CULTURE
The Chamoru
culture is visually manifested in dances, sea navigation, unique
cuisines, games {batu, chonka, estuleks and bayogu}, songs and
fashion influenced by the transmigration of peoples from other
lands. Prior to being an American Territory in 1898, Guam was
colonized by Spain from 1521 which, in order to preserve the
lucrative Spanish galleon trade routes, almost exterminated
the original inhabitants of Guam. The culture endured nontheless
through the survival of the Chamoru language.
The Spanish policy was one of conquest and conversion to 'save'
the 'heathen' souls by eliminating Guam's indigenous male warriors
through war and displacing them from their islands. Rather than
ending the Chamorro culture, they ignored that the Chamorro culture
was matrilineal. The strength and fortitude of the Chamorro women
- the matriarchs - "I Maga Hagas", successfully kept continuous
the indigenous culture and traditions, in the face of everwhelming
attempts by foreign forces {through the imposition of a foreign
language} to expunge it.
The core culture or Kostumbren Chamoru is comprised of complex
social protocol centered upon respect: From the kissing of the
hands of the elders, passing of legends, chants, courtship rituals,
canoemaking, making of the Belembautuyan {a string musical instrument},
fashioning of slings and slingstones, spear and tool manufacture,
burial rituals, preparation of herbal medicines by suruhanas,
to a person requesting forgiveness from spiritual ancestors when
entering a jungle. These "invisible ceremonies" as coined by Cecilia
Perez, an indigenous Poet, are often bypassed in the scholarly
and leisurely search for authentic visual island culture.
Specialized weavings include plaited work (coconut and pandanus
leaf baskets, mats, bags, food containments and hats), loom-woven
material (hibiscus and banana fiber skirts, belts and burial shrouds),
body ornamentation (bead and shell necklaces, bracelets, earrings,
belts and combs made from tor toise shells).
Historian Lawrence Cunningham in 1992 wrote, "In a Chamorro sense,
the land and its produce belong to everyone. Inafa'maolek, or
interdependence, is the key, or central value, in Chamorro culture
... Inafa'maolek depends on a spirit of cooperation. This is the
armature, or core, that everything in Chamorro culture revolves
around. It is a powerful concern for mutuality rather than individualism
and private property rights."
"The
very essence of inafa'maolek is compassion. It's about
caring, accepting and helping one another with open hearts and
open minds. Inafa'maolek is the inner strength and the
treasure of our families and our island community. We live it
daily, the warmth, the generosity, the deep and abiding respect
for our elders. It lives in the hearts of our people." Gov.
Carl Gutierrez Feb. 14, 2000.
"Reciprocity,
I believe, is (also) the foundation of the Chamoru culture. It
underlies the various cultural aspects of:
Chinchule - Present (money), donation, thing that is given away,
gift to institutions, relatives, or strangers who are perceived
to be in need.
Ika - gift given to the family of a deceased person. The receiving
of ika carries with it an obligation that the recipient will reciprocate
to the donor at a later date.
Respetu - respect, veneration, reverence.
Ayuda Familia - help, aid, assist, succor, to extended family
as a duty with no questions asked. A form of family love. Example,
for thousands of years Chamorus celebrate fiestas whereupon by
duty, extended families contribute food and man hours to cook
dishes for the village guests. Another example is raising a baby
to adulthood whereby entire relatives participate and view themselves
as actual parents to the baby. This shows how civilized the Ancient
chamorrus really were." Richard Wyttenbach-Santos Nov 1999.
Father Luis de Sanvitores, in the late 1660s wrote: "...they incorporated
into their traditions that all lands and men and all things had
their origins in their land, and that all had first come forth
from a part of the island of Guam, which was first a man, and
then a stone, which gave birth to all men, and from there they
scattered to Spain, and other parts. They add that when others
parted from their people and origin they forgot their language
..."
"There
is an old Chamorro proverb, "I erensia, lina'la', espiritu-ta,"
which means "Our heritage gives life to our spirit." Michael Phillips.
Guam is promoted among travellers for its modern conveniences.
It is sold as a point of familiarity or exploration for those
seeking contact with American popular culture. Peoples from other
Island nations have recently migrated to Guam as a result of the
breakup of the U.S. Trusteeship of Micronesia and bring with them
cultures from their homelands. This is evidenced in the Guam Visitors
Bureau slogan that promotes Guam as the "Gateway to Micronesia".
[Source:
www.gov.gu]
