Guampedia Newsletter, June 2020 | Page 2
CHamoru resiliency via inafa’maolek The history of the people of Guam is one characterized by an unceasing resiliency in the face of over 300 years of near insurmountable odds. This history of resiliency comes into play, once again, as we face the COVID19 pandemic. Despite being small in number, the people of Guam have survived foreign occupations, war, natural disasters, and epidemics with much of their traditional values and customs intact. This feat is due not only to the presence of key figures in CHamoru history, but more so to the values of inafa’maolek present in the CHamoru people as a whole. In the time of the Spanish era of Guam’s history, Catholic missionaries and soldiers ushered in a new religion and new patriarchal hierarchy. Rather than succumbing to this new cultural shift, the CHamorus of the day stood steadfast to their cultural values. They created the position of techa, or prayer leader, to safeguard the role of women within the new Catholic centered social structure. By the time Guam was transferred under
Manamko' are shown respect. When younger CHamorus meet manamko' they are expected to man nginge' (CHamoru way of showing respect and taking in some of that elder’s spirit and wisdom). Courtesy of David Castro/Guahan Magazine
American governance, the CHamoru people displayed their sense of community by uniting as a people to raise funds to send two delegates, Baltazar J. Bordallo and Francisco B. Leon Guerrero, to Washington DC to petition for greater self-governance on the island. During the Japanese occupation of Guam in WWII, families would open up their homes and ranches to give places of rest to others displaced by the destruction of war. This sense of community has been displayed countless times over with every instance of natural disaster to come to the island. When the thatched roof of a house was in need of repair or
From our readers Guampedia is a community-based project and would not be possible without the support of the community we serve. It is with this in mind that we introduce a "From our readers" section to highlight community perspectives shared with Guampedia. Historian for the Department of Parks and Recreation, Anthony "Malia" Ramirez has been serving as Guam's cultural ambassador for more than 50 years. This month, Ramirez shares with us insights into the articles on the Gani people of the Northern Mariana Islands and the CHamoru trade for iron featured in last Ramirez month’s newsletter: “Si Yu'us Ma'ase' for the newsletter! The articles were all very informative. The islands north of Sa'ipan are collectively known as Gani. The name place gives insights to the CHamoru reference. On Luta (Rota), there is a very beautiful place called Gagani. On a clear day, one can see northern Guahan. In the evening, one can see the lights of Andersen Air Force Base nearly 38 miles south of Luta. ‘Luluk’ (metal, iron or nail) is a pivotal CHamoru word in understanding the history of the Mariana Islands. ‘Luluk’ is a Proto-Austronesian word. Thus the CHamoru (likely*) knew of metal prior to the arrival of the Ferdinand Magellan Expedition.” *Editor’s note: Reader comments may be edited for length, accuracy and clarity.
replacement as a result of typhoon winds, the village would come together and volunteer labor, materials, and food, turning the task into a celebration of reciprocity and generosity between families. Throughout our history, the people of Guam have been able to overcome these struggles through constant practice of respect, reciprocity, and sense of community. Even today, these customs, traditions, and values shine in the most trying times of loss and struggle within the island community. Their continued presence today is testament to the resiliency of the CHamoru people despite great challenges throughout history.
June: a time for marriage The union of two people through marriage has been practiced on Guam since ancient times. Initially being a way to strengthen clan relationships and access to natural resources, CHamoru marital customs grew into a variety of meetings and celebrations. The first step of a traditional CHamoru marriage was a meeting, called the fumaisen saina, in which the groom would state his intention to marry, and the parents would either deny the proposal entirely or approve of more meetings with the groom. The second step would be for the groom’s family to hold a large celebration called the fandanggon nobiu. After approval from the bride’s godparents at this event, the
groom would gather his friends and family to journey to the bride’s home. In this journey, called the komplimentu, the groom would also be accompanied by musicians and singers. He would then present a chest of items, fruits, and flowers to the bride’s family. The end of the festivities was marked by the amotsan nobia, a small breakfast hosted by the bride’s family to honor the union and accept the groom’s proposition of marriage. While these exact rituals are rarely performed on Guam today, marriage festivities on Guam celebrate not only husband and wife, but also the forming of new relationships between families and the strengthening of existing relationships within them.
