Kutturan CHamoru Foundation is celebrating 32 years of providing tuition-free cultural programming in Long Beach with several awards to recognize individuals who have helped to preserve and promote the CHamoru culture.  

The inaugural Kutturan CHamoru Awards will be formally awarded at the nonprofit’s Gala 32 event on Oct. 11 at the Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA) in Long Beach. The awards come at a critical time for the foundation, which is seeing an influx of students amid a sociopolitical climate where DEI initiatives are being defunded and devalued, according to Fafa'någue Saina Heidi Chargualaf-Quenga, Executive Director of the foundation.  

“It's important that the kids see — however they measure success — people that look like them, that have names like them, who also … carry their ancestors in the work that they do. So that's very reflective of our teachings in Kutturan CHamoru,” she said.  

At the Oct. 11 Gala 32, the Latte Award will be presented to Fran Lujan, director of the Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum (PieAM) in Long Beach, “whose visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to cultural preservation have built bridges across generations and identities. Her work embodies the spirit of the latte: rooted, enduring and transformative.” 

The Galaide Award will be presented to Jay Taj, a CHamoru rap artist from Santa Ana, California, who was a finalist on the second season of “Rhythm + Flow” on Netflix. His “creative work and public presence have elevated the visibility of our people worldwide through his artistry, advocacy and storytelling. Jay Taj carries our heritage forward — boldly, beautifully and with deep respect for the legacy that guides him.”

Finally, the Kutturan CHamoru Award will recognize the Perez family of Los Alamitos, California, who established the Cheyenne Angelica Scholarship in honor of their late daughter. Cheyenne Angelica, who danced with Kutturan CHamoru for many years as a lead cultural practitioner and mentor, wanted to make the world a better place. For the last 10 years, the scholarship has awarded $1,000 to two CHamoru students who are dedicated to changing the lives of others.   

Tony and Linda Perez along with Cheyenne’s brothers and family are being recognized “for their unwavering support and generosity that has opened doors for countless young CHamorus through the Cheyenne Angelica Scholarship. Their commitment to education and empowerment reflects the very heart of inafa’maolek: giving not for recognition, but to nurture the future of our people. Their legacy is a gift that continues to ripple outward, strengthening our foundation and inspiring hope.”

In addition to the awards ceremony, Guma’ Kutturan CHamoru will be performing traditional CHamoru cultural presentations, and attendees can participate in a silent auction and other opportunities to further support the foundation’s mission.  

Gala 32 also provides an opportunity for the foundation to showcase their tuition-free programs, including the Kutturan CHamoru Performers award-winning dance ensemble, Ta H.I.T.A CHamoru language program and Ta Fan Apåtte CHamoru Immersion Camp, to name a few. 

While the organization has been dedicated over the last three decades to perpetuating the CHamoru culture, in recent years Kutturan CHamoru also has supported the entire Pacific Islander community in Southern California by becoming a fiscal sponsor for numerous health organizations, Heidi noted. This enabled Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) groups that weren't yet fully established to operate and provide critical services for Pacific Islanders. 

With Gala 32, the foundation is seeking support, and not kudos — their work is too important for that, and not just for the current generations of CHamorus ginen sanlågu.  

“We don't look just at the present, we look at the future. We know that the work that we do today is not for just us, it is for those who have yet to come,” she said, adding that the words come directly from Saina Frank Rabon, the first recognized Master of CHamoru Dance. 

The early founders of the CHamoru dance movement may not have realized how it would thrive and grow over the years, but there are now four generations now in the guma’ that started 32 years ago.  

“It's flourishing, and we grow with our community, and we grow with families that are involved,” Heidi said. “We just want to be able to bring everyone a little bit of home.”