Abstract:听This project examines local responses to challenge US militarization and colonization in Gu氓han (Guam). I argue that efforts to 鈥減rotect and defend鈥� Gu氓han鈥檚 sacred sites focus on issues of ancestral land, language, sovereignty, and environmental justice. They also rely primarily on actions that both depend on and reinforce communicative channels directed against the US nation-state. From Gu氓han, I navigate outward to the islands of P氓gan and Tinian and analyze how these places are also being targeted for extensive military buildup. This focus on the Marianas is concerned with US federal control and the use of eminent domain to effectively remove these spaces from indigenous peoples and public trust. The Mariana Islands are a critical site for struggles over identity, indigeneity, and Americanness. Understanding these struggles offers an important launching point for connecting ongoing resistance and transoceanic dialogues.
Bio:听Tiara Na鈥檖uti is an Assistant Professor of Communication and an Executive Committee member of BoulderTalks, a new center in the CMCI that fosters community and knowledge through democratic engagement. Her work focuses on rhetoric, indigenous studies, & social movements in Gu氓han and throughout Oceania.