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Slingstones
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.
Marriage Traditions
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.
Prebirth
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 the roles of both doctors and midwives throughout the woman’s pregnancy, and made frequent visits to the home. At this time, they prepared special herbal […]
Pre-Historic Pottery of Guam
The Mariana Islands has a history of pottery-making that is more than 3,500 years long. The first people to arrive in the Mariana Islands apparently had brought with them pottery-making skills; the broken remains of their pots, called sherds, have been found at archaeological sites dating back to circa 3,500 BP
Ahu: Recipe
Sweet coconut dumpling soup dessert Ingredients Boil water and add sugar. Extract coconut meat from shell and grind into chunk-sized pieces. Add tapioca starch to coconut meat and mix thoroughly. Slowly add coconut mixture to the pot of boiling sugar water, stirring constantly. Allow contents to reach a rolling boil and then immediately remove the […]
Slingstones: Weapons
The signature weapon of the ancient Chamorro/CHamoru warrior, slingstones of various sizes were sharpened at both ends and hurled from a sling with deadly force in combative times. Slingstones were also used for hunting birds.
On The Question of Tattoo by Ancestral CHamorus
Interpretive essay: No evidence of CHamoru tattoo from ancient times. Tattoo is often thought to have been a universal cultural practice in the Pacific islands. However, that probably isn’t true. Archaeologists have found no evidence that the CHamoru people of the Mariana Islands used tattoo.
Latte’s Significance
The latte is a manmade construct carved from limestone or basalt that was used as a foundation for a shelter against the elements or as a structure which may have represented a sacred place. The latte was constructed and used by the CHamorus throughout the Mariana Islands during the Latte Period from 1,000 Before Present (BP) to 500 years BP.
Karabao: Water Buffalo
Karabao or carabao are water buffalo introduced to Guam from the Philippines during the Spanish occupation (1668 – 1898) for farming. In and since colonial times, the picture of this animal pulling a two-wheeled cart has evolved into one of the most vivid visual images of the collective social imagination of the CHamorus that recalls that era.
Mestizo (Mestisu)
During Spanish colonial rule in the Marianas, the term mestizo (mestisu in CHamoru) referred to a person of mixed parentage. In its original context, as it was used in the Philippines, the term mestizo, denoted people who were of mixed Chinese and Spanish descent.