Home
1959: Romauldo Chargualaf Rivera and his 150 Year Old Machete
- Details
- Written by: Bernard Punzalan
In 1959, Romauldo Chargualaf Diego’s 150 year old machete (circa 1809) was used in the ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the Liberation Day event. The machete is a family heirloom given to him by his father, Jose Diego. The handle is made out of carabao husk.
2016 Festival of CHamorro Arts (FoCHA)
- Details
- Written by: Bernard Punzalan
We will be attending this event as part of my Delegate fundraising to attend the Festival of the Pacific Arts on Guam May 22- June 4, 2016. In addition, to selling some my Chamorro jewelry, I will be offering a "FoCHA Tenguan Special" consisting of a one year subscription and copies of my census transcription e-books (1727, 1758, 1920, 1930 Census) on a USB Flash drive. You must be present to receive this unique special offer. So save the date and remember to join us on January 16, 2016!
I Nå’an Songao
- Details
- Written by: Bernard Punzalan
Songao is likely an indigenous name from the Mariana Islands. The name is recorded as early as the 1727 Census of the Mariana Islands.
Unfortunately, I do not know what it means; however, there appear to be a variation of forms (at least similarities) of it within the two primary census periods of the 1700’s: Songao, Sungao, Sugaota, Suñgaolaian, Sungaofino. For some of the challenges and background of native names see my previous article:
I would certainly like to know what the word “songao,” refer to; and, as always, I welcome the collaborative discussion on its meaning and family history. Some unconfirmed information I recently received indicates that some members of the Songao family claim to be descendants of Fo’na (Fu’una) and Pontan (Puntan). I would love to hear from those who may know something about that.
Below is a summary of where I have found the Songao surname recorded in Spanish Census records:
1727 Census
1. Pedro Songao, unmarried male, Agat, Guam
2. Francisco Songao, boy, Agat, Guam
3. Fernando Songao, married, Mongmong, Guam
4. Juan Songan, boy, Miune, Rota
1758 Census
1. Francisco Sungao, married to Maria Egege, Agat, Guam. This Francisco is likely the same person recorded in 1727 as a boy living in Agat. Francisco and Maria had three children:
Francisco de Borja
Luis Queforge
Maria Lumen Godongña
2. Juan Songao, married to Teresa Tia, Sosamhaia (Sosanhåya), Rota. This Juan is likely the same person as Juan Songan recorded in 1727 as boy living in Rota. Juan and Teresa had had three children:
Miguel Taguiña
Juan Mariano Domingo
Rosa Elena Tia
3. Dimas Sungaota, listed as an orphan, Agat, Guam
4. Francisco Suñgaolaian, widower, Agat, Guam. He had a son living with him:
Francisco Tupacña
5. Cipriano Sugaota, mother is Ursula Maadi, Agat, Guam and his brother was Felix Taitiguir
6. Francisco Sungaofino, parents are Francisco Yngin and Juana Ago, Pago, Guam
1897 Census
In the 1897 Census there were 17 people (17) recorded with the Songao surname all from Rota. It appears at this time point, the Songao family surname was well rooted and found only in the island of Rota.
Bibliography
____. 1897. Padron de Almas: Año de 1897. Spanish Colonial Government Records, Mariana Islands 1678-1899, found in the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Rodrigue Levesque. 2000a. History of Micronesia: Volume 13 — Failure at Ulithi Atoll, 1727-1746. Levesque Publications: Quebec, Canada
Rodrigue Levesque. 2000b. History of Micronesia: Volume 14 – Full Census of the Marianas, 1746-1773. Levesque Publications: Quebec, Canada
Famagu'on Maga’låhi Matå’pang
- Details
- Written by: Bernard Punzalan
Some of you may already know of my own personal interest in tracing the descendants of Maga’låhi Matå’pang. It began sometime around 2001 with an email exchange from Jay “Sinangan” Pascua informing me that we have a common ancestor that may be the descendant of Matå’pang. More recently, I had been on a hot trail of information that my wife may also be a descendant. However, my research and effort for this particular topic tends to run back into the cold. Much of this stems in part from conflicting information and then huge gaps of information. And so my journey continues.
So before Matå’pang died in 1680, he had at least two children that I have been able to identify. Unfortunately, I have yet to identify the name of his wife.
Maria Assion
In 2014, I found out that Matå’pang’s daughter’s name is Maria Assion. It turns out that Maria was the newborn baby baptized by Father San Vitores and for which he met his fate on April 2, 1672.
Maria was married to an unnamed soldier and around 1691, she was confronted by a married man allegedly to pursue an affair with her. She refused him and told him, “Even if you tear me to pieces you will not get what you are trying to get.” This incident was recorded with other incidents demonstrating, in part, religious conversion success stories among the natives.
Diego Luis San Vitores [Matå’pang]
Recently, with the help of Rlene Santos Steffy, she pointed me in the direction of Matå’pang’s son. It turns out that in a 1684 letter from Father Antonio Xaramillo (sometimes spelled Jaramillo), he informs the King of Spain that he brought Matå’pang’s son along with two other unnamed native boys to Manila with him.
“One of these boys is the one who[se baptism] occasioned the death that his father gave to the Ven. Father Diego Luis Sanvitores. He too holds this name, as I was the one who gave it to him when the good luck of baptizing him befell me; the Ven. Father himself had been preoccupied with the baptism of his own blood, and was unable to administer the baptism of water to him then.”
In Levesque’s Volume 8 (1996), for which he transcribed and quoted Xaramillo’s letter to the King, he also made a footnote about Matå’pang’s son’s name, “Diego Luis Mata’pang,” and indicating that would have made him 12 years old in 1684.
Unfortunately Levesque’s footnote and interpretation of Xaramillo’s letter to the King is not correct. It would be Matå’pang’s daughter Maria that would have been 12 years of age in 1684, and not her brother. Maria was Matå’pang's newborn baby girl baptized by Father San Vitores for which he lost his life. I am uncertain at this point in my research if Maria is older than Diego.
Also of note, in a 1686 letter from Xaramillo to the King, he indicated that he wanted to send Diego to Spain, but it is currently unknown if he was ever transported to Spain.
Bibliography
Jacques Arago. 1823. Narrative of a Voyage Round the World in the Uranie and Physicienne Corvettes Commanded by Freycinet, During the Years 1817, 1818, 1819, and 1820. Davison, Whitefriars; Howlette and Brimmer: London, England
Victoria-Lola Leon Guerrero, MFA and Nicholas Yamashita Quinata, ' Matå’pang: Matapang', referenced August 1, 2012, © 2009 Guampedia™, URL: http://guampedia.com/chiefs-matapang-matapang/
Rodrigue Levesque. 1996. History of Micronesia, Volume 7: More Turmoil in the Marianas Conquest 1679-1683. Levesque Publications: Quebec, Canada
Rodrigue Levesque. 1996. History of Micronesia, Volume 8: Last Chamorro Revolt 1683-1687. Levesque Publications: Quebec, Canada
{sl_fbcomments}
Page 30 of 76