Home
MOKU POINO
- Details
- Written by: Dietrix Jon Ulukoa Duhaylonsod
KA NONANONA. Buke 2, Pepa 12, Aoao 57. Novemaba 8, 1842.
MOKU POINO
I ka 25 o Ok. iho nei, ku ka moku okohola, o Geoki kona inoa, he moku Amerika, ma Waialua; no kona pilikia loa kona ku ana malaila. Eia ke ano o kona pilikia, i ka la 13, o Aperila holo mai na moku nei mai Guama mai, e imi kohola ana ma ka moana; he hapa ka ai maka maluna iho, a he nui na kanaka. Holo no a i ka malama o Augake loohia ua moku la i ka mai, he mai moku, he lolo, a make koke kekahi luina i ka la 11 o Sep. a mahope iho pau loa lakou i ka mai, a make loa ke Kapena, o Lake kona inoa, a me na luina eha, a ku ka moku ma Waialua make ka malama moku, a ua kanuia mauka. No ka hapa loa o ka ai maka keia poino ana. Ua lilo ua moku la i ke Kapena hou, a ua laweia mai i Honolulu nei. Ua pau ka nui o na luina i ke ola; elua wale no koe. He nui ko laua mai.
=====
Synopsis:
This is the earliest dated article I’ve found thus far in the Hawaiian language newspapers which mentions Guahan. Guam, in the Hawaiian language, is written here as Guama. The above article comes from the newspaper Ka Nonanona, dated November 1842. This is a first-hand account of an American whaling ship named Geoki (or George) that left Guam on April 13, 1842. An illness overcame the crew around August after the ship had been hunting whales for several months. By September, people were dying. On October 25, the ship anchored at Waialua on the North Shore of O’ahu, and the dead were buried upland. Since the Captain died, a new captain had to take over, and in the end, only 2 crewmembers survived. It is explained that the raw food on board is what made everyone sick.
Context:
After discussing this with my colleagues Keoni Ezell and Kaleo Kaho‘onei, Kumu Keoni pointed out something important that hadn’t crossed my mind. Food on board ships would be preserved in either salt or vinegar. For reasons unspecified in the article, a good portion of the food on this ship remained raw, and that led to the calamity.
Further Inquiry:
What amount of whaling ships came to the Marianas from America? What about whaling ships in the Marianas from other countries? Did the interaction of these whaling ships in the Marianas differ according to their country of origin? And what exactly did these ships bring to the local economy? Are there specific ways that the whaling industry left a legacy on the traditional Chamoru lifestyle?
Our Chamoru ancestors were very much tuned in to the natural environment, and this included both land and sea. There is no doubt that they were well aware of whales despite the meager mention of it in the earliest written records. How did whales figure into the Chamoru culture and beliefs about the natural world? What about the introduced concept of killing animals (whales) for money? And indeed, it was an introduced capitalist concept to hunt whales for other people. How did this imprint upon the Chamoru world view, both within the Marianas and outside the archipelago?
And regarding the native Chamorus, what amount ended up on these ships? Was it the norm? Was it the exception? To what extent did these Chamorus have agency in a society that was traditionally very family oriented and communal? Was approval from the village manamko or the immediate family needed? Was a blessing from the Catholic priest sought? To what extent did the Spanish governor or other Spanish officials exercise authority to “call all the shots” during this time period?
Finally, in what ways did the whaling era help to leave a Chamoru impact in other lands? We hear of Chamorus in the 1800s living in Hawai‘i, in England (recalling the Manibusan story in England), and elsewhere. Uncle Bernard also mentions the Custino brothers who were whalers living in Hawaii and returned back to Guam; and the Paris family name of Hawai‘i which came from the Perez family name in Guam. What amount of these resettled Chamorus were the direct result of whalers settling elsewhere? Could there be other sources that help clearly document the mobility of 18th century/19th century Chamorus across the Pacific and around the world?
All of these stories and more tie back to our family roots and our connections as native people of the Mariana Islands.
(Hawaiian Translation Project)
Dietrix Jon Ulukoa Duhaylonsod
- Details
- Written by: admin
Dietrix Jon Ulukoa Duhaylonsod is from Honokai Hale, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i. He comes from a close-knit family of 7 children; his mother Frances “Tita” Villafuerte is from Mākaha on O‘ahu’s Wai‘anae Coast, and his father Frederick Duhaylonsod is from Kahuku on O‘ahu’s North Shore. His CHamoru roots are from his mother Frances, who is the granddaughter of Soledad Leon Guerrero Balajadia and Juan Mesa Manibusan, manggåfan Bitut. Frances was also affectionately claimed a “reared daughter” by the late Tan Maria Manibusan Cepeda of Sinajana. And finally, he has one son, Ezra Koakūanoanoho‘omaluhia Halu‘uginapu Whalen living in Washington state.
Although he was born and raised in Hawai‘i, he moved to Guam in 1998 to learn his Chamoru heritage. It was during those years that he was warmly taken by the hand, sat at the table, and profoundly taught his Chamoru roots by his manamko’ and by his many cousins. He was welcomed and taught Fino’ Haya by Siñot Peter Onedera. And he was welcomed by Frank Rabon to learn as a member of Taotao Tano’, and later, welcomed by Leonard Iriarte to learn as a member of Guma’ Palu Li’e’, now called I Fanlalai’an.
In 2003, he moved back to Hawai‘i where he went back to school. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology, a Bachelor’s Degree in Ethnic Studies, and a Certificate in Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He is currently in the Master’s Degree program at the University of Hawai‘i’s Center for Pacific Island Studies, but has put that on hold due to his full time occupation as the Senior Archaeologist and Ethnographer at the Keala Pono Archaeological Consulting firm. Regarding the field of CHamoru archaeology, he has been mentored and taught by Dr. Mike Carson and Dr. Jim Bayman. Outside of work his hands are full as the Kumu of Hālau Kiawekūpono O Ka Ua, through which he has dedicated his life to cultural preservation and the facilitation of cross-cultural appreciation. Beyond that, his commitment to social justice and Indigenous rights has sent him to the United Nations and around the world many times.
It is a blessing and honor to have Dietrix join the Chamorro Roots Genealogy Project as a collaborator kicking off the Hawaiian Translation Project by offering his services to translate some historical articles published and written in the native Hawaiian language that are tied to the history of the Mariana Islands and CHamoru people.
Introduction to the Hawaiian Translation Project
- Details
- Written by: Dietrix Jon Ulukoa Duhaylonsod
Protestant missionaries from New England came to Hawai‘i in 1820, and they were the ones who introduced the English language to Hawaiians. Evidence strongly suggests that within a decade, around 90% of the native population could read and write using the English alphabet. By the turn of the century there were numerous Hawaiian language newspapers in Hawai‘i.
As part of the Chamorro Roots Genealogy Project, the Hawaiian language newspaper archives are being searched for articles which mention Guahan, the Marianas, and the CHamoru people. As they are discovered, we will be introducing these Hawaiian language articles, published in Hawai‘i from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. The transcription and translation of these historical articles are primarily being led by Dietrix Jon Ulukoa Duhaylonsod, manggåfan Bitut (Balajadia/Manibusan).
While the focus is on our CHamoru people, heritage, and history, it is important to keep in mind our participation in the larger Pacific picture. The Marianas and the CHamoru people are but one important part of a very interconnected Oceanic history, not confined by the later-imposed, foreign-fabricated boundaries called Micronesia, Polynesia, and Melanesia. As the whaling ships and trading ships came to the Marianas, so did they go to other Pacific ports. As CHamorus went off to become sailors, so did natives from other Pacific Islands. As CHamorus jumped ship and settled in other lands, so did other islanders jump ship in a similar fashion. Typical discussions regarding the era of early contact always focus on the interaction between White foreigners and Native islanders. But what about the interactions of the various Pacific Island peoples, encountering each other while collectively navigating around the Western intrusions? What was the nature of these intra-Pacific indigenous interactions?
Beyond the books about CHamoru history in our libraries, there are other sources of information that might support what we believe; or might add more details to what we already know; or these other sources might open new doors of understanding that we have not yet considered.
May Santa Marian Kamalen, Santo Niñu, and our ancestors sound the kulo’ in our consciousness to always guide our understandings in the right direction.
Biba Taotao Latte! Si Yu’us fan binendisi todu-hit.
List of Nurses Residing in Agat from 1920 Census
- Details
- Written by: Bernard Punzalan
Earlier today on FaceBook was a request if anyone knew the names of midwives that resided in Agat between 1930 and 1940. I was able to extract this list from the 1920 Census with those who were listed with an occupation of Nurse, but could not find anyone listed with that occupation in the 1930 Census for the village of Agat. The transcription of the 1940 Census is still ongoing so I don't have those details just yet; however, I do know that several Chamorro Nurses were recorded in the 1940 Census at Naval Hospital.
System Upgrades & Challenges
- Details
- Written by: Bernard Punzalan
As you can see the front page of the site has changed. Many system upgrades to keep up with coding technology have been applied and are still being worked. There are a few things that may not work, which leaves us with two possibilities: 1) I am still making changes and troubleshooting the new upgrades; or 2) You may need to clear your cache on your internet browser. Either way, you may need to come back later to try and access the features.
Appreciate everyone's patience, as I continue to work on the upgrades and tweaking. I needed to implement this as soon as possible because, many things on the previous system did not allow for system upgrades, which caused several technical issues and challenges.
I'm not the young nerdy coder I use to be with a lot of patience. What use to take me no more than a week now seems to take six months to a year or two! LOL
Anyways....Merry Christmas!
Page 27 of 79
