dust off the unhealthy spirit from her. He went to her house and found the spirit her daughter had seen. He escorted the spirit out of the house and explained that the man had been attracted to her baby. He gave her ladda leaves to protect her family, and came a few more times to såffe her. Since then, her pregnancy has been easier, and her daughter has stopped seeing the man in the window. Just like our suruhåno and suruhåna, we have to look into each other’s souls and find the places that need healing, and heal together. Whether or not our islands can reunify politically, we will always be united culturally. We will always be familia. With love, forgiveness and healing, we can create a better future together. We must simply tell our stories and shape our own understanding of ourselves and what we are capable of. We are still one beautiful people, one powerful nation. As Auntie Pao said, “we are all the same Chamoru.”
--Victoria-Lola Leon Guerrero is an Instructor of English and Creative Writing at the University of Guam. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College and a BA in Politics from the University of San Francisco. Leon Guerrero is a published author and is working on an historical fiction novel set on Guåhan in the 1950s. She has always seen her writing as a tool for social change. As a reporter on Guåhan, Leon Guerrero learned much about the island's historical and contemporary struggles, including the need for selfdetermination. She has continued to collect information about the island’s history and culture and uses her skills as a writer to tell the story of the Chamoru people. Leon Guerrero has written several articles and produced two short films critiquing the current U.S. military buildup, which are available online. She is also actively involved in organizing the community to fight for self-determination and express their concerns about the buildup.
52 ・ Marianas History Conference 2012