Ann Marie Arceo, the featured guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Northern Guam’s luncheon, discussed what her organization was about, detailing a project that is aiming to come into fruition by this summer.
Hurao Inc., a nonprofit organization and education group that endeavors to immerse children and adults in programs that promote Guam’s indigenous language and its culture, is currently located at the Chamorro Village in Hagåtña.
They hope to open up another location soon — the Sagan Kotturan Chamoru, or cultural center — at the Ypao Cliff line above the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa. According to Arceo, the center will be utilized by the summer and will house apprenticeship programs.
Summer camps for children will be offered that aid in self-identity, language learning, weaving, dancing, cooking, costume-making, and “everything that’s cultural,” said Arceo.
About three years ago, Arceo said they were able to obtain nine acres of property under the Chamorro Land Trust. There are currently eight homes that need to be restored.
While Hurao Inc. operates as a nonprofit organization, its funding is generated through tuition from classes and summer programs they offer. They also benefit from grants such as one from the U.S. Administration for Native Americans. In-kind donations from sponsors and major corporations also help the progress of the cultural center.
According to Arceo, the cultural center will be open to visitors but its initial target is locals. “We will open up every quarter or when things become stable…but first we want to provide our children and people a place where they can learn traditional art and language,” she said.
By “starting at home,” Arceo believes this will provide the visitor industry with an authentic experience of the island’s art and culture being presented by its own people.
An invitation was extended to the community to come by the site of the cultural center to work on the homes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today.
“This is our biggest project right now, but it’s not the only one,” Arceo said. “This is one of the projects we do for language and cultural preservation.”
