Man’amko eyed as resource for the Chamolinian Project

The “Chamolinian Project” is keen to make the man’amko a prime source for cultural heritage preservation by making them a part of the Public School System’s curriculum and instruction, according to Kagman High School teacher Ambrose M. Bennett.

Bennett, who is also chairman of the project, said it got during the 12th Legislature when a bill was introduced to require all public school teachers at the elementary level to know the local languages.

Bennett said comments and concerns then poured into his office.

“I discussed it with a group of teachers and in my comments I stated that language was insufficient to support the preservation of a culture. I recommended then that our government should pursue a program that is more like what Hawaii has done, which is what the Chamolinian Project is modeled after,” he said.

In his presentation to the man’amko yesterday morning at the Aging Center, Bennett said the man’amko asked him to be the coordinator of the project, should the grant be approved.

“Many of them were disappointed about the school system’s refusal to allow them to teach sculpture because they were not certified, especially when they have been preserving the local culture for over 3,500 years without having the certification,” he said.

Bennett said the proposal for the Chamolinian Project was initially aimed at creating a structured method to “save the indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian cultures.”

The Chamolinian Project will compile the first source document—a curriculum with benchmarks that will define “what a person should know about the Chamorro or Carolinian culture.”

“They are enthusiastic and very anxious about the project and they are looking forward to the opportunity to participate and perform the various functions that will be required of them such as teaching,” said Bennett.

He said the man’amko expressed a desire to help with the development of the Chamolinian curriculum, and to authenticate and certify the curriculum and activities that would take place.

Bennett said one main issue that was raised during his presentation was the question of how to re-institute the initiation and recognition of the Chamorro and Carolinian chief for each island. They reportedly said the tradition needs to be revived.

Many Pacific nations still have cultural chiefs and political leaders that are different; in some cases they are the same person, added Bennett.