The ancient CHamorus who were skilled at canoe building and navigation were called agad’na. Early European accounts regularly marveled at these CHamoru vessels, William Dampier.
Agad’na: Canoe Builders Read Post »
Native dance of the CHamoru people was only vaguely described by early visitors to the Mariana Islands. The Jesuit annual report for 1669 to 1670 provides a rare description of a women’s dance.
Matatnga is defined as “strong personality or fearless.” Chief Hurao, a CHamoru leader during the Spanish-CHamoru wars in the late 1600s, was the living embodiment of the word.
Matatnga: Fearless Read Post »
The CHamoru expression inafa’ maolek (making it good for each other) expresses a core CHamoru value. A life of harmony is taken to be the highest form of human achievement by the CHamoru people.
Taotaomo’na, the people of before, refers to ancestral spirits that inhabited the earth along with the living. Ancient Chamorros/CHamorus believed the world around them was full of spirits who provided both daily protection and assistance in their tasks, but also created dangers and problems.
Interpretive essay: Striving for harmony is the foundation to CHamoru culture. The phrase inafa’ maolek (pronounced e-na-fah mao-lek) describes the CHamoru concept of restoring harmony or order. The literal translation is ‘to make’ (inafa’) ‘good’ (maolek).
Inafa’maolek: Striving for Harmony Read Post »
Ma uritao, an ancient CHamoru term used before Christianity was introduced to the CHamoru people, describes young unmarried women who resided at the Guma’ uritao (bachelor’s house) to sexually train young men as a part of their education to become men.
When Chamorro/CHamoru males reached puberty during ancient times, they were sent to live at the Guma’ Uritao, a house for bachelors. The bachelors would live at the Guma’ Uritao of their mother’s family. There were one or two Guma’ Uritao in every village.
I mangguma’ uritao, men’s houses, were houses for young CHamoru men in the Mariana Islands from ancient times until the late 1600s (‘I’ means ‘the’; ‘man’ makes the term plural). CHamoru youth were expected to model and actively learn the skills of being men and women from their elders.
Fouha Bay, located just north of Humåtak on Guam’s southern west coast at the mouth of Fua River, holds thousands of years of meaningful history. It is one of many sites CHamorus believe to be spiritually powerful.
Fouha Bay: Cradle of Creation Read Post »
