Chamorro's Cultural Survival

Cultural Survival of the Chamorro

"For several centuries cultural and racial influences from Spain and the New World, as well as from the Philippines and the Orient, have met upon this small island of Guam. By the end of the 19th century many of these influences had fused with the native culture into a new pattern and with the native stock into a mixed racial type. The physical character of the people of Guam and also their mode of life had been profoundly altered, but once again they had achieved a relatively integrated cultural development. 
Then came a new disturbance. The American naval regime was established and strong influences from the United States began to be felt. American schools and sanitation were established and Western industry was stimulated. However, the Chamorro ethos,deep-rooted in home and Church, remained essentially unchanged. 

• Gradually,however, the ideals of American democracy as taught in the public schools are beginning to disturb that bulwark of tradition. Individuals are becoming self-conscious and serious conflict in politics, economics, social and religious life are arising....." By Thompson, Laura
• There is a real fear that Chamorros will cease to exist as an identifiable and distinct cultural group. There is a real fear that current social and economic trends do not actively involve them and that Chamorros will become a permanent underclass in their homeland. There are already signs of this emerging reality in the demographics of educational underachievement, the nature of the prison population, and the rate of outmigration. 

• One concern among the Chamorro society is the eventual loss of their language and culture in today's modern Chamorro society. As the number of Chamorros living outside

  

  http://guam.stripes.com/travel/
  park-offers-glimpse-guam%E2%80%99s-glorious-past

  of their homeland Guam keeps increasing, the concerns of the Chamorro and their cultural lost is also intensifying. In addition to the migration of Chamorros from their home island, there is also the rapid and intense force of change created by "Americanization" of the island. The economic, social, and political conditions of the islands had practically eradicated the language and cultural institutions among the Chamorros. Existing language use is minimal and cultural traditions and practices have been greatly modified. On the other hand, many of the Chamorro communities in the fifty states continue to observe and practice their Chamorro cultural traditions. 

In order to safe their language the Chamorro people have started different language preservation programs and hope to at least safe their language as English is becoming the main language of the island. Also different festivals to preserve the culture of Chamorro are also organized every year. 

Here is also a website I found, which describes how the Chamorro people try to keep the culture alive. Check it out! It is fascinating!  http://guam.stripes.com/travel/park-offers-glimpse-guam%E2%80%99s-glorious-past

http://filipinonurses.org/2011/12/
poea-opportunities-await-filipino-nurses-in-2012/

(http://www.chelusd.org/
  EVENTS/2013/CCF/ChamorroDay1F_web.jpg)      

Here is a great video I just found that explains how the Chamorro people are trying to safe their culture and store their core values!----->  http://www.iamchamorro.com/blogs/videos/9332055-i-am-chamorro-official-trailer-promo-video

References

References

• Websites:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guam
2. http://guampedia.com/origin-of-guam%E2%80%99s-indigenous-people/
3. http://guampedia.com/chamorro-migration-to-the-u-s/
4. http://guampedia.com/utak-itak/
5. http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Guam.html#Comments_15

• Academic journal articles:

1. http://www2.cedarcrest.edu/academic/bio/jcigliano/consbio/BrownTreeSnake.pdf 
2. Santos-Bamba, Sharleen J.Q. "The Literate Lives of Chamorro Women in Modern Guam." ProQuest LLC (2010). ERIC. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.
3. Perez, Michael P. "Colonialism, Americanization, And Indigenous Identity: A Research Note On Chamorro Identity In Guam." Sociological Spectrum 25.5 (2005): 571-591. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.
4. Misco, Thomas, and Lena Lee. "Multiple & Overlapping Identities The Case Of Guam." Multicultural Education 20.1 (2012): 23-32. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.

• Books:

1. Thompson, Laura. Guam and Its People; a Study of Culture Change and Colonial Education. San Francisco: American Council, Institute of Pacific Relations, 1941. Print. 
2. Cunningham, Lawrence J. Ancient Chamorro Society. Honolulu, HI: Bess, 1992. Print. 
3. Minahan, James, and James Minahan. Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: Ethnic and National Groups around the World. Vol. 1. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2002. A-C. Google.com/books. Web. 
4. Thompson, Laura. The Native Culture of the Marianas Islands. Honolulu, Hawaii, The Museum, 1945. New York: Kraus Reprint, 1971. Print.

Extra Post- Ancient Chamorro Medicine

Ancient Chamorro Medicine (AMOT)

Ancient Chamorro medicine has to some extend survived until modern day. It is known that today there are still highly respected older men and women who practice traditional medicine. Men are called suruhanus and women are called suruhanas. These words derived from the Spanish language. These skillful men and women are trained by apprenticeship from the older relative of the same sex. They use herbs, magic, message, and their personal power to cure the sick. There are more suruhanas than suruhanus, but each village in the Mariana Islands has at least one or two. Their main purpose in the modern days is to promote good health throughout the community. Many of these women healers in the past tended to specialize. For instance, some were good at taking care of fevers, others set broken limbs, and some were midwives. 

These healers are thought to have special calling for healing. Practitioners pass their healing knowledge on to a relative who seems to have the intelligence and the calling. For instance, a breach-born baby is believed to have a special aptitude for becoming a healer, because breach births were believed to have been caused by the presence of a ghost when the baby was born or the mother saw a ghost while she was pregnant. It is believed that the suruhanus possess a special connection with the spirit world and often have ghost partner who helps them cure their patients. 

According to traditional healers, illness can be caused by spiritual means or by natural causes. The spiritual illness could be caused by evil spirits or by sorcery. In the past men usually healed the spiritual sicknesses and women cured the natural illnesses with herbs and massage. However, today women and men treat both types of illnesses. 

Modern suruhanus categorize illnesses as hot or cold sicknesses. According to this theory, if a disease is hot, cold medicine is prescribed. Gaso'so, the soap plant, is an example of a cold medicine. After a healer diagnoses the illness, fresh plants are collected to cure it. The medicinal value of plants is well known by pharmacists, but most of the plants in Guam have not been studied by scientists. However, most experts are sure that the plants chosen at least contain many important vitamins. For example, the banyan tree root sap has proven to stop the flow of blood when placed on a wound. Further research could probably confirm the medicinal value of many of the plants used by the healers. 

After they find the plants, the healers apply different treatments using them. The traditional stone mortar and pestle are still used to crush the plants. Then the crushed plants are often boiled into a tea together with the root and the bark of the plant. Drops of the medicine are squeezed into the mouth of the patient or simply drunk.  Magical ashes from human sweat, white chicken feather, and palm fronds are also used in treatments.

Suruhana feeding feeding a sick baby with herbal
medicine. http://www.slideshare.net/thelmadevlin/suruhana

A massage is frequently used to relieve pain. In ancient times as many as four people would massage a patient by walking on the painful area. The messages were very vigorous and pounding. Today some healers actually hide rocks in their hands and others use the innermost heart of the banana tree trunk as a small club to pound on a patient. 

In all cases the healer tells the patient, what is wrong, and takes active scientific, magical, and religious steps to cure it. Through these actions and because of their personal mystique, healers instill confidence in the patient. By having their anxiety relived, the patient is able to generate his or her own self-healing powers. 

Some of the cures for natural illnesses include:

Headache caused by blood in the head is cured by soaking a cloth in vinegar and placing it on the patient's forehead; or massage the forehead with coconut oil; or tie a very young banana leaf to the forehead

Headache caused by gas in the stomach--> cured by drinking a glass of water to which two tablespoons of vinegar and one tablespoon of sugar have been added or squeeze soap plant leaves between the palms and drink a small amount. 

Some cures for supernatural illnesses include:

Finger-like marks on the body are thought to be caused by the ancient ghost. These marks are red or brown and start out yellow and become purple. These marks can be prevented by rubbing onions and salt on the body. Cures for this condition include the application of urine on the mark. Preferably, the urine should be from the patient's first-born male relative. 

The ancient Chamorros claimed they had a cure for every disease, even before the Europeans arrived. There could have been some truth to this because only the healthy ones could have survived the long voyages to Guam.  

Extra Post- Chamorro Music

Chamorro Music

• Chamorro music has gone through different phases as the Chamorro people have been evolving. However, many unique features of ancient Chamorro music are currently seen in contemporary Chamorro music. The sounds of modern Chamorro music are very diverse, yet still contains the key elements of influential historical eras. Today the Chamorro music has become one of the driving force for saving the Chamorro language among the English-dominant culture of Guam.
• Although the Chamorro music has been influenced by many cultures that have been settled in Guam after World War II era, today many contemporary musicians proudly point out that the music they create today strongly connect with ancient Chamorro culture and practices.
• It is known that music has played an important cultural role in the lives of indigenous peoples of the Mariana Islands since the islands have been settled 4,500 years ago. When the first Europeans came to the islands during the 16th and 17th century, noticed how important music was in the different cultural practices and events.
• One of the most famous form of Chamorro music that has been established since the Chamorro people inhabited the islands, is the so called Chamorrita or Kantan Chamorrita. The chamorrita is a Chamorro folk song sung in four-line stanzas. It also has a specific tune for which many different songs are created. The words of the song are improvised on the spot based on the event for which the song is sang. 
• The structure of the song consists of two couplets in which the second and fourth lines rhyme. It is also allowed the fourth line to be unrelated to the first in meaning. 
• The chamorrita song was mostly used during singer competitions and other events. The competitions were very friendly and were very important part during ancient Chamorro festivities. During competition a singer sang four lines. Then the opponent had to make up four lines to answer. Back and forth they created verses until one singer could no longer think of an appropriate response. Full of laughter and mocking, these songs were part of their entertainment. Mainly this type of song was used as a means to honor their idols. 
• Although during the time after World War II the chamorro language began to be less and less used in public, many of the Chamorro musicians and song writers still continued to create the traditional Chamorro music. And in the 1960s the Chamorro music started once again to gain popularity as the the recording industry began to develop. One of the first albums released by Johnny Sablan contained songs that tried to preserve the culture as he added some of the songs created before the war. 
• During the 1980s, new type of Chamorro music began which accompanied the development of traditional Chamorro dancing. 
• Today the Chamorro music is still developing, producing new albums and songs that are particularly based on the survival of the culture. 

More Info at:  http://guampedia.com/chamorro-music-2/
OR You could tune in:  http://tunein.com/radio/Guam-r100465/----Guam Radio Stations