Women today continue to maintain positions of authority in Chamorro/CHamoru society, both at home, in Chamorro families, and in professional careers whether they are Chamorro or of other ethnic backgrounds.
The story of the two lovers who tied their hair together and leapt to their death on Guam was first recorded by French researcher Louis Claude de Freycinet in 1819. Over the years various versions of the story have come to light.
Folktale: Puntan Dos Amantes Read Post »
Protectors and providers Mens’ role in societies have always been that of protector and provider. In the Mariana Islands, a change in the level of male authority was manifested with
Che’lu is a Chamorro term for a sibling; brother or sister. Mañe’lu is the plural form of che’lu, referring to more than one sibling.
Che’lu/Mañe’lu: Siblings Read Post »
Derived from the Spanish term “soltera” for an unmarried female and “soltero” for an unmarried male, the Chamorized terms “sottera” and “sotteru” are used to describe youngsters once they have reach puberty.
Sottera/Sotteru: Teenagers Read Post »
A precise understanding of Chamorro/CHamoru concepts or designations requires a fundamental understanding of the Chamorro worldview, inafa’maolek, which is a social practice of interdependence and cooperation or of “being kind and good to one another.”
Ninana: Motherhood Read Post »
Kantan Chamorita is the contemporary name given to traditional call-and-response, impromptu verse-making. Practitioners refer to the genre as ayotte’, meaning to throw (verses) back and forth.
Puntan and Fu’una are the Chamorro/CHamoru creation gods. Puntan, a male, and Fu’una, a female, are brother and sister. The account of their creation of the world constitutes one of the most important oral histories of the CHamoru people.
Folktale: Puntan and Fu’una: Gods of Creation Read Post »
Nina (patlina) and Ninu (patlino) , meaning godmother and godfather in the Mariana Islands, respectively, are borrowed terms from the Spanish padrina and padrino. These terms are derived from Spanish Catholicism and describe the relationship between the godparents and their godchild.
Kumpaire or pari’ is a religious and social term used to describe the relationship between parents and their child’s godfather. The word kumparie was borrowed from the Spanish term compadre adapted and appropriated into CHamoru cultural tradition.
