025. Healing Tides x Kutturan CHamoru Foundation: Lessons from Three Decades of Chamorro Community Building with Heidi Quenga

In today’s episode, I get to sit down with Heidi Quenga, a cultural leader, advocate, and the driving force behind Kutturan CHamoru Foundation (KCF), the oldest Chamorro dance house outside the Mariana Islands. We talk about what it means to sustain a grassroots, tuition-free community for 33 years and counting, and how that journey is so much more than just keeping the doors open.Heidi shares her story of growing up away from her ancestral home and how that longing for belonging led her to become a bridge for generations hungry for culture and connection. We laugh about bringing great-grandmothers and great-grandkids together in class, and get real about what keeps us showing up even in times of contraction, when resources are tight and energy is low.We also dive into another side of leadership: ancestor guidance and why every gathering, whether it’s preparing for a dance festival, organizing a fundraiser, or just making fried rice, is an offering.This conversation is an invitation to remember that healing, culture, and clarity don’t happen in isolation. They bloom when we welcome each other fully, grow through generations, and honor the wisdom that lives in our roots and rituals. I hope KCF's journey brings you hope and clarity, whether you’re starting, leading, or just longing to belong. Pause and ask: What’s possible for me, right now?About Our Guest:Heidi Chargualaf-Quenga is a highly respected cultural leader and advocate dedicated to preserving Chamorro and Pacific Islander heritage. She has serves as the tenured Executive Director of the Kutturan CHamoru Foundation (KCF), a tuition-free 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Long Beach, California, since 1993, advancing Chamorro culture through music, dance, language, and peer mentoring rooted in the Mariånå Islands. She is the first Pacific Islander to receive a California Arts Council Artist-In-Residence and holds the title of Fafa’någue (Certified CHamoru Cultural Instructor). Heidi also serves as Vice President of the Pacific Islander Health Partnership and Steering Committee Member for the SoCal Pacific Islander Community Response Team. Kutturan CHamoru Foundation is the oldest Guma' (CHamoru Dance house) outside the Mariana Islands and the oldest in the Continental US.Where to find KCF, Kutturan CHamoru Foundation:Website: https://kutturanchamoru.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kutturanchamorufoundation/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/KutturanChamoruFoundation/Website: https://www.malayasolutions.comBook a consult for private coaching: https://tidycal.com/malayame/private-consultBook a consult for team coaching: https://tidycal.com/malayame/team-coaching-consultInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/patti.malaya/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patriciadayleg/Newsletter :https://malaya.myflodesk.com/podcast