Atlas Pittoresgue, Paris 1841. Le Breton/Guam Public Library SystemThe Chamorro population dropped from around 50,000 in the late 1500's to 3,500 in 1705. The culture of the Marianas Islands, including Tinian, Saipan, Rota, and Guam, reflects traditional Chamorro customs in a combination of indigenous pre-Hispanic forms, as well as American, Filipino, Spanish and Mexican traditions.
The Chamorro possessed a strong matriarchal society and it was through the power and prestige of the women, and the failure of the Spanish overlords to recognize this fact, that much of the Chamorro culture, including the language, music, dance, and traditions have survived to this day. Souder, Laura Torres. Chamorro Culture. On Guam a Chamorro rights movement has developed since the United States gained control of the island. The history of the Chamorro people in this area dates back 4,000 to 4,500 years, when seafaring peoples migrated from Southeast Asia and settled in the Marianas. Le Breton/Guam Public Library SystemWomen at an Umatac graveside paying their respects. For example, farmers on Guam often plant tuber crops such as According to early Chamorro legend, the world was created by a twin brother and sister, Puntan and Fu'uña.Father Pierre Coomans wrote of the practice among Chamorro women of teeth blackening/dental lacquering (also a widespread custom in ancient Traditional beliefs among the Chamorro include tales of During the Spanish Colonial Era, the Chamorro population was greatly reduced by the introduction of European diseases and changes in society as well as all out war under Spanish rule. Influence from the German era in the Northern Marianas is most visible in the form of certain given names and family surnames. The artist, date, and expedition is unknown. This blog is intended to provide Chamorro language and cultural resources, tips, and information to those who are researching the Marianas. Atlas Pittoresgue, Paris 1841. People get their food from the natural environment through practices of food collection, farming, and the hunting or raising of animals. Chamorro Language & Culture Chamorro is the name of the indigenous language and ethnicity native to the Mariana Islands. An award winning genealogical resource with searchable databases, free Web space, mailing lists, message boards, and more.The Chamorro population dropped from around 50,000 in the late 1500's to 3,500 in 1705. Chamorros and other Micronesians constitute about half the population.Spanish colonial records show that Chamorro farmers planted seeds according to the phases of the Moon.
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In addition to the indigenous Chamorros and 'stateside' Americans, Guam boasts large populations of Filipinos, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, and Micronesian Islanders, as well as a few Vietnamese, Indians, and Europeans.Our island has been enjoying a steady population growth. In recorded history, the Chamorro people have, as a community experienced traumatic periods that remain unresolved (Pier, 1998).
Chamorro culture today is a blend of indigenous and Spanish customs with splashes of American and Japanese influence. Ancient Chamorros believe in honoring their ancestors and this practice continues to the present.
de Sainson, 1830-33. In 1986 USA acquired the List of resources about traditional arts and culture of Oceania Located in the Western Pacific in the geographic region known as Micronesia, Guam is well known for its strategic military and economic position between Asia and the North American continent, but is less known for its remarkable history and resilient people.Inhabited for thousands of years archaeological evidence indicates that the Marianas Islands were one of the first places to be settled by seafaring peoples, possibly from Island Southeast Asia, over 4000 years ago. Apart from Chamorro culture has over the years acquired noticeable influences from Spanish, Mexican, American, Japanese and Filipino cultures, as well as the presence of fellow Oceanic (mostly Diabetes and heart disease have become increasingly common among the indigenous population as well as among non-indigenous Oceanic people living in the Marianas, particularly the Carolinian Among the 56 states and territories of the United States, the Mariana Islands have the highest rate of religious self-identification, with a combined percentage of only 1.75% of the population (Guam at 2.5% and the CNMI at just 1%) Chamorro cuisine is influenced by various cultures. The island was once again assaulted by the United States to recover Guam from the Japanese, but what followed was more destructive than any of action… In the shadow of the trees, in the electrical discharge of the savanna grass (which during the sultry nights and storms are frequent), in the moonlight over the forest clearing, they see ghosts. Leaders of the movement seek to return ancestral lands to the Chamorro people, and attain Pre-colonial society in the Marianas was based on a caste system, "Chamori" being the name of the ruling, highest caste.After Spain annexed and conquered the Marianas, the caste system eventually became extinct under Spanish rule, and all of the indigenous residents of the archipelago eventually came to be referred to by the Spanish Some people theorize that Spanish definitions of the word "Chamorro" played a role in its being used to refer to the island's indigenous inhabitants. He was never exposed to indigenous forms of dance until he went to college in the United States. Chamorro, the native people of Guam.Numbering about 50,600 in the late 20th century, they are of Indonesian stock with a considerable admixture of Spanish, Filipino (based on Tagalog), and other strains. However, there has been a resurgence of interest in reviving the language, and all public schools on both Guam and the Northern Marianas are now required by law to teach the Chamorro language as part of the elementary, middle, and high school curriculum. Today, Guam has a diverse population that enjoys a rich, multicultural, modern and urban lifestyle, yet continues to carry the indigenous spirit, language and culture of its people.We use cookies to improve your experience and to analyze the use of our website. By 1700, just 5,000 Chamorros — some 10 percent of their former number—remained.