About a month after one of the largest Marianas gatherings on the West Coast, CHamorus are again preparing to come together to celebrate their culture — this time with their island brothers and sisters at the annual Pacific Islander Festival Association in San Diego on Sept. 20 and 21. 

For over three decades, the free festival has served as a joyful gathering place celebrating the cultures of Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia. Even as PIFA has grown and evolved over the last 30 years, the festival's heart has remained the same.

"The cultural essence of the festival — that it's a gathering place — has stayed the same," said Jonathan “Tana” Lepule, the current PIFA president, who has served multiple terms since first attending as a guest years ago. "It’s a place for all of our communities to come together."

This year, PIFA is expected to draw 150,000 people to Ski Beach in Mission Bay. About 150 organizations are participating in this year’s event, which will feature 70 craft booths, 30 vendor tables, eight cultural villages and more than 20 cultural groups that will perform songs and dances from the islands. 

Over the years, PIFA has seen a significant increase in diversity, particularly with a recent boom in participation from the CHamoru community, Tana said. 

Since PIFA’s early beginnings, individual CHamoru leaders in the community, such as master canoe builder Mario Borja, have been involved, Tana said. In recent years, however, members from local CHamoru community groups have been taking on key roles within the organization, including serving as officers, board members and committee chairs. 

The spirit of mutual support isn’t confined to the CHamoru groups, but is shared among all the different Pacific Islander organizations — a reflection of this year’s theme, “Pasifika: United We Paddle.”

"It's a thing of beauty to see the growth of just the diversity within our own communities," he said, also highlighting Palauan, Tahitian and other groups who are helping to "elevate the collective stories of those who are heard and sometimes not heard."

Beyond greater cultural diversity, PIFA has evolved to embrace modern technology to enhance the festival experience, such as a strong social media presence thanks to a dedicated team, drones for capturing aerial footage, and LED screens to ensure a better view for attendees in the back.  

This year's festival also will feature several new partnerships and attractions including:

Returning to the stage this year will be Kutturan CHamoru Foundation/Uno Hit and Guma’ Imåhen Taotao Tåno’, which have been showcasing and sharing the culture of the Marianas since the early beginnings of the festival.   

For Fafa’na’gue Saina Heidi Chagualaf-Quenga, executive director of Kutturan CHamoru Foundation, PIFA is like a fiesta on a grand scale.

"It's just this family gathering place where you'll see folks that you haven't seen in years or in decades," she said, adding that it’s also like a “mini FestPAC,” the huge Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture held every four years.  

"It allows us, as Pacific people, to gather and share our crafts, share our songs, and share our dances and music.” The performance by the combined Kutturan CHamoru and Uno Hit troupe of 150 performers at 12:15 pm on Saturday, Sept. 20, will reflect PIFA’s theme as well as a Guam legend. 

“The theme this year is ‘United We Paddle,’ so you'll see a lot of either galaide or sakman moves, or chants that are inspired by that,” Heidi said. KCF's PIFA presentation will unite songs and chants from KCF founders, the Taotao Tåno' Tribal Council and contemporary CHamoru artists from the Mariånas.

In addition, “we are implementing a chant by difunto Jeremy Cepeda which talks about the Guihan Takga'ga', the monstrous fish that tried to eat and split the island of Guahan. That (chant) was gifted to us by Gi Matan Guma’,” she said, referring to the cultural collective that Jeremy co-founded with Dakota Camacho.     

On Sunday morning, Guma’ Imåhen Taotao Tåno’  Fafa’na’gue Saina Rosemary Mantanona will lead about 50 members ranging in age from 1 to 75, on stage, “using our bodies as a vessel for our ancestors, our loved ones no longer here, to tell their stories of long ago.”

"It's not just a presentation in our community," Rosemary said. "It's our way of life. We are living it."

Like all fafa’na’gue who trained under Master of CHamoru Dance Frank Rabon, “it is my responsibility to create content responsibly so that I maintain the consistency in image, sound,  basic standards, and maintain the vision of the master while living out the mission: To preserve, perpetuate and promote the indigenous CHamoru culture through songs, dances, chants and weaving,” she said. 

In keeping with this year’s PIFA theme, “one dream that came true was that I created the image of the sakman (our deep sailing vessel) at sea! This year it will be a sight  to see!”

She invited everyone to watch their performance at 9:15 am on Sunday, Sept. 21, promising that "it's gonna be fire! Please join us and share the love for our people, our islands and our culture as CHamorus!"

As they did last year, Guma Sanlagu will also take to the stage for another awe-inspiring presentation of CHamoru culture with 200 dancers, chanters and musicians from guma’s around the country this year.

“When we come together, we are Guma’ Sanlagu,” said Fafa’na’gue Saina Eric Reyes. He leads umbrella organization, which began three years ago out of the demand from the diaspora for more cultural outlets. “Guma’ Sanlagu’s mission is to preserve and perpetuate the CHamoru culture through song, dance, and chant through one voice, one sound, one movement,“ he said.

“Our people are still very, very hungry,” Eric said, adding that after conducting workshops from coast to coast, “something sparked from there.” The movement and outreach continue to grow, and as a result, four to five new dance groups have started on the mainland.

In addition to bringing the guma’s together and performing with Guma Sanlagu, he is bringing other CHamoru talent to San Diego under his CHamoru music promotion business, iCrown Marianas.  

CHamorus who want to begin the cultural celebrations early can get tickets now for a performance by J.J. Concepcion and the One Marianas Band, according to Eric, who works closely with J.J. He has been traveling with the celebrated CHamoru recording artist from Saipan on a four-city “Marianas Way” tour that started at the Marianas Festival and culminates at PIFA.    

PIFA President Tana Lepule offers three tips for those planning to attend PIFA this year:

RESOURCES

PIFA website

Kutturan CHamoru website  

Guma’ Imåhen Taotao Tåno’ website

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