Tyler John Benavente Sasamoto, a proud Chamorro, was raised in the village of Koblerville on the island of Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Fluent in the Chamorro language, he is an active member of the Marianas High School POLKSAI Guma’ Chamorro group, which stands for Protehi, Onra, Lengguahi, Kuttura, Saipan, Åtåha, Inasa. After two years of dedicated involvement, he became a leader within the group, teaching traditional chants, songs, and dances. In addition to his cultural contributions, Tyler serves as the Historian for the Marianas High School Student Council.
He deeply values the teachings of his grandmother and honors her memory through his commitment to traditional Chamorro dance and chanting. Recently, Tyler was recognized as a young fafa’nå’gui (Chamorro Dance teacher) in traditional Chamorro dance by the first Master of Chamorro Dance, Saina Francisco “Frank” B. Rabon, during his trip to Guam for the Inacha’igen Fino’ Chamorro (Chamorro Language Competition). He remains dedicated to preserving and promoting his cultural heritage, actively encouraging his peers to speak the language and uphold the Chamorro value of respetu (respect) for elders through the practice of mangginge’ (the traditional gesture of respect).
