Guampedia is a non-profit affiliate of the University of Guam with operations funded by the Government of Guam’s Tourism Attraction Fund.
Culture of Connecting A New Way to Reach the Community In response to the new realities shaped by the global pandemic, the profound crisis sweeping around the world, and the sobering reminder that many of Guam’s World War II survivors have since passed on, Guampedia and the University of Guam, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences with the support of Dr. James Viernes, at the University of Hawai`i Manoa, Baltazar Aguon, and Jay Castro, partnered to produce a virtual community outreach program series; “Culture of Connecting.” During these trying times we look to our past to seek the wisdom and experiences of our mañaina, to navigate the uncharted, and often, uncertain waters of our future. And what better place to cultivate this culture of connecting, than in the kusinan sanhiyong, or the outside kitchen. If you grew up in the Marianas, you’ll know the kusina served as an anticipated gathering place for families. As you sat at the table in the back kitchen, more than just meals were shared - stories and family matters as well. To this day, it serves as a space for connecting and sharing the CHamoru way! In this program, we invited 14 people across all generations and from different walks of life to take part in a virtual kusinan sanhiyong to speak to the experiences of their elders; highlighting the skills, resources, and cultural values that they used to survive amidst the struggles of war. The program was broken up into four sessions, each focusing on a different aspect of the CHamoru experience: Fanhasso:
War for Guam, Culture & Values in Crisis, Lancho: Survival and Sustainability, and Our Island, Our History: Commemorating and Connecting. Participation in this virtual back kitchen was made available to the public as well to comment on the stories of our panelists and create even more meaningful discussion. Within our CHamoru culture is a deep reverence for our mañaina. Even after they have passed on, we call upon their spirits for protection and guidance. Through hearing the stories of those before, we become inspired to take action in our own lives as well. We ourselves make history every day, making stories that we can pass on and share. Studying history gives the experiences of our people continuity, and connects us through the stories of a shared past. By recentering Guam’s World War II narrative to the perspectives of our mañaina, we bring to light their enduring spirit of resilience that shaped Guam’s history in the rebuilding and recovery after the war. The recordings of three of these sessions are available in our Culture of Connecting collection on our Vimeo page. The hour long sessions have been broken up into smaller videos that highlight each individual speaker. These small vignettes are perfect for classroom screenings or leisure watching. Click on the images on the right to explore the topics discussed and views shared in each session.
Page 2 | Guampedia Newsletter, October 2020
Cultural Practitioner Profiles Body Ornamentation Julie “Jill” Quichocho Benavente is a traditional and contemporary CHamoru body ornamentation artist. Benavente has been creating and carving from local materials such as hima, spondylus, stone, cow bone, and wild boar tusks for over 15 years. As a traditional CHamoru jewelry artist, Benavente gradually established herself in this male-dominated art form of the 1990s. Benavente’s commonly commissioned and produced piece includes the men’s traditional sinåhi pendant made of hima with a full strand of cone shells. Benavente, fondly referred to as “Mama Jill” by younger artists and friends, provides many artists with a place to work, gives advice on design, instruction on technique and tool use, consultation on finishing, and even provides a recycled shipping
container for housing art pieces. On October 21, 2014, Benavente was awarded the prestigious title “Sainan Minehalom Manlasgue-Adotnon I Tatåotao,” or Master CarverBody Ornamentation from Guam Council of the Arts and Humanities for her role in passing on knowledge of her craft to young apprentices. Today, Benavente owns and operates a cultural shop, “Guinahan Chamoru” (What CHamorus Have), located at Sagan Kuttoran Chamoru in Ipao Point. Benavente’s jewelry is also available for purchase and mail delivery through Guampedia’s online gift shop. Click here to view Benavente’s artist profile on Guampedia and click here to shop for her pieces on Guampedia’s gift shop.
Traditional Healing Rosalia “Mama Chai” Fejeran Mateo Torres has been a practicing yo’åmte ( traditional healer) on the island of Guam for over 60 years. Torres’ journey to practice traditional healing began when she was just a young mother and her daughter had fallen ill. Torres took her daughter to yo’åmte Regina Terlaje, and through her healing, made a full recovery. To repay Tan Regina for her help,Torres continued to help Tan Regina’s practice by gathering and preparing the herbs needed to treat other clients who sought Tan Regina for healing. Tan Regina recognized this sincere, genuine care and commitment and offered Torres to apprentice at the age of 19. Torres worked closely with Tan Regina until Tan Regina was satisfied with the skills and knowledge she acquired. Sixty-four years later, Torres continues the practice of traditional healing as a yo’åmte. Her skills in healing have served countless
people in the community, from sick children to stroke patients, who on numerous occasions, have regained greater mobility as a result of seeing her. In 2014, Torres joined the Haya Foundation to help promote and perpetuate the healing tradition by helping those in need and apprenticing those interested. In 2016, she helped create “Haya Foundation’s Guma Yo’amte at Sagan Kotturan Chamorro” Guam’s first traditional healing center in Oka, Tamuning. In 2019 alone, Torres herself served over 1400 clients. Despite the challenges of this COVID-19 pandemic, Torres continues to serve the island in a limited way through over-the-phone consultation and traditional medicine preparation. Torres can be reached at (671) 727-6799. Click here to view the Haya Foundation’s website and here to read up on the history of traditional healing on Guam.
Page 3 | Guampedia Newsletter, October 2020
New Features on Guampedia Gift Shop
Momoko Mary Koyama Halstead is the artist, designer, and owner of SPN.dylus670, a modernized cultural jewelry collection using spondylus shells. She is the first cultural producer from the Northern Mariana Islands to be featured in the Guampedia online gift shop. Halstead was born and raised on Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. She is a mother of three beautiful daughters who serve as her main motivations in life. Halstead’s passion for the arts and culture are ever-present in her work as she creates designs suitable for all ages so that one may, “take a piece of home wherever you may go.” Halstead lives by the phrase “everything happens for a reason.” In high school, she was encouraged to join the Tasi and Ali’i’s Polynesian dance group by one of their musicians, the late Faaea “Uncle Tala” Talalemotu. Although hesitant at first, the words of Uncle Tala to “just try it out and if you don’t like it, just quit,” persuaded her to join. Halstead fell in love with the art form and has continued this love of dance for over 15 years, eventually becoming a team leader herself within the group. Halstead would enroll herself in the Northern Marianas College, taking classes by day and working as a cultural dancer for dinner shows by night. She obtained an Associate of Arts Degree with an emphasis in Education, becoming a special education teacher-aide at Kagman High School in Saipan, working to make a positive impact on her students through the
As the safer-at-home orders continue on Guam, and the holiday season just around the corner, Guampedia would like to take this time to showcase our online giftshop. You can safely browse through our collection of books, posters, jewelry, and more. To help connect our MicrONEsia region, we’ve been working towards building more educational content of the region over the last several years. In the midst of the region’s tourism industry shutdown as a result of the
education of school curriculum and life skills. Despite an already busy schedule as a teacher, dancer, and mother of three, Halstead began a new hobby in jewelry making after spontaneously purchasing a used Dremel, a power tool used for grinding; sanding; and polishing, at a garage sale. Halstead started small by making pieces from spondylus shells to give as gifts to friends and family. In no time, the demand for her jewelry increased and she opened her business, SPN.dylus670, earning her respect as both an entrepreneur and artist. Halstead keeps with her love of art and culture through her continued practices in dance and jewelry making. She continues to share her love of art through each piece of jewelry she makes and no longer has any hesitation to start something new, knowing she can “just quit” and move on to the next adventure. Click here to browse through her selection of modernized spondylus jewelry designs and click here to follow her Instagram page @SPN.dylus670.
Covid-19 pandemic, we are also working towards providing authors, artists and cultural producers in the region the opportunity to showcase their products in Guampedia’s virtual giftshop. In this issue we feature our first artist from Saipan, T.A.S.A. organization’s launch into social enterprise, and a wife & husband team producing island themed face masks - a new “essential.” We welcome Eulalia Villagomez Arriola, who will be coordinating this new and ecxiting effort! Click here to explore our virtual gift shop!
Continued on next page
Guampedia Newsletter, October 2020
|
Page 4
Continued from previous page
and a secure handle! Founded in 2010, TASA is a local non-profit, 501C-3 organization. One of TASA’s key objectives is to share and exchange knowledge and create opportunities for the continued revitalization and Click on the titles to view the full lesson promotion of the CHamoru and overarching Micronesian seafaring Learning Research tradition. Revitalization takes a community of stakeholders across In an effort to sustain their Methods island cultures, that have been organization’s ongoing education Subjects: Grade Levels: programs, Traditions Affirming Our entrusted with the ancient wisdom and a passion for traditional Seafaring Ancestry (TASA), has 3rd & Up Social Studies voyaging. The regional seafaring embarked on a social enterprise and History just in time for the holiday season. community has been growing over the last 40 years. Long live the Based at the traditional canoe Our Chants navigators! house at the Paseo de Susana While these products are not yet park in Hagåtña, while refurbishing Subjects: Grade Levels: available on our virtual gift shop, and building canoes, members are also using their skills to create follow Guampedia’s instagram, 4th & Up Music, English, @guampedia, to stay updated. “made-to-order” gifts! You can Social Studies, choose between scaled replicas of In the meantime, orders can be Micronesia’s distinct single-hulled placed directly to TASA by emailing and CHamoru them at bevannguam@gmail.com. canoes, from the open ocean Re-Imagining sakmån complete with a woven pandanus sail, to the smaller History vessel, galaide, used inside the reef with a wooden paddle. TASA Subjects: Grade Levels: is also prepared to accept special orders for a full-sized hand-carved 6th & Up English, Social wood paddle that can be used as Studies, History designed or can serve as a great and Art display and conversation piece! Besides wood carving, traditional Physics of a seafarers are also very skilled at rope lashing. TASA can give your Slingstone favorite kulo an intricate lashing that also provides extra protection
EDUCATORS CORNER
Subjects:
Science and Physics
Grade Levels:
6th & Up
Differing News Reports
Subjects: Jurel Bennett and his wife, Lindsey Bennett are the owners of Pacific Face Masks. The two created their company in May of 2020 in response to the region’s need for high quality face coverings. These masks provide the potential for standard protection of any face covering once fitted with a filter, and are designed to reflect the style of the island. These masks are durable enough to be machine washed and reused. Click here to browse through their selection of face mask designs.
Social Studies, History, and Langauge Arts
Grade Levels:
6th & Up Click here to view the full list of lesson plans
Guampedia is looking to expand its virtual gift shop to include even more authors and artists promoting the MicrONEsia culture. If you are interested in partnering with us, send us an email at guampedia. giftshop@gmail.com!
