I Kumisión i Fino’ CHamoru yan i Fina’nå’guen i Historia yan Lina’la’ i Taotao Tåno’ (The Commission on the CHamoru Language and the Teaching of the History and Culture of the Indigenous People of Guam) announces public hearings for its first phase of the I Na’an Lugåt (Guam Place Names) Project. In accordance with P.L. 33-236, the Kumisión is mandated to 1) develop criteria for reviewing and selecting place names 2) study ancient CHamoru terminology and pronunciation of place names and restore aforementioned pronunciation with the current CHamoru orthography. (GCA Chapter 88, section 88105).
The next event will be the second of three public hearings to be held at community centers around the island to review the names of villages. Villages have been divided into southern, central, and northern regions for purposes of review. This month’s public hearing will focus on central village names and will be held at the Assan Community Center on May 12th at 6:00pm. The villages up for review on May 12th are Yo’ña (Yona), CHålan Pågu-Otdot (Chalan Pago-Ordot), Piti, Assan (Asan-Maina), Agana Heights, Sinahånña (Sinajana), Hagåtña (Agana). The remaining northern village names will be reviewed in June.
Presiding over the hearing are Kumision Members Robert Underwood, Jimmy Teria and Teresita Flores who comprise the Kumiten Na’an Lugåt (Place Name Committee). Interested community members are welcome to attend. The public is encouraged to provide comments on the village names under review. Everyone will adhere to public health guidelines in place. Zoom access will be announced at least two days before the hearing or you may view the event live from our Kumisión I Na’an Lugåt Facebook page. Those interested may also submit comments or concerns via email to Project Coordinator Elyssa Santos at Elyssa.Santos@KFCHamoru.guam.gov.
To attend the hearing virtually via Zoom, please access through the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86165079435?pwd=NEM3QmxFcVpSenNwQ2l4Vit6VU5qdz09