UMATAC AND LYTICO-BODIG

http://www.sffs.org/content.aspx?pageid=3656

If you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, you may want to check out a movie documenting the illness known as Lytico-Bodig and the way it specifically affected our island, and perhaps a focus on Umatac, pictured above in the 1950s.

From the San Francisco Film Society website :

Local filmmaker Berry Minott takes us on an epic journey to find the cause—and perhaps the cure—of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS and other neurological disorders. Her investigation begins on the Pacific island of Guam, where following the end of WWII, the indigenous Chamorro people were afflicted with Alzheimer’s-like symptoms from a disease called Lytico-Bodig. For years renowned scientists descended on this small village to detect the source of this mysterious illness—was it hereditary, environmental or dietary? This engaging and edifying documentary features rare archival footage and candid interviews with author/neurologist Oliver Sacks, New Yorker columnist Jonathan Weiner and many other noted scientists.

For more info, go to http://www.sffs.org/content.aspx?pageid=3656

KÅNTAN SÅNTA BARBARA

The fiesta of Sånta Barbara, patroness of Dededo, Guam is coming up soon (December 4).

It's always good to record her hymn for the benefit of all, but a plea from some Chamorros living in the U.S. mainland prompted this recording on this blog.  They are praying her novena, but are not familiar with the hymn.  Here it is!

TUNA SONGSONG i tagåhlo na patrona yan gogue-mo :

Sånta Barbara bendita, nå'e ham ni ginegue-mo.

Annai på'go mafañågo kalan ånghet mali'e'-mo,
chaot-mo i taotao tåno', si Jesus ginefli'e'-mo.

Guma'yu'us i gimå'-mo, tres bentåna i tore-mo,
tres ya uno ha' na Yu'us, ennao ha' i hinengge-mo.

Gos habubo i tatå-mo, maolek hao yan pinat mesngon,
ya matåga i ilu-mo, ma'pos hulo' gi langet-mo.

Yagin hulo, yagin påkyo, pulan i man ginegue-mo,
yagin sago, yagin linao, fåta i mina'ase'-mo.

ENGLISH

People, praise your exalted patroness and defender :

Oh blessed Saint Barbara, give us your protection.

When you were just born you looked angelic,
you refused an earthly man, Jesus was your beloved.

Your home was like a church, three windows had your tower,
three persons in one God, that was your faith.

Your father was ill-tempered, you were good and greatly patient,
and they cut off your head, you went up to your heaven.

When thunder, when stormy, watch over those you defend,
when sickness, when earthquake, show forth your mercy.

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS HYMN?

Barbara converted to Christianity when she was young and when Christianity was not yet legal in the Roman Empire.  Her father was still pagan and opposed her conversion to Christianity.

She refused marriage with a man, wanting Christ alone.

She lived in a tower, and, in a house built for her, she had three windows made to represent the Trinity.

They tried every way to harm her, but her wounds healed by the next day each time.  Finally, her father had her beheaded and he was struck by lightning as punishment.  That is why she is patroness in times of thunderstorm and lightning.

 

SOME NOTES ON THE CHAMORRO

My English translation is not literal, because sometimes the words are used in a poetic way.

Tuna songsong literally means "Praise, village."  The meaning is "let the people of the community praise."

Chaot-mo i taotao tåno' literally means "Your aversion was the man of the earth," but what is meant is that she rejected a man interested in marrying her.  Chaot actually can also mean "allergy!"  Taotao tåno' can also mean "person of the land" or "native."

Sago literally means "the flu," but what is meant is any illness with flu-like symptoms, like the influenza epidemic, with fevers, body aches and cold sweats.

THE ICONOGRAPHY OF SANTA BARBARA

Tower - where she lived

Lightning - which struck her father dead in punishment.  She is also our protector in times of storm and lightning.

Sword - by which her head was cut off.

Cannon - she is the patroness of artillerymen (as she is of those working in dangerous professions)

Chalice and Host - by which she remembered the sufferings of Jesus, which enabled her to undergo her own sufferings and martyrdom.

ADIOS, TAN ESCO

(In this short clip of just 22 seconds, several cultural values are manifested.  The matriarch shows herself a) the boss, commanding her grandkids to b) reverence the hand of the priest the Chamorro way, putting the hand to the nose.  Finally, she shows approval for someone by calling them "månnge'" or "delicious.")

The Chamorro community lost an important cultural icon in the passing of Escolastica Tudela Cabrera of Saipan, better known as Tan Esco.

She was a great resource for my blog and I have less to offer you now because she is no longer here for me to interview.

Esco was truly an icon of the Chamorro culture that those of us old enough to know first-hand ruled the land for the last 250 years or more.  Agrarian, Catholic, family-centered.

She spoke the language beautifully.  She was matriarch; strong-willed and not shy about expressing herself.  There were times I had to edit my recordings of her because she named names.

She was born into the Tudela and Borja clans in Saipan.  Her parents and grandparents came from that generation of Chamorros influenced by the Spaniards.  She knew some Spanish words and phrases and recalled how her elders could say prayers in Spanish.  She had some early training under the Spanish Mercedarian sisters.

She also spoke very good Japanese, having gone to Japanese school when Saipan was under the Japanese flag.

WORK HARD

Tan Esco was not born rich, and she did not die rich either.  But all her adult life she and her late husband, Gregorio Cabrera, worked very hard to raise their many children.  Esco was the type of person to see an opportunity and take advantage of it.  She learned skills so that she could do any number of things.  Whatever was near at hand, she put her hand to it.

She would wake up at 2AM to start her work.  Making food she would sell.  Baking.  Opening up businesses.  Many of the foods she made came from the grounds and trees surrounding her home.

CATHOLIC SANCTITY

Esco was unabashedly Catholic.  Fully dedicated to all things Catholic and, if you were not, she would preach to you to become one.

She was a prayer warrior.  Every hour, on the hour.  The type to wake up in the middle of the night and reach for her rosary.  Her home was strewn with mail from every traditional Catholic organization soliciting donations and sending her devotional leaflets.

She had a chapel or oratory built on her property next to her home.

As does happen with many strong personalities, some people shied away from her.  But I will miss her stories, her truly Chamorro way of thinking and speaking, her complete loyalty to her religion and her knowledge of a level of our culture, tied to the land and all the land's resources, that is disappearing as we speak.

U såga gi minahgong.

 

 

 

Find out more about her life at :

 

http://www.mvariety.com/cnmi/cnmi-news/local/60042-escolastica-cabrera-pioneering-chamorro-businesswoman-83

FUNERALS ARE FOR....

...finding out who your relatives are.

Sometimes very close relatives!  Ahem.

Grandma says one day,

"Fan minagago hamyo!  På'go gi alas nuebe guaha bela gi gima'yu'us ya debi de en fan man asiste sa' parientes-miyo i matai."
"Put on clothes!  Today at nine o'clock there's a wake at the church and you have to attend because the deceased is your relative."

Says one child, "Haftaimano?"  "How?"

Grandma says, "Tåtan-miyo i matai!  Famatkilo ya na' fan listo hamyo!"
"He's your father.  Keep quiet and get ready!"

The child asks, "Lao håfa para in che'gue gi gima'yu'us?"
"But what are we going to do at church?"

Says grandma, "Fan matå'chong ha' ya mungnga manguentos solo man kuinentuse hamyo!"
"Just sit down and do not talk unless you are spoken to!"

"Ai adei nåna," says the child, "håfa na solo an esta måtai na in tingo' na tåtan-måme?"
"Oh my gosh grandma, why is it only when there's a death that we know who our father is?"

"Ti siña ma kuentuse esta!"
"He can't be spoken to already!"

As one person said in English, "At a funeral you hear the unheard."

Illegitimate births were considered very shameful in traditional Chamorro culture.  One never ever asked who one's father was.  Asking that could get you a slap or a spanking.

But the moment a father or grandparent died, sometimes the truth would come out and the children were sent to the rosary or funeral. 

Sometimes the illegitimate child/children were acknowledged and brought into the circle of mourners.

Other times, the illegitimate child/children were not acknowledged and sat there quietly, while people spoke about their presence under the breath.

It would be considered brazen for the illegitimate child to dress as a mourner without the permission of the legitimate children or widow.

ÅFOK HIMA

http://beachcomberonsaipan.blogspot.com/2007/12/ingredients.html

I heard recently about an old custom of making åfok, the slaked lime that is added to pugua' (betel nut) and pupulu (pepper leaf), from hima, the giant clam shell.

Like the limestone obtained from coral rock, the hima is baked in a hotno (oven) to a high degree.  When it is fully baked and cools, one just has to touch it and the shell falls apart like powder.

But you still had to sift (ma kula) the powder in a kolladot (wire strainer) to remove dirt, grass and other impurities.  Then you had åfok.  You added water, according to one's taste, to make it a paste if you wanted.  I was told that åfok hima was rather strong.

ÅFOK

(apog or apug in various Philippine languages)

CHAMORRO NICKNAMES : HUDAS

In our culture, be careful what and how you do, say and dress.  Because all is fair game when it comes to getting stuck with a nickname.

Our people were putting on plays a whole lot more back in the days before TV and the internet.  One church decided to put on a play during Lent about the betrayal of Jesus.  A lady tells me the story.

Guaha un taotao ni ma ayek na para guiya si Hudas.
(There was a man chosen for him to be Judas.)

Despues, annai esta monhåyan i play, humåhnanao ha' ma ågang gue' Hudas.
(Later, when the play was over, they kept calling him Judas.)

Åños yan åños despues, gigon ma li'e na mamamaila', ilek-ñiñiha i taotao, "Ei!  Atan sa' estague' si Hudas!"
(Years and years later, as soon as they that he is coming, the people were saying, "Hey!  Look because here is Judas!")

Yan magåhet, ti inestototba i taotao na ma å'ågang gue' Hudas.
(And it's true, that he wasn't disturbed that he was being called Judas.)

Lao annai sige mandångkulo i famagu'on-ña, ti yan-ñiha i famagu'on-ña na u ma ågang si tatan-ñiha Hudas.
(But when his children grew up, his children didn't like their father to be called Judas.)

Pues ha sangåne i parientes-ña yan atungo'-ña siha, "Båsta yo' ma ågang Hudas, sa' man pininite i famagu'on-ho."
(So he told his relatives and acquaintances, "Stop calling me Judas, because my children are hurt.")

Pues magåhet na mamåra i taotao ma ågang gue' Hudas gi me'nå-ña pat gi me'nan i pupbliko, lao entre hame ha' hunggan sige de in agang gue' Hudas!
(So it's true that the people stopped calling him Judas in front of him or in public, but among ourselves, yes, we kept calling him Judas!)

This remind me of the time, in my own parish, I had a religious play and chose a teenager to play the part of Jesus as he had nice, long hair already.  For years he was called "Jesus" by his peers.

A CHAMORRO IN A HAWAII NURSING HOME

A brief stop in Hawaii gave me the opportunity to visit an elderly Chamorro lady from Saipan who is trying to recover enough strength in her Hawaii nursing home to get back home.

My half-hour visit opened my eyes to see how she and her family are not quite the same as other clients in the nursing home.

The lady is just one of three clients in the room.  In fact, she is the minority.  One out of three.  But she is the dominant flavor of the entire room.  It shows on her part of the wall.  Religious iconography cover every available inch.

But it's also because she has three adult children at her side.  They do not have shifts, since the home does not allow 24 hour visitation.  So, all three of her children are basically there the whole day and into the night, up till visiting hours end.  The other two clients, though residents of Hawaii, do not have any children, much less three, visiting all day.  One, unfortunately, gets no visits.  The other gets a visitor periodically.  Of the three Chamorro children, two live in Saipan and so have made the journey and taken extended leave from work to surround their mother with three children.  Not only does this provide the mother with a larger circle of family, it lightens the load on the children, who have three pairs of shoulders to share the weight.

The four of them pray in Chamorro and sing Chamorro hymns all throughout the day and night.  This does not disturb the other two clients.  In fact, one of them, the one who gets no visits, enjoys them.  Though not Catholic, she is Christian and appreciates the prayers and hymns.  Before I ended my visit, the Chamorro family asked me to bless this neighbor.  She was happy to be blessed.

The lady from Saipan is old enough to have learned Japanese in her youth when Saipan was under the Japanese.  Hawaii has many residents of Japanese ancestry.  The lady from Saipan told me that she would talk more with some of the clients in Japanese, except that many of them are not capable of conversing much.

Lastly, the children of this elderly lady made sure she had Chamorro food to supplement what she was being fed by the home.  I don't know whether they had the blessing of the nursing home or not, but there was saibok lemmai (breadfruit cooked in coconut milk) and I was given a Tupperware bowl of it to take with me, even though I would be boarding a plane in several hours!

The stark differences between this Chamorro lady and her children and the rest of the clients were very noticeable from the start.  Family, constant physical presence, food and the unashamed expression of religious faith were all strongly noted.

A sickly Chamorro woman was being nursed in Hawaii, but to a great extent in a very Chamorro way.

PRE-WAR CHARITY

Before the war, Bishop Olaiz organized the Saint Vincent de Paul Society for the relief of the very poor.  All over the world, local chapters of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society did the same, so the Bishop decided to start one for Guam.

It was headed by such prominent Guam business and civic leaders as Antonio Suarez, Vicente Calvo, Judge Manibusan, Jose M. Torres, Pedro Martinez and James Underwood, all seen in the photo above with Bishop Olaiz in the center and Påle' Blas on the right.

The group photo of the Society was taken in front of their own hall, built adjacent to the Agaña Cathedral around 1930.

The Society chipped in money and collected donations from the general public and gave these funds to the most needy families.

FORGOTTEN CHAMORRO : KÅTSA

Who can forget Margaret Dumont, the actress, always bedecked with the most elegant jewelry.

In Chamorro, we call that kåtsa.

It means to dress elegantly, with fine jewelry, or the smartest fashion for the men.

In the old days, "dressing up" made one stand out, and standing out in a Chamorro context always invites teasing.

A guy dressed to the nines walks into a store.

Says one, "Håfa?  Ginen mamano hao mågi?  Sa' ma kåtsa si pendeho!"

"So?  Where are you coming from?  Because the rascal is all dressed up!"

Again, this word is borrowed from the Spanish calza, a fashion term but it doesn't mean to be "dressed up."  We borrowed it, but gave it our own meaning.

FALSE FRIENDS : LIBIÅNO

LIBIÅNO

In Chamorro, when something is easy to do, we say it is libiåno.

Libiåno ma sodda'.  Easy to find.

Libiåno ma kånta.  Easy to sing.

Although the word is Spanish in origin, we have given it a meaning that has strayed a bit from the original Spanish meaning.

In Spanish, liviano means "light" in weight.  They got it from the same Latin root that gives us the English word levity, or lightness (in weight or spirits).

But even in Spanish, different locales have given it secondary meanings, like "frivolous," "fickle" and even "lewd."

So our Chamorro ancestors also gave the word a new shade of meaning.

Something light in weight is easy to handle.  So libiåno came to mean "easy" in every way.

But it's a false friend in Spanish because you can't go to Spain or Mexico and ask that something be done the libiåno way.  They'll think you mean light in weight, not easy to do,

20 SIGNS YOU'RE NOW A "LOCAL STATESIDER"

My stateside dad has been living on Guam continuously since 1959 and is definitely "local statesider."  It got me wondering what are the tell-tale signs that a statesider has become local.

1. Understands that the 35mph signs are just reminders how we used to drive in 1974.

2. Goes to the Talofofo fiesta, even though he or she's not Catholic.

3. Figures out immediately how two people are related.

4. Skips straight to the Assistant Manager, whom s/he knows, rather than speak to the Customer Service Representative.

5. Isn't bothered by geckos anymore; believes they're good because "they eat the bad bugs."

6. Prepares all morning to spend the day at the beach, and once there looks for the most shade.

7. Goes to Kentucky Fried Chicken for the kelaguen.

8. Finds him/herself secretly tuning into the Chamorro radio station while driving alone.

9. Still doesn't speak Chamorro, but adds "nai" at the end of English sentences.

10. When waiting at a red light, doesn't dare look over to the next driver.

11. Knows the name of his/her mayor.

12. Can never go to any store without saying "hi" to at least one person.

13. Knows that "Abe Maria Purisima" is the end of any rosary.

14. Drives down south, passes a carabao without even looking at it.

15. Is single with no family, but still has to visit someone at GMH.

16. Actually has reasons NOT to vote for some senatorial candidates.

17. Bush cuts in zori.

18. Looks for the soy sauce, tabasco or tooth pick in any restaurant of any cuisine.

19. Walks through Micronesia Mall and says to self, "So many statesiders now on Guam!"

20. Has a second fridge; outside the house.

TODAY'S CHAMORRO WORD : MÅSMAI

MÅSMAI : drenched, soaked

More people are familiar with the word fotgon.  But fotgon means wet; måsmai goes further.  It means someone or something is totally soaked.

Måsmai masahalom.  Soaked in one's sweat.

Måsmai håga' chininå-ña si Jose.  Jose's shirt is soaked in blood.

Måsmai yo' gi ichan.  I was soaked in the rain.


The word måsmai is a contraction of ma sumai.  Sumai means to submerge in water or liquid.

SPANISH HYMN IN SAIPAN

September 24 is the feast of Our Lady of Mercy.  Up in Saipan, since 1928, the Mercedarian Missionaries of Berriz (Spain) have been ministering and brought this hymn to that island.

It is not sung anymore by the people, but we still have the music and lyrics.

The lyrics can be found here :

http://soltorres.udl.cat/bitstream/handle/10459/561/LLG-1-0356.pdf?sequence=1

 

En Español

Llegaron a Saipan (Islas Marianas) las Misioneras Mercedarias de Bérriz (Vizcaya) en el año 1928.  Enseñaron  a unas alumnas este Himno a la Orden Mercedaria pero, lamentablemente, ya no se canta este himno en aquella isla.  Conservamos las letras y la solfa y, para complacer la solicitud de un amable lector, he puesto aquí esta grabación del himno.

COMMON MISTAKES IN CHAMORRO PRAYERS

Nowadays there is a bit of an attempt to keep praying in Chamorro alive, but, as younger Chamorros who are less proficient in the language take leadership in this, they may not be aware of some of the more common mistakes being made when praying in Chamorro.

Here is, I hope, a simple guide to help us watch out for these.

TATAN-MÅME (Our Father)

Mistake : Asi'e i tano', komo gi langet

Correct : Asi gi tano', komo gi langet

Explanation : The English is, "On earth, as it is in heaven."  When the missionaries translated this into Chamorro, their rendering was "as it is on earth, as in heaven."  They used the Spanish word así, which means "like this" or "like that."  The stress is on the second syllable; aSI.

If you say, "Asi'e i tano'" you are saying, "Forgive the world," which is not what the Our Father says.  What makes even less sense is the rest of the sentence, "as it is in heaven."  "Forgive the world, as it is in heaven."  God doesn't forgive anyone in heaven.  That's how they got to heaven; they were forgiven first while on earth.

So, once again, the English is, "Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven."  We're talking about God's will being done on earth as God's will is done in heaven.  No talk about forgiveness here.

"U ma fa'tinas i pinto'-mo, asi gi tano', komo gi langet."

"May your will be done, like on earth, as in heaven," would be a more literal translation of the Chamorro.

Older Chamorros, more accustomed to Spanish, would have understood the word así.  But modern Chamorros, cut off as it were from their Spanish influences, don't recognize the word así and confuse it with asi'e.

SI YU'US UN GINEGGUE MARIA (Hail Mary)

Mistake : Si Yu'us u gaige giya hågo

Correct : Si Yu'us gaige giya hågo

Explanation : In the Hail Mary, in English, we say, "The Lord is with you."  It's a declarative statement.  It declares something existing.  The Lord IS with Mary.  Not will be; not we hope will be; but rather IS.

The Chamorro word u is a future marker.  It means "will be" or "hopefully will be."

Siempre u ma cho'gue agupa'.  It will surely be done tomorrow.

Puede u ma cho'gue agupa'.  Hopefully it will be done tomorrow.

When we say, "Si Yu'us u gaige giya hågo," we are saying, "May the Lord be with you," or, "The Lord will be with you." 

This is not only linguistically inaccurate, it is also theologically off.  The whole point Gabriel was making was that Mary was "full of grace,"  connected with God in a way radically different from the rest of Adam's race, who were cut off from God by Adam's sin.

Mistake : U ma tuna hao entre todo i famalao'an

Correct : Ma tuna hao entre todo i famalao'an

Explanation : Same mistake; the improper use of u.  "U ma tuna hao" means "You will be praised/blessed" or "May you be praised/blessed."  But this is erroneous.  Gabriel was making a declarative statement.  Mary IS praised/blessed among all women.

Mistake : Ya u ma tuna i finañagu-mo as Jesus.

Correct : Ya ma tuna i finañagu-mo as Jesus.

Explanation : Same thing.  Jesus will not BE praised/blessed (u ma tuna) but is in fact praised/blessed (ma tuna).

Possible Source of the Confusion

In the Glory Be, we say "U ma tuna i Tata, yan i Lahi-ña, yan i Espiritu Santo."

There we do use the u, because in this particular prayer we are wishing glory to God.  Of course God is already glorified, whether we glorify Him or not.  God doesn't need anyone to glorify Him; He is glorious in Himself whether anybody knows it or not.

But in our worship and adoration of Him, we desire to give Him our glory.  That's where the u comes in.  U expresses something that will happen in the future, or which we wish will happen in the future, even if the future means in the next few seconds.

ABE MARIA PURISIMA

In this short prayer (ejaculation) which is unique among Spanish-speaking and Spanish-influenced places, we say :

Abe Maria Purisima, sin pekådo konsebida.  (Hail Mary most pure, conceived without sin.)

Mistake : Sen pekådo konsebida.

Correct : Sin pekådo konsebida.

Explanation : This prayer is actually in Spanish, pronounced the Chamorro way.  The original Spanish is "sin pecado concebida."  "Conceived without sin."

Sin is Spanish and Chamorro for "without."

Sen is Chamorro for "very much."

If we say, "Sen pekådo," we are saying, "Very much sin."  Not something we want to say about the Mother of God.

DEER HUNTERS IN 1872

Guam's deer, or benådo, were brought to the island by Governor Mariano Tobias in the early 1770s.

They became so rampant that they damaged crops, including the governor's own garden behind his Palacio.

In 1872, we see a list of deer hunters on Guam.  They were :

Juan del ESPIRITU SANTO

 

Pedro PEREZ

 

Tomas IRIARTE

 

Andres DELGADO

 

Mariano de CASTRO

 

Alberto GARCIA

 

Antonio NAMAULEG