Three years ago today March 21,2019 I visited Guahan (Guam) for the first time. The island where my family is from. Which is a distance away, 6,217 miles to be exact. It’s located in the Oceania a part of the islands of the Marianas. I’ve always felt like I was from outer space, so it made sense I had to travel 20 hours to get there.

I was deeply pulled to know more about my CHamoru cultural identity and the historical lineage. A lot of what I knew was from family gatherings and of course my parents speak our native language. I had to physically go there to feel what I felt. As soon as I stepped foot there my whole being was electrified. I felt a deep part of me feel whole again. My first swim in the ocean felt like a rebirth. The salt water cleansing my skin, the warm sun giving me the biggest kiss. The beautiful flowers that were so happily blooming everywhere. It was Heaven on Earth. I learned much about how we are creators,dancers, singers,carvers,weavers,healers and seafears. How we were guided by the winds and the moon. We were connected to nature and gave back to the land. We respected it as we did our elders. A lot of my identity was blurred of not knowing what ancient knowledge was already embedded in my being.

My grace is embraced.

I was guided back by my Saina, the people of the land before. The ones who walked the sands and built the Latte. The Taotaomo’na.

“It is not in words spoken that we have been taught, but rather in the silent
teachings of our Saina. What we learn is to open ourselves to the "collective
memory" of our People who came before us and help us to move ahead -I Taotaomo'na. They show us how to remain in spiritual love and connectedness
with each other and our homelands.”

- Cecilia C.T. Perez, Signs of Being

Si Yu'os Ma'åse

To be continued…