NMI honors late author with launch of Chamorro book

Jose DLG. Sanchez remembers as a child how his dad, the late Juan Aguon Sanchez, would wake up at 3:30 in the morning to start writing stories, poems, songs and prayers and wake his children up one by one by 6am before going to work from the 1960s until he passed away in 1988.

Sanchez, now 57, said he’s proud of his father’s collection of work—a Chamorro language book on local history and culture titled, Estoria-Hu or My Story.

Yesterday, the community joined the Sanchez family and the NMI Humanities Council in honoring the late author with the launching of the book at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe.

Estoria-Hu, published 21 years after the author’s death, is the third title published by the NMI Humanities Council under its Micronesian Authors Initiative established in 2004.

The book is also the first in that series written in the Chamorro language.

“There were people ahead of my dad who were knowledgeable, who wrote songs and stories, too, but why my dad? Maybe my dad learned from them or took the same path they walked on and used it as a model for him…I hope others will not get mad because my dad’s book was the first one [in Chamorro language] to be printed when there were others ahead of him. I hope that one day, all the writers’ work will also be compiled and honored the same way they honored my dad,” Sanchez said in an interview.

The ceremony, conducted in Chamorro from start to finish, was attended by Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, Bishop Tomas A. Camacho, House Speaker Arnold I. Palacios, NMI Humanities Council officers and members, Education Commissioner Dr. Rita A. Sablan, other government officials, along with community members and students.

Besides writing on a wide variety of topics involving indigenous language, cultures and history in both prose and verse, the late Juan Aguon Sanchez is particularly remembered for his eulogy to President John F. Kennedy, written shortly after the President’s assassination in 1963.

A recording of the eulogy was played during yesterday’s ceremony. Five students also read selected writings from the author’s book.

One of the late author’s children, Jose DLG. Sanchez, said he also remembers how his dad would drink his coffee first before starting to write.

“He will just leave his writing on the table and my mom would keep all his writing together. So this book is all about his work—stories, poems, songs, prayers—and I hope the community will understand…and respect his work,” said Sanchez.

Besides Jose DLG. Sanchez, other children of the late author who were present at the ceremony were Maria S. Sablan, Fernando DLG. Sanchez, Bitilia DLG. Sanchez, Zita DLG. Sanchez, and Jesus DLG. Sanchez.

The NMI Humanities Council established the Micronesian Authors Initiative in 2004 to promote the publication of works by indigenous Micronesian writers. The first two titles published under the Initiative include Microchild by the late Valentine Sengebau, and The Rope of Tradition by Lino M. Olopai.

Estoria-Hu costs $15 each, and is available at the Northern Marianas College and University of Guam bookstores.