| Description |
Since our establishment in Guam in 2004, the Håya Foundation desired to facilitate the creation of a social and cultural environment that would allow for the revitalization of traditional Chamorro culture. The cultural preservation and revitalization efforts, in the beginning, laid the necessary foundation for social re-acceptance of traditional healing practices.
The Håya Foundation’s primary goal is to revitalize Guam’s indigenous healing traditions at great risk given the loss with the passing of many healers. We were and may still be at great risk of losing our healing traditions of 4,000 years. During our first eight years, we reached out for help from traditional healers in the neighboring Mariana islands of Rota, Saipan, and Tinian and worked to build and earn the trust of such healers. After a decade of laying the necessary groundwork, we hosted our First Amot Conference in 2012 and brought traditional healers, educators, organizations, government agencies, and policy developers/makers to share information and to learn to improve the health and well-being of our people.
Our community continues the process of re-establishing its belief and in reliance on its traditional healing practices. We are coming to understand and appreciate our collective responsibility to preserve and promote our traditional healing practices so that they may be practiced, enjoyed, and benefit future generations. |
