Ambrosio Torres Shimizu (1909 – 1988) is well known on Guam for he and his family’s success in business. His Japanese father, Jose Katsuji Shimizu, moved to the Mariana Islands in the early 1900s and has been credited for making rice a staple food on Guam.
Ambrosio Torres Shimizu Read Post »
When the US established a military government in Guam in 1899 it became clear that the costs of administering Guam would be high. The US military government renewed the efforts started by the Spanish government to establish an agricultural economy on the island.
Early American Economic History Read Post »
Guam’s banking history began during what is known in the banking world as the Pacific’s Concessionary Era that ran from 1900 to 1945.
Ancient Chamorro/CHamorus were avid hunters both on land and sea. They developed many methods of eguihan (fishing), ranging from etupak (line fishing), lagua’ (net fishing), fisga (long spears used), stupefying fish with puting (sap), training them with a poiu or pugi (a chumming device) to lure in fish by feeding them from the depths into shallower waters then captured.
Pumeska: Hunters on Land and Sea Read Post »
In the Mariana Islands, the techa is the traditional prayer leader who directs and recites the prayers and hymns for various religious activities within the Catholic Church, including rosaries or lisayo, novenas or nobena, and other devotions and special occasions.
Techa: Traditional Prayer Leader Read Post »
The nobena, or novena, is a series of devotional prayers said over the course of nine days that are associated with the various feasts of the Catholic Church year. The purpose of a novena is to make a particular request through the intercession of the honoree for whom the novena is named.
Nobena: Novena (Catholic Devotional Prayers) Read Post »
Every human culture recognizes and accepts death as a natural part of life. Rituals, though, are often used by a society to sanctify death and help give closure to those experiencing the loss of a loved one.
Bela: Wake or Vigil Read Post »
Although death is an occasion for grief, the CHamorus consider it as a chance for the extended family throughout the island to gather and pray for the repose of the spirit of the difunto, or deceased male, or difunta, or deceased female.
Slingstones were used as weapons by ancient CHamoru warriors. Slingstones are stones of various sizes sharpened at both ends and hurled from a sling with deadly force in combative times.
In ancient CHamoru society, the clan leaders arranged marriages. Women did not marry men in their clan since marriage was a chance to improve clan status and increase influence in gaining hunting, fishing and farming rights in other clan districts.
Marriage Traditions Read Post »
