If you walked under this arch into Ypao Park (as the locals call it) this past weekend, you could get a glimpse of Guam before the Germans, Spaniards, Japanese or even American's showed up, as well as life on the outer islands of Micronesia.
The yearly Micronesian Island Fair promotes pride and a true taste of culture past and present.
Under this beautiful Flame tree or Poinciana, next to the bamboo fence is a scaled down model of an ancient Chamorro village.
This is a
Guma Malitau, or women's hut. It is erected to honor and respect the mother and family caregiver. The mother could go here for privacy or invite other women here to converse. I have to admit I really like this idea. Every modern day home usually contains a "man cave" with a tv and computer, but the ancients had it figured out that the mom needs a space of her own, besides the bathroom, to think her own thoughts without the children arguing underfoot, without dishes or laundry, and be able to just talk with other woman.
Now this hut is the kitchen or the
Guma Fina'tinas. This is where the MEN would prepare and cook food on a small open fire. This is still very popular on Guam today. Only the hut is now a patio where the men grill all kinds of BBQ. Again the ancients were smart.... the men did the cooking everyday!
Gotta love the stone chair for the men to sit on. Guess the kitchen was their man-cave where they played with fire.
This tattooed guy in the loin cloth is Ko' San Nicolas. He prepared a whole pig and fish that he soaked in sweet tuba (fermented sap from a young coconut tree). He seasoned the meat and wrapped it in banana leaves along with breadfruit (starchy green fruit that grows on a tree here on Guam) and other root vegetables like taro (the potato of the tropics).
In his cooking pit he had volcanic rock that he had heated from burning wood. He put banana stumps over the rock, leaves and medicinal ferns, the wrapped pig & fish, and more leaves. After a few hours, the moist, fragrant steamed veggies and meat was ready.
This hut is the
Guma Chahan- another sort of kitchen. In front there is a version of a
latte stone- the rock foundation of ancient huts to elevate them from the ground and a mortar and pestle made from flat volcanic rock.
Closeup of the latte stone and clam shell. The giant shells were used as serving dishes for food like kelaguens (chopped fish or chicken cooked with citrus juices)
The mortar and pestle was used to grind roots, mash breadfruit (kon), hull rice and pound nuts to paralyze fish (so they could catch and eat them) as well as mix & grind herbs for medicine.
This is the largest hut called the
Guma Inetnon used for social gatherings and meetings.
This cute little hut is the
Guma Manha or coconut house--the smallest structure in the village. It is really enjoyable to see the men husk the coconut in 2 moves by hitting it on a sharp stick and pulling down the fibrous sides like husking corn. There is a sweet spot to hit or it won't open up.
They can grate the coconut in about 30 seconds by sitting on a small hair with a sharp end.
Finally this is the
Guma Guinaha or museum house. This is where they store the artifacts and important objects of ancestors. These shells were tied to Ifit wood by hibiscus tree rope to make a hatchet like knife to carve out tree trunks to make outrigger boats and canoes.
Also in this hut is the jewelry worn by the village chiefs and the women. The red spondylus mollusks were rare and were either strung for necklaces or used as money called
alas. The Chief's necklace, the white half moon, called a
sinahi in Chamorro, is made from clam shell. There are also bone picks that were used for function and ornamentation for the hair.
Outside the huts was this cute
carabao or water buffalo who was grazing. The Carabao is sorta an icon on Guam. They have these statues all over the island. The carabao was used for plowing and hauling goods in a wooden cart--now they are just used as tourist attractions.
The Micronesia island fair also had some great cultural dances from all the outer islands.
These palm frond bedazzled dancers were from Pohnpei. They did a version of a moonlight dance which is rare because normally the men and woman do not dance together. It is only performed on a full moon with permission by the village chief.
These dancers are also from Pohnpei. They did a stick dance with these small pieces of smooth wood in their hands that they tapped on a board.
These dancers are from the Guam Natibu Dance Academy. There has been a movement in recent years for the Chamorros of Guam to regain their culture. When the Spaniards and Japanese came through, they killed off a lot of the native men with either disease, work camps or by mass executions. They forced their culture on the Chamorros and would not let them speak their native tongue. So much of the Chamorro dance now is a mixture of Micronesian dance infused with Hawaiian hula. (Though many natives say that dance was never part of their tradition, just chanting. So, Southern High School had students do this thunderous chant to open the festival and it was amazing to hear.)
Here are the Chamorro dancers showing the Micronesian influence...
and here you can see the Hawaiian influence in the dress and delicate hand movements.
Whether it is native or not, it is fun to watch.
It was an enjoyable eclectic day: hearing music from Fiji, chants from Yap, eating fish tacos and pancit from the Philippines along with indigenous fare like black tapiaoca, seeing weaving demonstrations and reading about traditional feasting and marriages from the Marshall islands and Polynesia and Melanesian handicrafts and walking in the botanical gardens under the cool banyan trees bedecked with chinese lanterns. I loved the Palauan storyboards, Pohnpei black pearls, seeing master carver Robert Taitano, who carved our entertainment center 7 years ago, still alive and working. Guam for all its foreignness is truly a slice of America--the melting pot of all nations. Gotta love America, we take the best and celebrate it, and make it our own.
If you need a vacation in the dead of winter just around the corner--think about visiting us on our little island with tropical breezes. I am sure we can find a hammock for you to sleep on.
The yearly Micronesian Island Fair promotes pride and a true taste of culture past and present.
Under this beautiful Flame tree or Poinciana, next to the bamboo fence is a scaled down model of an ancient Chamorro village.
This is a Guma Malitau, or women's hut. It is erected to honor and respect the mother and family caregiver. The mother could go here for privacy or invite other women here to converse. I have to admit I really like this idea. Every modern day home usually contains a "man cave" with a tv and computer, but the ancients had it figured out that the mom needs a space of her own, besides the bathroom, to think her own thoughts without the children arguing underfoot, without dishes or laundry, and be able to just talk with other woman.
Now this hut is the kitchen or the Guma Fina'tinas. This is where the MEN would prepare and cook food on a small open fire. This is still very popular on Guam today. Only the hut is now a patio where the men grill all kinds of BBQ. Again the ancients were smart.... the men did the cooking everyday!
Gotta love the stone chair for the men to sit on. Guess the kitchen was their man-cave where they played with fire.
This tattooed guy in the loin cloth is Ko' San Nicolas. He prepared a whole pig and fish that he soaked in sweet tuba (fermented sap from a young coconut tree). He seasoned the meat and wrapped it in banana leaves along with breadfruit (starchy green fruit that grows on a tree here on Guam) and other root vegetables like taro (the potato of the tropics).
In his cooking pit he had volcanic rock that he had heated from burning wood. He put banana stumps over the rock, leaves and medicinal ferns, the wrapped pig & fish, and more leaves. After a few hours, the moist, fragrant steamed veggies and meat was ready. 
This hut is the Guma Chahan- another sort of kitchen. In front there is a version of a latte stone- the rock foundation of ancient huts to elevate them from the ground and a mortar and pestle made from flat volcanic rock.
Closeup of the latte stone and clam shell. The giant shells were used as serving dishes for food like kelaguens (chopped fish or chicken cooked with citrus juices)
The mortar and pestle was used to grind roots, mash breadfruit (kon), hull rice and pound nuts to paralyze fish (so they could catch and eat them) as well as mix & grind herbs for medicine.
This is the largest hut called the Guma Inetnon used for social gatherings and meetings.
This cute little hut is the Guma Manha or coconut house--the smallest structure in the village. It is really enjoyable to see the men husk the coconut in 2 moves by hitting it on a sharp stick and pulling down the fibrous sides like husking corn. There is a sweet spot to hit or it won't open up.
They can grate the coconut in about 30 seconds by sitting on a small hair with a sharp end.
Finally this is the Guma Guinaha or museum house. This is where they store the artifacts and important objects of ancestors. These shells were tied to Ifit wood by hibiscus tree rope to make a hatchet like knife to carve out tree trunks to make outrigger boats and canoes.
Also in this hut is the jewelry worn by the village chiefs and the women. The red spondylus mollusks were rare and were either strung for necklaces or used as money called alas. The Chief's necklace, the white half moon, called a sinahi in Chamorro, is made from clam shell. There are also bone picks that were used for function and ornamentation for the hair.
Outside the huts was this cute carabao or water buffalo who was grazing. The Carabao is sorta an icon on Guam. They have these statues all over the island. The carabao was used for plowing and hauling goods in a wooden cart--now they are just used as tourist attractions.
The Micronesia island fair also had some great cultural dances from all the outer islands.
These palm frond bedazzled dancers were from Pohnpei. They did a version of a moonlight dance which is rare because normally the men and woman do not dance together. It is only performed on a full moon with permission by the village chief.
These dancers are also from Pohnpei. They did a stick dance with these small pieces of smooth wood in their hands that they tapped on a board.
These dancers are from the Guam Natibu Dance Academy. There has been a movement in recent years for the Chamorros of Guam to regain their culture. When the Spaniards and Japanese came through, they killed off a lot of the native men with either disease, work camps or by mass executions. They forced their culture on the Chamorros and would not let them speak their native tongue. So much of the Chamorro dance now is a mixture of Micronesian dance infused with Hawaiian hula. (Though many natives say that dance was never part of their tradition, just chanting. So, Southern High School had students do this thunderous chant to open the festival and it was amazing to hear.)
Here are the Chamorro dancers showing the Micronesian influence...
and here you can see the Hawaiian influence in the dress and delicate hand movements.
Whether it is native or not, it is fun to watch.
It was an enjoyable eclectic day: hearing music from Fiji, chants from Yap, eating fish tacos and pancit from the Philippines along with indigenous fare like black tapiaoca, seeing weaving demonstrations and reading about traditional feasting and marriages from the Marshall islands and Polynesia and Melanesian handicrafts and walking in the botanical gardens under the cool banyan trees bedecked with chinese lanterns. I loved the Palauan storyboards, Pohnpei black pearls, seeing master carver Robert Taitano, who carved our entertainment center 7 years ago, still alive and working. Guam for all its foreignness is truly a slice of America--the melting pot of all nations. Gotta love America, we take the best and celebrate it, and make it our own.
If you need a vacation in the dead of winter just around the corner--think about visiting us on our little island with tropical breezes. I am sure we can find a hammock for you to sleep on.
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