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Database Update 19 Oct 2013
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- Written by: Bernard Punzalan
The database has been updated and has grown from 304,442 to 304,887 names.
PLANTING BY THE MOON AND TIDE
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- Written by: Bernard Punzalan
PLANTING BY THE MOON AND TIDE: And Superstitions of the Chamorro People
(This article is replicated from The Guam Recorder, December 1926, Volume 3, Number 9. The photos come from old reports from the Guam Agricultural Experiment Station. )
"Science has always scoffed at the "old wives tale" about planting seeds by the moon's phases. Recently according to the Scientific American, Miss E. S. Semmens, an English botanist, showed that the germination of seeds and flowering plants are hastened by the action of polarized light and that moonlight is (partly) that kind of light. "
Perhaps the native planters of Guam, as well as the old-fashioned farmers of other parts of the world, who plant their crops "in the moon" are not so foolish as many believe. They may not understand why they do this, and their explanations may at times be amusing, but experiments seem to have proven that the action of moonlight has some effect upon the germination of seeds and plants.
The native farmer of Guam will tell you that if he plants sweet-potatoes, yams, and other tuber crops at low tide, and full moon, he will receive good returns, in number, but small in size, and if he plants when the tide is high, and the moon is full, his fields will probably not produce so many but the crop will be larger in size and of better quality. When asked why this is, he will explain, that when the tide is low, many rocks and stones are in view on the reef, and plants set out at this time will produce a crop which will cause his fields to be covered with potatoes or other products that grow in the ground, as the reef and beaches are covered with rocks and stones at low tide. Planting is very often done at night when the tide and moon are favorable.
The Chamorro always cuts timber for building purposes, bamboo for the various purposes for which it is used, and coconut leaves for thatching the roof of his house, when the tide is low, and the moon in the first quarter. He will tell you that if this is done when the tide is high, and the moon full, the wood will decay soon, and will become infested with insects. He will explain that when the tide is high and the moon full, the tree contains more sap, at low tide, the wood is dryer and will last longer if cut at this time. He also castrates his animals, bulls, boars etc. and trims the combs of his fighting cocks when the tide is low, and between the last and first quarter of the moon, or in the dark of the moon, and his reason for this is that there will be much less flow of blood at this time. They say this also applies to humans in so far as if one cuts himself when the tide is high the flow of blood will be much more than if the tide is low.
Many of the older natives of Guam object to anyone but themselves touching their fruit trees, they willingly give oranges, lemons and other fruits away, but they want to pick the fruit themselves for they fear that if one not of the family touches the tree something will happen to it , or its bearing qualities will become less. They also believe that certain persons have a good hand for planting, and during the planting seasons these people are very much in demand. They will tell you that those who have a good hand for planting, will have more success, all conditions being equal, excepting the phases of the moon and tide, than those who do plant with the moon and tide.
Coconut oil which is one of the main articles of daily use by the native of Guam, is made in the following manner and by the moon and tide. The coconut is grated, squeezed in the hands, and boiled to extract the oil which is skimmed from the top of the boiling water, but the squeezing and boiling do not take place until the tide is high; if done when the tide is low, it is said that a much less amount of oil will be obtained.
Mail, Once Upon a Time: So Close Yet So Far Away
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- Written by: Bernard Punzalan
Although this article is not about genealogy it is an interesting part of the Mariana Islands history that I wanted to share. This short blurb "Can You Beat This," comes from the Guam Recorder March 1931 edition.
Database Update 28 Sep 2013
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- Written by: Bernard Punzalan
The database has been updated and has grown from 301,854 to 304,442 names.
Names in U.S. Congressional Records
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- Written by: Bernard Punzalan
Is your name or someone you know of recorded in a United States Congressional Record that you may not be aware of? I found my name twice on two separate occasions and am honored to be recognized and officially recorded in Congress for my achievements. Congressional Records can also be a valuable source of genealogical and historical information about a person.
Constitution
Article I, Section 5, of the U.S. Constitution requires Congress to keep a journal of its proceedings. Wikipedia.org does a fairly good job at describing the different components of a Congressional Record so I won't go much into the details of all the sections. However, you can find the tributes that our Congressional delegates (Guam and CNMI) have submitted and official recorded in Congress within the Extension of Remarks section.
Father Isaac Masga Ayuyu
Below is an example of one Congressional Record I retrieved from the Government Printing Office website. It was delivered and recorded by the Honorable Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan to the House of Representatives on October 24, 2011 to honor Father Isaac Masga Ayuyu for his 25 years of outstanding service to the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa. A copy of this congressional tribute was later presented to Father Ayuyu.
Transcription of Congressional Record
Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, we recently celebrated an important anniversary in the Northern Mariana Islands: between our community and one of our longest-serving spiritual leaders. Reverend Father Isaac Masga Ayuyu, a native of Rota, has led the faithful in our islands for twenty-five years. Pale' Ike, as he is fondly known, was ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa on August 30, 1986. He is now the Parochial Vicar of Mount Carmel Cathedral on Saipan and the Director of Worship in the Diocese. Pale' Ike is the first ordained priest from Rota, and the first ordained priest of the new Diocese of Chalan Kanoa, Saipan. He is the fifth local priest to serve our islands.
Hailing from a large family, Pale' Ike has a diverse, well-educated, and well-traveled background that is belied by his humble nature. As a youngster, he attended grade school in Rota. He then moved to our neighboring territory of Guam for his junior high and high school years, which was followed by college in California and Connecticut.
Pale' Ike received his spiritual training at Saint Patrick's Seminary in California before returning to his home in the Northern Marianas. The decision that the church was his true calling was formed during his youth, when he was an altar server for two of our region's most well-respected leaders: Bishop Emeritus Tomas A. Camacho of the Northern Marianas and the late Archbishop Felixberto Flores of Guam.
Pale' Ike's parents, Francisca Masga Ayuyu and the late Corbiniano Songao Ayuyu were also supportive of their son's path, which he recalls each time he celebrates mass with the chalice that was a gift from them.
In addition to his duties in the church, Pale' Ike is a strong advocate of, and a member of the Ecclesial Team for, our local chapter of the Worldwide Marriage Encounter program, which is designed to strengthen couples' relationships with one another and with God. His involvement in Marriage Encounter has improved the lives of countless married couples in the Northern Marianas. In his typically unassuming and candid fashion, Pale' Ike explains to others that the program has even improved his relationship with the people to whom he ministers.
Spirituality has always been an important component of life in our islands, even before the arrival of what we think of as ``organized religion.'' The Chamorros and Carolinians of our islands have always held spiritual leaders in high regard. In our small, faith-based community, local priests are in demand. Pale' Ike is a man whose work truly is never done. He baptizes the newly-born and conducts funeral rites for the recently departed; he tends to the spiritual needs of those who are homebound or in the hospital; he conducts weddings; he hears confessions; and he celebrates the Mass. Just a few of his Diocesan titles offer a glimpse into the scope of his responsibilities: he is the hospital chaplain, the coordinator of pre-baptismal seminars, and the coordinator of the marriage preparation program for the Diocese. Outside of traditional priestly responsibilities, in our culture if there is a village fiesta, he plays a lead role; if there is a large family party, he's expected to attend; if someone builds a new home, he is called upon to bless it before it is occupied. Pale' Ike is very much a part of the daily life of many residents of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Please join me in congratulating Pale' Isaac Masga Ayuyu in celebration of his twenty-five years in the priesthood.
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