Buenas yan Håfa Adai Protectors,
We are so grateful for the ways our community has showed up to support this movement to protect the sacred. While we have made great strides with your support, the fight is not over. There are TWO ongoing actions that need your attention regarding a recently introduced Legislative Resolution and a Public Hearing that will be held tomorrow, Apr. 23.
1) Senator Sabina Perez introduced Resolution 55-36, which reaffirms our access to safe and clean drinking water and the importance of protecting our aquifer. It is unfortunate that our community has to fight to protect our human right to safe and clean water made vulnerable by military destruction, contamination and other human activities.
Only 7 out of the 15 senators support this resolution. Please contact your senators and urge them to vote for Res. 55-36.
We want to thank the co-sponsors of this resolution: Speaker Therese Terlaje, Sen. Telena Nelson, Sen. Clynton Ridgell, Sen. Jose “Pedo” Terlaje, Vice Speaker Tina Rose Muña Barnes, and Sen. Telo T. Taitague.
Contact the remaining senators: Amanda Shelton, Joe S. San Agustin, James Moylan, Frank Blas Jr., Mary Camacho Torres, Tony Ada, Joanne Brown, and Chris Duenas.
Email:
officeofsenatorshelton@guamlegislature.org
senatorjoessanagustin@gmail.com
officeofsenatormoylan@guamlegislature.org
office@senatorfrankblas.com
senatormary@guamlegislature.org
senatorvanthonyada@gmail.com
office@senatorjoannebrown.com
senatorchrisduenas@gmail.com
Call:
Sen. Shelton (671)969-2574
Sen. San Agustin (671)989-5445
Sen. Moylan (671)922-6673
Sen. Blas (671)969-6456
Sen. Torres (671)475-6279
Sen. Ada (671)969-3555
Sen. Brown (671)647-1409
Sen. Duenas (671)989-9554
2.) Senator Telena Nelson is inviting and encouraging our community’s participation in a Community Roundtable Hearing to be held at 5:00 P.M. Thursday, April 22, 2021, in the Public Hearing Room of the Guam Congress Building in Hagåtña and via Zoom. We humbly ask our supporters to come out in full force. While in-person attendance is encouraged, if you are not able to do so, we hope you can be present virtually.
AGENDA: 5:00 p.m. Community Roundtable Hearing
- Importance of CHamoru ancestral remains:
- Knowledge of documented CHamoru ancestral burials and locations of burials;
- Consent and authority for consultation under the 2011 Programmatic Agreement (PA) through legislative public hearings;
- Concerns addressing the National Historic Preservation Act and/or any provisions in 36 CFR PART 800;
- The United Nations Special Rapporteurs Letter submitted to the U.S. Government pertaining to ongoing human rights violations of the CHamoru people of Guam.
SUBMITTING TESTIMONY
�Written Testimony: submit via email to senatortcnelson@guamlegislature.org
�️Oral Testimony: see options below for face-to-face or virtual testimony
1. Sign-up to provide face-to-face testimony by attending the hearing in-person while observing COVID-19 protocols and guidelines.
2. Sign up to provide virtual testimony via Zoom by contacting The Office of Senator Telena Cruz Nelson via email at senatortcnelson@guamlegislature.org or (671) 989-7696.
We are in true disbelief about the amount of violence we are facing in the midst of military buildup construction. Initial surveys of our land showed burials would be disturbed, and we were already concerned then. Now a few years into construction, more and more burials continue to be found outside of what was initially surveyed and we are now learning that these graves are part of larger CHamoru settlements. 3,000 of our ancestors are currently in boxes and scattered in offices.
Despite this new knowledge, these settlements are being cleared quickly so military projects can move forward, depriving our community of the opportunity to learn more about our history. We are seeing the significance of the vast cultural landscape that exists in the North and all along that coastline. This whole time they said it was a temporary settlement and they were wrong.
While we have heard people justify the violence by saying we should be grateful for new findings, our ancestors are not being treated with the respect they deserve and in this modern age, through the use of laser technology, archaeologists are now able to make new discoveries without even putting a shovel in the ground. We are not grateful for the desecration of our ancestors. Our people deserve more. Our ancestors deserve better.
We must continue to speak out against the continued cultural erasure. Let's show up for our ancestors.
Saina Ma’åse’ Senator Telena Nelson for holding this important hearing. Our community needs answers.