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Susupe Orphanage Following the Battle of Saipan
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- Written by: Bernard Punzalan
This photo is from the book “History of the Northern Mariana Islands,” first edition, 1991, by Don A. Farrell and published by the Public School System, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
These were children that were brought to Camp Susupe following the battle of Saipan. Nearly half of them became orphans after losing both parents during the war. Their orphanage was quickly constructed to address their needs and situation. Prior to the closing of Camp Susupe all the children had been adopted by their own fellow country people.
Note: The population count on Saipan in April 1945, which did not include military personnel, was 17,974. Of that amount only 2,426 were Chamorro. The remainder consisted of 810 Carolinians, 13,373 were a combination of Japanese and Okinawan, and 1,365 were Korean.
Mañahak Fever
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- Written by: Bernard Punzalan
Background. Mañahak is certainly a heavily desired yet seasonal seafood item that has existed in the Chamorro culture for over hundreds of years. These tiny juvenile Rabbit fish make their appearance around April-May and occasionally in October of each year. When these fish make their appearance, many fishermen and women will cease all activities to hunt these fish down. Yes, many will even take a leave of absence from work too due to the mañahak fever!
Time Capsule. In 1927, it was estimated that 75 tons of mañahak were caught throughout the shores and beaches on Guam. At the time there was an island-wide shortage of commercial salt, which threatened the loss of the majority of the catch. However, Tun Pedro Pangelinan Martinez helped with the shortage when he came forward with 25,000 pounds of salt from his ice plant. (Pacific Profiles, 1964)
How do you prefer your mañahak???
Database Update 20 April 2013
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- Written by: Bernard Punzalan
The database has been updated and has grown from 291,183 to 291,892 names.
Phonetic Spelling of Chamorro Clan Names
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- Written by: Bernard Punzalan
The Chamorro orthography was not fully developed until around 1983. In reviewing several funeral announcements and obituaries published in the 1970s, some family clan names were spelled phonetically in funeral announcements or obituaries, as in the case of the late Caridad Rosario San Agustin, familian “Siboyas,” (See Bow Jas) 1972 announcement.
Marjory with the Chamorros (1907)
- Details
- Written by: Bernard Punzalan
Marjory with the Chamorros (1907)
Stevens, Mary C.
New York, The American Tract Society
During the course of my research journey, I often perform random searches across the internet. In doing so, I tend to come across books or literature that does not quite seem to be in the mainstream of Chamorro history discourse; however, this one is within the realm of Chamorro Protestant history. This book is about a little girl's (Marjory Graham) adventures while during her short visit to Guam at what seems to be sometime a few years after Guam was ceded to the United States. I was not able to make out the relationship between Marjory and Mary C. Stevens the author of the book.
What captured my attention to this book were the photos. Some of the pictures were taken by the author sometime in 1901 and 1902. Because this book is tied to the history of the Protestant mission on Guam, I am inclined to think that some of these photos are linked to the Taitano and Sablan families. There is definitely a mention in the book of "Little Joe Custino."
This book is in the public domain so enjoy the read and some of the interesting photos at the link provided below.
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