officials are poised to present a series of new regulations soon to help them get it. Houseworker among those missing in capsized RP ferry One of the hundreds missing from a ferry that capsized June 22 in the Philippines is a long-time Filipino houseworker of a Commonwealth Utilities Corp. officer and her family.

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