Lecture 4: Chamorro Roots Flashcards
Who are the Chamorro people?
Indigenous people of the Marianas Islands
They have 4,000 years of history (starting from 2000 BC)
What are some important historical events of the Chamorros?
1521 = Magellan
1898 = US took control of Guam and when Guam is separated from the Marianas Islands
What are the settlement patterns of the Chamorros?
These people lived near water and each village are family clans
What were the average heights of the Chamorros?
Female: 5’3”½
Male: 5’8”
What is the Eurocentric and canonical historiography look on Chamorros?
*Often denigrates Chamoru society:
– As lacking political, economic, and religious organization
– As uncivilized, barbaric, inferior
What is an example of the Eurocentric mindset of the Chamorros?
“They are a people without a God, without king, without law, and without any kind of civil policy.” (Garcia, 172)
What are some examples of the countercanon against Eurocentric’s belief that Chamorros have no religion or culture?
Puntan & Fu’una (Pontan & Fo’na)
* brother and sister
* creator gods
Fouha Rock
(where Puntan is and also known as the rock of fertility)
Chaife (God of Fire): Sasalaguan (a mountain in Inalahan)
* Aniti (spirit)
What happened in the Spanish Era of the Mariana Islands?
Biblical General Account
- Puntan and Fu’una, Chaife, aniti, Sasalaguan (Bad)
- Adam and Eve (Good)
When was the the contemporary era of the Chamorros?
1970s-present
What were the Archaeology found in the Chamorro culture?
–Rice
–Pottery – Marianas Red Ware (Lime-incised pottery)
–Areca nut – “betel nut” (pugua) with lime (afok)
What did chamorros do with their teeth?
Pugua staining
Teeth etchings
What language did Chamorro come from?
Austronesia(n)
What was found within the Chamorro DNA?
Haplogroup E
* 92% of Chamorros
* 4,000 ybp from ISEA
(likely from Sulawesi and the Moluccas)
Haplogroup B4 – 8%, 1,000 ybp from ISEA
