“Nga Lut, ke Kahs Luhk Sifacna”

Maria Salas Calvo, sie sin mwet na pwacye emeet fin acn Guam in welah Alu uh, suc tuhfahna in ritwelah Puk luhn Mormon ke kahs lal sifacna, CHamoru (spell sasuc ingena pa “Chamorro”). CHamoru el sie inmahsrlon kahs luo ke kahs 450 luhn Austronesian ma orekmakihnyuck ke tuhka Pacific ma tiac na wi kuh ma ke kain in u ke Oceanic. Kahs CHamoru motkweyuck muh ma tuhkuh ke u in mwet se fuhfahsryucsr fin acn Southeast Asia nuh fin acn Marianas ke sahp yac 3,500–4,000 som lah.

Maria ac mukul tuhmwacl, Don, elos oacyacpac Mwet Luhlahlfongi ke Lwen-sahflah CHamoru, nuhnkuh yohk ke kolyuck luhn mwet sac ke 16th century fahsruh ah ekuhlah fuhkah kahs ac facsin luhn mwet CHamoru fin acn Guam. “Yohk eklac ke facsin ke ma mahtuh inge sruhmuhnyuck sin mwet Spain ah,” Maria el fahk. Fin acn Guam, Mwet Spain ah elos suk in karihngihn mwet CHamoru. “Mwet fin tuhka se inge elos mihslac na,” Don el akuhtweyac.

Pihsen mwet CHamoru ah srihkeni, som oacpacna nuh ke ohiyen facsin ac kahs luhn mwet CHamoru. Ke muhtuhn 20th century[yac 1901-2000], ye kohkoh luhn solse Macrike ma kol acn Guam, kahs CHamoru sruhngwacyuck in sifwil sruhmuhnyuck, ac mwet orekma ke ohfuhs ah elos esuhkwack dictionary ke kahs CHamoru-English. Ke muhtuhn yac 1970, na government kampare in fohlohkohnwack kahs na pwacye ac facsin luhn acn Guam.

Maria el sulwaclah in luhngaslah kuhtuh ma sulwelyucklac lin Puk luhn Mormon nuh CHamoru. Lweng se inge yohk na pwacye kahsruh la nuh ke kampare in fohlohkohnwack CHamoru nuh fin acn Guam. El eis kahsruh luhlahp sel Ann Rivera, director ke bilingual program ke Department of Education fin acn Guam, in liye lah pwacye lweng lal inge ukwe akwuck oreklac ke spell ac grammar. El orekma upac ke lweng ke yac luo.

“Kuhtuh pacl uh ke ngac oruh orekma luhk ke lweng inge, insiyuck e sesesslah ac ngac nwacnwaclah ke tuhng,” elac fahk. “Nga lut, ke kahs luhk sifacna, ma Pahpah Inkushrao el tiac na siyuck yohk. El ngihsre muhkena sesr in luhngse El ke insiacsr ac nuhnak nohfohn.”

Ke 1989, Maria el ahksahfyelah lweng lal ke ip sulweyucklac ke kahs-CHamoru lin Puk luhn Mormon: Sileksion Siha Ginen I Leblon Mormon—Otror Na Testamenton Jesu Kristo. El ac mempucrs sahyac ke Alu uh sang ip inge nuh sin mwet kol fin acn sac, weluhlwacng pacna Kafuhnah Joseph F. Ada. Territorial Library fin acn Guam nwacnwack lwenglah luhn kahs CHamoro oasr ke acn se sriyucklac an ke infuckihl in ma mahtuh luhn acn Guam.

Ke Nohfuhmpuh 24, 1989, mwet orekma ke masap elos oraclah mwe fahkwack se in kaksakihn orekma lal Maria. Kaksakuhnuhl “Maria Salas Calvo, mwet moniyuck ac Mormon wowo se oacyacpac Chamorro engan ac kuh in sifacna se,” ke oraclah wo lal. Mwe fahkwack se inge ahkahlwemye lah lwenglah luhn Puk luhn Mormon nuh ke kahs CHamoru “fahkwack oraclah luhlahp se ke ma yohk srihpac-nuhkewa in sruokyac na kahs Chamorro, sang pac nuh kac kahs na kahto ke moul ke wosasuc luhn Jisus Kraist.”