[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 96 (Monday, June 8, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E545]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RECOGNIZING FRANK RABON

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES C. MOYLAN

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 8, 2026

  Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a son of Guam 
whose life's work has helped preserve, strengthen, and carry forward 
the cultural identity of the CHamoru people--Master of CHamoru Dance 
Frank Rabon.
  Recently, Frank Rabon was named a 2026 National Heritage Fellow by 
the National Endowment for the Arts, the Nation's highest honor in folk 
and traditional arts. This recognition is not only well deserved--it is 
deeply meaningful for Guam's people.
  For more than four decades, Saina Frank Rabon has dedicated his life 
to preserving and revitalizing Bailan CHamoru, the traditional dance, 
chant, and storytelling practices of the CHamoru people. Through his 
work as a dancer, choreographer, teacher, and cultural leader, he has 
helped ensure that future generations remain connected to their 
language, heritage, and ancestral identity. Culture survives because 
people choose to carry it forward. And few have carried the 
responsibility of cultural preservation with the same dedication, 
humility, and impact as Frank Rabon.
  His work has touched countless lives across Guam and throughout the 
CHamoru diaspora. Generations of dancers, educators, and cultural 
practitioners have learned from his teachings and continue to share 
that knowledge with pride in communities across the Mariana Islands, 
the continental United States, and beyond.
  As founder of Guma Taotao Tano', Frank Rabon helped create a space 
where culture could be lived, practiced, and passed on--not as history 
confined to books, but as a living expression of who we are as a 
people.
  His choreography and cultural leadership have represented Guam on 
international stages for decades, including the Festival of Pacific 
Arts and Culture, where he helped showcase the strength and beauty of 
CHamoru traditions to the world.
  What makes this honor especially powerful is that it recognizes 
something the people of Guam have long known: Preserving culture is 
essential work. It is the work of protecting our identity. It is the 
work of protecting language, stories, values, and traditions that 
connect generations together.
  At a time when many Indigenous traditions around the world face the 
risk of being forgotten, leaders like Frank Rabon remind us that 
culture remains strongest when it is taught, shared, and lived openly 
within the community.
  This recognition by the National Endowment for the Arts places Guam 
and the CHamoru people on a national stage and highlights the richness 
of our island's cultural heritage. Frank Rabon becomes only the second 
artist from Guam to receive this prestigious fellowship.
  For the people of Guam, this moment is a source of tremendous pride. 
We are proud of the legacy he has built. We are proud of the 
generations he has inspired. And we are proud that the traditions of 
the CHamoru people continue to be carried forward with dignity and 
excellence.
  I thank Master Frank Rabon for his lifelong dedication to our 
culture, our people, and our island. I congratulate him on this 
historic and well-deserved recognition.

                          ____________________