THE LATTE

The latte is an iconic symbol of the resilience and endurance of the Taotao Tåno’, the First Peoples of i Tano’ Låguas and Gåni. Modern CHamoru people are the direct descendants of the Latte Builders of the 16th century, whose language, cultural practices, traditional knowledge, technological prowess and skills form the bedrock of what we have inherited as the essence of our indigenous identity. Our homeland of Guåhan is enriched by the presence of these megalithic monuments carved by our ancestors from basalt and limestone as foundation pillars in the construction of latte structures that could survive all forms of natural disasters. The manmade disaster of colonialism may have put an end to the Latte Period in our history but the durability and visibility of the latte even today speaks volumes about the abiding nature of our heritage. Building on this legacy of strength and permanency, the Kumisión i Fino’ CHamoru has erected its guma’ latte on four foundation pillars: Language, Legacy, Lineage and Land. The 21st century high-tech virtual access across land and sea has provided us, as the new-age latte builders, with digital tools and futuristic technology to hewn indestructible pillars in our time.

Dr. Laura M. Torres Souder

Gé’helo’, Kumisión