Kareran Sirena

Kareran Sirena Tinigi ' Ariah Villagomez , Emma Sablan , yan Serenity Fujihira

Copyright © 2021 Authors: NMI Girl Scouts Ariah Villagomez, Emma Sablan, Serenity Fujihira, assited by 2019 Miss Marianas Shannon T. Sasamoto Illustrator: Mikaela San Nicolas (IG handle: @mikealadraws) funding made possible by support from the Northern Marianas Humanities Council Grant Program.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical without permission in writing from the publisher.

Publisher: Lady Diann Torres Foundation, funding received from the National Endowment for the Humanities, NMI Humanities Council Grant GPH20-00297.

First Print: April 2021

Editor: CNMI Indigenous Affairs Office

KAPITULU

MAÑAGÅHA

Put

i

islas

primet siha

nisisita

giya

ha’

Tutuhun si

Sirena

man

lalayak,

siha

na

åpmam

ya

gurupun na

man

si

Mariånas,

siempri

karerå-ña. mañodda’

inadu-ña

na

ha

ayudu esti un

man

gi

na

Sirena sienti esti

ha

na

Carolinians

tungu’-ñiha

taotaoguis

lalayak.

na

i

karerå-ña,

gurupun

ma

put

kumu

man

esti

Esti

siha

Sirena

na

gurupu

lumå’yak

nu

ma i

ma

fa’nå’gui usan

direksion yan taimanu nåpu yan mapagåhis kumu

para i

na

klåsen

gui’

ira

lokkui

ñiñiha rason

yan na

mabira

mamamaila’.

estoria i

sina’pit

nina’

siha

siha

fan

tåtti

put

puti’on

ma

taitai-ña

guaha

Ma i

håfa

sangåni

kareran

lumå’yak

mamagof

gi

i

si

ya

patti

yanggin

familian-ñiha.

na

Åntis

ha’

konni’i para

i

rialisa guaha ta’lu.

si

Sirena

guihan

di

para

familian-ñiha. lokkui

na

u

i

gurupu,

tengguan-ñiha Si

maseha

atungo’-ña

dingu

anai

Sirena

tåtti

dispues

manu

gui’

siña

ha

ha

ha

guatu, bisisita

KAPITULU

PÅGAN

Ñumangu na

isla

ha

sodda’

Tåsi.

si

Sirena

giya

para

Mariånas.

un

påtgon

Uma’achuli

si

i

låhi

Tåsi

i

dos

umadu’

ya

yan

dadalåk-ña esta i diduk gapotilu-ña yan i låmlam epuk

kattan

Guini

i

Uma

san

na i

karerå-ña,

na’ån-ña

Si

Sirena

åtilung na

todu

siha

na

si

ginen kulot

i

go’naf-ña. islan

Mariånas.

Ma

ripåra

milak esta

gi

ginen i

i

tasi.

humihut

distånsia pachut Dispues,

guatu

mumamaipi

i

i

islan

tasi.

i

motmut

ladera anai

todu

sigi

Pågan,

na

ma

i

åsu

yan

påpa’

dos senti

na

mås

I

bunita

guatu

islan

Pågan, islan

hu

sin

Ilek-ña hita islan

islan

Pågan

lågu’ guåfi.

milak

i

na

tumatånges

Anai

Pågan,

si

desnik

Sirena

ha

“Håfa

na

sumuspipidus

Pågan

na

man

malago’-hu si

man

Tåsi,

ya

siña

hugåndu.

Pågan

put

i

ma

i

konni'

i

bai

in

Mumaguf

i

islan

Man

oppi

famagu’on-

ha’

såga

na ya

maisa. ta

sinente-ña

mina’åsi’-ñiha

na

påtgon

faisin

hao?

guåguåhu

ha’

dos

te’uk

i

dos

fan i

påtgon.

Dispues påtgon tasi.

ha

ega’

anai

Nina’

sigi

fan

famagu’on-ña. ma

dingu

islan

islan

Pågan

ta’lu

tåtti.

na

gi i

distånsia dos

hassu

Pågan, siempri

dos

humugåndu

si

Antis

i

Pågan

ha’ ma ha’

i

nu

dos

di

gi i u

asigura u

fåfåttu

KAPITULU

ASUNCION & MAUG

Gume’kattan Anai yan

måttu

un

Tåsi ginin

nu i

i i

dos dos

higånti i ayuyu

gumuaha

islan

na ya

inakå’-ña manera

påtgon

i

para

Asunsion,

ayuyu.

ayuyu.

Lao

muñangu

Asunsion.

man

Hinabao

chumetnudan

ya

islan

dadalåk-

ha’

suetti pues

afakchahi ña

dispues si

Tåsi

na

umeskåpa.

si

Gume’kattan islan

Maug.

ta’lu

i

dos

dos

but’tu

kåntun

tåsi

ya

li’i

gi

na’ån-ña

Tomtum.

besis

esti

malili’i anai

na

disdi

ma

li’i

distånsia,

ma

hobensita tåsi.

Lao

tulaikan para

na

Tomtum ripåra

anai maisa

na

espiritu

Si

humihut gui'

Tomtum

mamumuti

chetnudan.

si

si

nai

tiempu.

Gi

gi

na

bumabaila

nåna.

ripåra

åntis

i

Meggai

but’tun

si

måttu

i

Man

bumabaila si

ya

un

gi i

kåntun dos,

ha

Tomtum lokkui’ Tåsi

ha

sa’

Åntis

ha’

di

ha

chetnot-ña, Tomtum tulaikan

biha.

para

tutuhun

kinenni’ i

maisa

si

umåmti Tåsi

inai

anai

gui

ta’lu

gi

ha para

i as

Dipues

di

adingu,

ha

åmti

ilek-ña

kumarerera

Mariånas,

ha’.”

Man un

si

unu

para

tungu’

hit

familia

Tåsi,

ya

Tomtum,

hamyu

islan

man

si

ha’

hit

in

na

na

para

fan

“Yanggin

protetehi ti

i

huhamyu

Mariånas

todus.

u

yan

KAPITULU

MERMAID CAVE

Ma yan

kontinuha si

Tåsi

Mariånas på’gu. estoria, Sirena,

i

prumutehi

disdi

Guaha na na

Mariånas.

kareran-ñiha

ma

åntis siha

siha na

i

si

Sirena

islas

tiempu

esta

sumåsangan

huhunguk

lumililiku’

gui’

ginin

as

oriyan

i

tåsin

chungi’ esta i gapotilu-ña, makalelu i fasu-ña, Anåkku’

yan

yan

difirentis

dadalåk-ña. humuhunguk todu

i

I

si

buniton

taotao

estorian

tiempu

estoria-ña na

na

ha

na’

Sirena

sinangan...

kulot

siha

nai

Sirena, fåfåkpu’ gi

taiguini

i

“I

tanu’

tachu’ put

ya

man

in

ginin

Kunsidera ta,

Gi li’i

parehu

islan si

bunitu, pues fan na’ fan banidosu hamyu

sumen

i

manu

hamyu

kuminidåt ha’

yan

Saipan

Sirena.

mågi.

kumu

familiå-

guåhu.”

ottimu

biahi

anai

ma

Glossary adingu åntis åsu ayuyu banidosu

part ways

gurupu

group

long ago

higånti

giant

smoke coconut crab take pride

hobensita hugåndu inadu

biha

old lady

Karera

bumabaila

dancing

kuminidåt

bunitu but’tu chetnudan chungi’

beautiful silhouette

ladera lågu’

cliff tears

låmlam

shiny

distance

mapagåhis

gapotilu

community

white hair

distånsia

familia

journey

navigator

makalelu

famagu’on

adventrue

lalayak

direction

faisin

play

wounded

direksion

estoria

young lady

wrinkle sky

story

nåna

mother

ask

nåpu

waves

children familiy hair

ñumangu primet protetehi

guåfi

fire

sumuspipidus

guihan

fish

tumatånges

swim primet protect crying too hard crying

Mañagaha Chapter With this being her first time exploring the Marianas, Sirena knew she needed help. She found traveling Carolinians known as the earliest traditional navigators. They taught Sirena how to navigate by using the stars and how to read the waves and clouds to know what kind of weather is approaching. They told her stories of their journeys and how treacherous sailing can be, and that is why they are always grateful to come back to their families. Before saying her goodbyes, she caught them fish to bring back to their homes. She realized that wherever she goes, she’ll always have a family to come back to.

Pagan Chapter Sirena swims up north to explore other islands and finds a boy named Tåsi who was similar to her with fins and a tail with dark black hair. They go on an adventure and head out on a long treacherous voyage through the Marianas. They noticed on the horizon large smoke caused by magma touching the ocean. The cool ocean grew warm as they drew closer to Pagan. The Queen Island Pagan was crying tears of magma. The two mermaids approached carefully.

Sirena asked Pagan, ‘Why are you crying so painfully?’ Pagan replied, ‘I am lonely, my children have been taken away.’ The boy said, ‘We can stay and play with you.’ Pagan was grateful for the gesture and watched as the two mermaids played joyfully in the ocean, reminding her of her children. Before Sirena and the boy left, they promised the Queen of Pagan they would come and visit her once again.

Asuncion & Maug Sirena and Tåsi made their way to the island of Asuncion. Sirena and Tåsi reached the shore and they encountered a giant coconut crab. The coconut crab clawed Tåsi and injured his fins. Luckily, they managed to escape the attack of the giant coconut crab. They were able to reach the southern part of the Maug Islands, where they came across a spirit dancing on the beach. The spirit’s name was Tomtom. She appeared at various ages. When they first saw her, she was a joyful child dancing in the ocean. When they approached her she soon became a woman in her adult age who noticed the boy was in pain. Tomtom brought Tåsi to shore and quickly became an elder while mending his wounds. Before parting ways, the elderly woman gave her words of wisdom “As you travel the ocean and protect the Marianas, know you are never alone. We are one Marianas and we are one family.”

Saipan: Mermaid cave Sirena and Tåsi’s journey continued on, protecting the Marianas for years and till this day. Some say they heard these very stories from herself while roaming the oceans and shores with her hair long and gray, her face with wrinkles, and her tail with beautiful and mesmerizing colors. People who have heard her stories always say she ends them by saying “The world is remarkable, but always be proud of where you come from. Your community is your family and so am I.” The last known sight of Sirena was on Saipan …

Hinanoa Sirena Aria Villagomez, Emma Sablan, Serenity Fujihira Lady Diann Torres Foundation

The LDTF Young Author's Language in Literacy program is designed to promote the use of our indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian Languages.