Hafa Adai! Welcome to
INARAJAN (chamorro:Inalåhan) The village is located on the southeast coast of island. The original Chamorro name, was changed during the Spanish control of the island. The village discovery was said to be established during 1521. Today, it is the best known for the preservation of the culture and history of the Spanish era. It’s population is estimated to be 3,052. It’s governed by elected village Mayor.
PLACES OF INTEREST Statue of Chief Gadao Gef Pago Chamorro Village Chief Gadao’s Cave St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Historic Baptist Church Ruins Salagula Pools Bear Rock Historic Village Architecture
STATUE OF CHIEF GADAO Chief Gadao as legend says outsmarted a Tumon Chief who came to challenge him to prove who is stronger. The test of strength was to row a canoe in opposite directions thus tearing the canoe in half. The statue of Chief Gadao rowing his half of the canoe back to Inarajan is proof who won that test and still stands at the entrance to the village.
GEF PAGO CHAMORRO VILLAGE Gef Pago Cultural Village in the main village. Thatched huts are popular attractions for all. The island’s past is demonstrated here to include the culture, food, and dances.
CHIEF GADAO CAVE Gadao’s Cave located at the entrance to the bay, in an area called Guaifan. It is a cave of ancient pictographs of stick figure people, of which is well-known on Guam and is often used as cultural icons.
ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH Inarajan celebrates two fiestas, one in March in honor of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, and another in May to honor St. Joseph, the Worker. It is the burial site of Fr. Jesus Baza Duenas, a martyr who was one of the two Chamorro priest beheaded in Tai, Mangilao during World War II.
ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH (continued) St. Joseph’s Catholic Church is named after the village’s patron saint of San Jose or St. Joseph and established in the late 1680. The statue according to oral tradition was brought to Guam by the Spanish. The statue was intended to be brought to Umatac, but, a storm stopped the ship to enter and instead landed in Inarajan where it remains today. It has been rebuilt several times and stands in the center of the village.
BAPTIST CHURCH RUINS Historical Baptist Church Ruins was initially constructed in the early 1900’s next to the Gef Pa’go Cultural village along the bay beside the statue of the legendary Chief Gadao.
SALAGULA POOLS Salaglula Pools is located at the south side of the main village.
BEAR ROCK Bear Rock sits at the edge of Agfayan Bay is a natural rock formation. At certain angles the shape looks like the shape of a bear. Older residents call it “Lasso’ Gi’ani,” which means male genitalia.
HISTORIC VILLAGE ARCHITECTURE Historic Homes still today almost all carry the details of the Spanish architecture. Details carry on the tradition of the “bodega”, a storage area and the pitched roof.
EXISTING HISTORIC HOMES
BRIEF HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION The village retains many of the traditional ways. Few outsiders and few modern structures is built. It is known as the Spanish-style architecture. A drive through the village one can see the history in its old houses. The village was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
Continued The village is divided into sections: Lada, Belen, Peca, Chagamin Lago, Se’se’ and Tinaga. Main village also houses the public health center, UOG agricultural experiment station, senior citizen’s center, fire station #16, public works bus satellite station, US post office and wastewater treatment plant.
THE END Inarajan slide show prepared by Andrew Rios