The Chamorros are the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands, of which Guam is the largest and most southern in the island chain. Archeological evidence identified civilization here dating back 5,000 years. They were expert seafarers and skilled craftspeople familiar with intricate weaving and detailed pottery-making. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan landed and life changed forever for these people. In recorded history, the Chamorro people have, as a community, experienced traumatic periods that remain unresolved. These include the near total genocide and colonization by the Spanish (1521-1898). Guam and the Philippines became territories of the USA as a part of the “spoils of war” of the Spanish-American War of 1898 and bought from Spain for a mere $20 million. Guam had been a possession of the United States from 1898 to 1941 until it was attacked and occupied by Japanese forces from 1941–1944. Guam was liberated from the Japanese in 1944 by the USA. In 1950, it became a territory of the USA, and as such, has no power.
The population of Guam is approximately 182,000 people. The Chamorros are the largest ethnic group making up about 37%, and the Filipinos are second making up an additional 26%. Because Guam was colonized by Spain for over 300 years, many Chamorro words derive from the Spanish language. The traditional Chamorro number system was replaced by Spanish numbers. There has been a resurgence of interest in reviving the language, and all public schools on both Guam and The Northern Mariana Islands are now required by law to teach the Chamorro language from elementary through high school. The Chamorro greeting for Hello is "Hafa Adai" (hah-fuh-day). I guarantee you that if you give a Chamorro a big smile and say that phrase, you will definitely get the very same back! These people are very sweet and gentle.
Perhaps, because the Chamorros are actually a “minority” on their own island of Guam, and they want to preserve their history and promote their culture, they declared March to be Chamorro Month. Since we had given ourselves the month of March to get settled into our new surroundings, and for Jim to finish all his island qualifying flights, we were able to enjoy several of these activities.
Governor Eddie Calvo and First Lady Christine Calvo opened their home, the House of the People, for an exhibit of photos and artifacts. Before arriving at their home, we mistakenly went to the beautiful Government House on the water. You’ll see pics of Pat standing in front of a huge replica of a latte stone. This is a term for a pillar capped by a hemispherical stone capital (tasa) with the flat side facing up. It is used as a building support by the ancient Chamorros and found throughout most of the Mariana Islands. Today it is seen as a sign of Chamorro identity.
Huge Latte Stone replica 
Canon on Government House property
On Friday, March 28th, we drove to the SW village of Merizo (above) for their 6th annual crab festival. The village was a virtual postcard with gorgeous ocean & mountain views. The local children sang songs in Chamorro and it was followed by a skit performed by the senior citizens. The locale reminded us of the Great Falls community with our summer Sunday concerts on the green...great sense of community. Today, Sunday, they released 2,000 crabs that the locals had caught and then let various age groups have a go at catching them with buckets/bags to take home....small crabs w/big pinchers! The event was on a green outside the local school next to the pier. All weekend there were activities like canoe races, coconut husking/grating contest, live bands/dancers, etc.
On Saturday, March 29th, (below) there was a local fashion show at one of the malls showcasing original Chamorro clothing, Spanish-influenced, and modern. We didn't walk the catwalk, but were ready for it:-)
On Saturday, March 29th, (below) there was a local fashion show at one of the malls showcasing original Chamorro clothing, Spanish-influenced, and modern. We didn't walk the catwalk, but were ready for it:-)
