Land, lineage, traditions, and legacies
A maga’håga was the first born, high ranking (of the matua caste) female head of a CHamoru clan, a role inherited through her maternal lineage. Manmaga’håga (female leaders of a clan) and manmaga’låhi (male leaders of the clan) societal status and consideration varied, depending on the productivity of their clan’s land, ocean resources and manpower.
Maga’håga: Highest Ranking Daughter Read Post »
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 »
Permission to use from Dipåttamenton i Kaohao Guinahan CHamoru. Leblon Numiru, Government of Guam. Department of Education, Hagåtña, Guam.
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.
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 »
Åntes di finañågu The pattera (nurse midwife) and suruhånu (traditional doctor) played important roles in the Chamorro/CHamoru society, especially when it came to pre-birth-to-birth events in the family. They assumed
