2019: A Year in Review
2019 was a productive year for the Guampedia team. With the addition of new interns, board members, and collaborators over the course of the year, we were equipped and ready to provide you, our visitors, with a variety of content updates, outreach events, and new projects to close out the decade. Throughout the year, our team worked to provide updates to numerous sections on the site including the addition of new science entries from our partnership with the University of Guam, the uploading of updated village photos and maps, an expansion of e-publications to include all four Marianas History Conference abstracts and links to papers, and a new section commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Guam in World War II. We brought this enthusiasm out of the website and into the public through our presence at outreach events where we were able to talk with our Guampedia visitors at the annual Chelu Organizations Chamorro Festival
in San Diego, Micronesian Island Fair, and Na’la’la: Songs of Freedom Concert about how Guampedia has impacted them and how we as a site can grow and develop even more. Our dedication to supporting the youth did not go overlooked either. We assisted students participating in the Guam History Day competition with research, judging on competition day, and training sessions with finalists going on to represent Guam in the National Competition. Our team also presented at elementary and middle schools as well as at the Boys and Girl Scouts of Guam. Even though we accomplished much this year, we won’t be slowing down anytime soon. So
much of what we do is possible because of you, our visitors. Your continued support gives us the inspiration and drive to continue our efforts to provide access to scholarly articles and so much more to anyone with the desire to learn more about the unique history and culture of the CHamoru people.
Page 2 | Guampedia Newsletter, Deccember 2019
Modern Guam Rises From The Ashes of War This year, Guampedia was awarded a grant from the Guam Preservation Trust to conduct research and accumulate resources pertaining to infrastructural, political, social, and cultural developments on Guam in the decades following the end of World War II. Through the course of the year, the Guampedia team has visited the Micronesian Area Research Center’s government archives as well as their collection of written publications to compile an accessible list of important resources that could be used for future entries. In addition, our researchers have gone out into the field to capture the first hand accounts of key figures in Guam’s reconstruction as well as regular civilians who experienced the island’s growth in their daily life.
Department of Education Endorsement As the year comes to a close, Guampedia begins a new partnership with the Guam Department of Education as an officially endorsed educational resource. Over the course of the year, the Guampedia team worked closely with GDOE teachers, administrators, and staff to obtain approval throughout three phases. During phase one of this process, the team facilitated a teacher’s workshop at the Guam Museum where we were evaluated on effectiveness
Ayuda Ham (Help Us)
“He [Base Realignment & Closure Officer] says, you know you people are the only ones in the country that want to close bases, everybody else want to keep it”
We recognize that the reconstruction of Guam meant very different things for people throughout the island. If you know of an individual over the age of eighty who would like to contribute their personal experiences from this era in Guam’s history, please send an email to guampedia@gmail.com.
Guampedia Managing Directior, RIta Nauta, with former speaker Joseph T. San Agustin at the Guam Musem
of teaching Guam history and CHamoru culture using Guampedia. This workshop received approval ratings between 83-100%. The second phase of this process was to conduct a walkthrough of the site to the Joint Board Union Curriculum Textbook Committee and obtain their approval. Guampedia passed this phase with 100% approval from the committee members. The final phase required the submission of a package proposal for Guampedia to serve as an educational resource in teaching Guam’s history and cultural heritage. WIth final approval from the Curriculum Committee, Guampedia’s endorsement
was added to the Department of Education Board meeting. As part of being an officially endorsed educational resource,Guampedia brings their information out of site and into the classrooms by conducting professional development workshops to train educators in best utilizing the site.
Page 3 | Guampedia Newsletter, Deccember 2019
Famalao’an Guåhan: Women In Guam History
In March 2019, in conjunction with National Women’s Month, Guampedia released its second printed publication, Famalao’an Guahan: Women in Guam History. This book highlights the lives of 28 women who were war survivors, community leaders, entrepreneurial pioneers, exceptional educators, and catalysts for change within the island. The tales of these aweinspiring women are forever immortalized within these pages. Special sections within the book include the historical roles of women, folktales, and a portion of the inaugural address of Guam’s
first female governor, Maga’haga Lourdes Leon Guerrero. We are happy to announce that we have just finished a second printing and have restocked this book on our online gift shop and in a few local stores. Proceeds from this book help fund further research and the creation of entries on the extraordinary lives of more women in Guam’s history. With the season of giving right around the corner, this book makes a perfect gift for any famagu’on, famalao’an or lalahi curious about our island’s dynamic history.
Gift Shop Special For the month of December, with every purchase over $50 made on our online gift shop receive a free Guampedia/UOG tote bag, on us. Check out our online gift shop and browse through our collection of local books, posters, CDs, accessories, and more!! Click here to start shopping!
Follow us on social media!
Find us on Facebook and Instagram to get more frequent updates and learn more about our history!
Page 4 Guampedia Newsletter, Deccember 2019
|
Entries For The Holiday Season
Bonelos dago on a fiesta table/ Photo Courtesy of Victor Consaga
Boñelos Dågo
Santa Marian Kamalen during the Feast of the Immaculate Conception/ Photo Courtesy of Paul E.C. Guerrero
Santa Marian Kamalen Santa Marian Kamalen, also known as Our Lady of Camarin, is the patron saint of Guam. The 300-year-old Santa Marian Kamalen statue is a revered icon, and although its origins are unknown, they are explained through oral tradition. Every year on December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated, and Guam Catholics turn out by the thousands in Hagåtña to honor Santa Marian Kamalen in a procession around the island’s capital. She is one of the most important icons in Guam’s history, religious or otherwise.
Boñelos dågo is a type of fried donut made from dågo, typically during the Christmas season. Dågo is a type of yam that is harvested during the end of the year making it a mainstay of the holidays. The whole process from harvesting to mixing to frying is rooted in traditions passed down through the generations. You’ll know Christmas is approaching when these treats find themselves on the fiesta table.
Click Here For These Full Entries And More For The Holidays Santa Marian Kamalen Recipe for Boñelos dågo Nobenan Niño History Nobena Booklet Nobena Practices Christmas Hymnals
A bilen (nativity scene) set up as part of the nobenan nino.
Nobenan Niño Every year, during the Christmas season, Catholic families gather for nine nights of devotional prayers reciting the Nobenan Niño, a nobena (novena) in honor of Christ’s birth. Families that practice this continue what – in many cases – is a long-standing tradition passed down through generations usually from mother to daughter. Preparing for the nobena may involve the construction within the household of a bilen, or nativity scene, depicting Christ’s birth. The last day of the Nobenan Niño can end on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, or on Three Kings Day. This practice serves not only as an important Catholic ritual, but also strengthens family ties and passes on CHamoru family traditions and virtues.
Felis Nåbidåt & Happy Holidays
