Northern Mariana Islands and Guam History Essay Example

nearly resulted in extinction of the Chamorro race. Sources have estimated Chamorro casualties to the fighting and disease reduced the population from 200,000 to roughly 5,000 by 1741, mostly women and children.

The Spaniards imported Spanish soldiers and Filipino’s to restock the population, marking the end of the pure Chamorro bloodline. (Rogers, 1995, pp. 41-57) After 1695, Chamorro’s were forced to settle in five villages: Hagatna, Agat, Umatac, Pago, and Fena, were monitored by the priests and military garrison, forced to attend Church daily and to learn Spanish language and customs. In 1740, Chamorro’s of the Northern Marianas Islands, except Rota, were removed from their home islands and exiled to Guam.

Mata’ pang himself was killed in a final battle on the island of Rota in 1680. Having been vilified for the incident that sparked the decimation of the pure Chamorro race, the name Mata’ pang has evolved to mean silly. (Donald L. Platt, 2009) During the 18th century, the English pirates who visited Guam to take on supplies and provisions preyed upon the Spanish galleons. Guam was a host to a number of scientists, voyagers, and whalers from Russia, France, and England some of whom provided detailed accounts of the daily life on Guam under Spanish rule.

Evidence of Spanish buildings, bridges, churches and forts can still be seen across the island, especially in the southern areas of the island. Spanish cannon still overlooks Hagatna and Umatac bays from Forts Agueda and Soledad, the Plaza de Espana, once the Spanish Governor’s Palace, still stands in central Hagatna, and sunken Spanish galleons still lie under Guam’s crystal clear waters. The architecture and

design of structures build long after the Spanish era, such as the bridge in Umatac, which still has distinct Spanish quality. (Donald L. Platt, 2009)

AMERICAN PERIOD

During the Spanish-American war Guam was ceded to the United States by the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Spanish American war in 1898 and Guam was formally purchased from Spain for $20 million in 1899. At the time of the turnover, the local population of Guam had grown to about 10,000 inhabitants. U. S. President William McKinley issued an executive order placing Guam within the administration of the Department of the Navy. Captain R. P. Leary was appointed the island’s first U. S. Governor. (Rogers, 1995, p. 14)

Under Navy administration, Guam experienced many improvements in the areas of agriculture, public health, sanitation, education, land management, taxes, and public works. Orders issued by Captain Leary on August 16, 1899, regulated the importation and sale of intoxicating liquors; regulated the celebration of church and other holidays; prohibited the transfer of land without the consent of the government; prohibited concubine and required that marriage be performed between persons that were cohabiting; prohibited exportation of certain articles in common use among he people; required persons without a trade or regular employment to pant specified commodities and keep certain live stock; regulated the keeping of dogs and other animals running at large; abrogated the Spanish system of taxation and provided a new one; established a public system of nonsectarian education; and required each adult to learn to write his or her own name within a specified time. (Rogers, 1995, p. 119) In 1927, the people of

Guam, including schoolchildren who donated a penny each, collected $703. 92 to have a ship’s bell and a commemorative plaque manufactured in Shanghai, China.

The bell was presented to the Navy and has served distinctively on each of the three USS Guam Naval vessels. (Palomo, 1999)The U. S. Navy continued to use Guam as a refueling and communication station until 1941, when it fell to invading Japanese forces shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. “The bell, along with a commemorative bronze plaque, has been returned to Guam after the decommissioning of the USS Guam, an amphibious assault ship (LPH-9), on August 25, 1998 at the Norfolk, Virginia, Naval Base. The USS Guam is the third Navy vessel named after Guam. ” (Palomo, 1999)

JAPANESE OCCUPATION

On December 10, 1941, Guam surrendered to the Japanese South Seas detachment after a valiant defensive struggle by the island’s Insular Force Guard and a limited number of U. S. Marines. Guam became the only populated U. S. soil to be occupied by another country in World War II. Guam was renamed “Omiya Jima” and for 31 months, the people of Guam were forcibly subjected to intolerable hardships administered by the Japanese military. Although some measure of religious practice and business activities were permitted, atrocities, grenade slaughters and rapes were common.

The 29th Division of Japan’s Kwantung Army established concentration camps and approximately 600 Chamorro’s were executed. (Rogers, 1995, pp. 163-181) Some Chamorro’s were beheaded when the Japanese learned of the 3-year humanitarian effort by Chamorro’s to successfully feed and hide U. S. Navy radioman George Tweed, who escaped in the initial invasion. Tweed’s

cave is a popular “boonie stomping” destination on Guam today. (Babuata, 2009) Many landmarks of the Japanese occupation, including gun emplacements and tunnels can still be seen around the island of Guam.

LIBERATION AND U. S. TERRITORIAL STATUS

Record tonnage of naval bombardment in which thousands of Japanese and Chamorro’s marked the campaign for the liberation of Guam lost their lives and the city of Hagatna was nearly destroyed. American forces landed on July 21, 1944 at Asan and Agat beaches. In honor of the bravery and sacrifices of all those who participated in the Pacific Theater of World War II, including soldiers, sailors and marines of the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, China, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the Soviet Union, the landing area has been designated as the “War in the Pacific National Historic Park.

During the following bitter three week campaign, 7,000 U. S. and 11,000 Japanese lives were lost before Guam was reclaimed and once again under American administration. (Aguon, 2009) Today, July 21st, Guam Liberation Day, is a major Guam holiday. All government offices and most businesses are closed as the island celebrates with daylong fiestas and a parade down Marine Corps drive in Hagatna. Because of its strategic position, Guam was used as a command post for U. S. Western Pacific operations until the War came to an end in 1945. On May 30, 1946, the U. S. Naval Government was re-established.

Although concluded over 50 years ago, World War II still exerts a major influence on Guam. Relics and evidence of the War are still evident all across the island and

divers can survey wrecks of Japanese, American, German and other ships and airplanes under Guam’s warm clear waters. On January 24, 1972, the last Japanese World War II holdout, Sergeant Shoichi Yokoi, was discovered in the cave in which he had been hiding since his unit was scattered by the advancing Americans in July 1944. Sergeant Yokoi’s cave at Talofofo falls has been preserved as a popular attraction for visitors. (Aguon, 2009) As the Westernmost U.S. soil in the Pacific, Guam today remains a strategic outpost for the U. S. military.

In 1949, U. S. President Harry S. Truman signed the Organic Act making Guam an unincorporated territory of the United States with limited self-governing authority and granting American citizenship to the people of Guam. In 1962, security clearance requirement for travel to Guam, which had been in place since World War II, were lifted permitting Guam’s economy to flourish and opening an influx of new residents of diverse nationalities and races such as Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Indian, Pacific Islanders nd Caucasian. (Rogers, 1995)

CULTURE

The core of Guam culture, the Chamorro, is characterized by a complex social protocol centered upon respect, caring, accepting and helping one another. Inafa’maolek, or interdependence, is a central value in Chamorro culture that depends on a spirit of cooperation. Historian Lawrence Cunningham in 1992 wrote, “In a Chamorro sense, the land and its produce belong to everyone. This is the armature, or core, that everything in Chamorro culture revolves around. It is a powerful concern for mutuality rather than individualism and private property rights. The culture is visibly manifested in the kissing of the

hands of elders, passing of legends, music, dance, chants, courtship rituals, handicrafts, burial rituals, preparation of herbal medicines, and requesting forgiveness from spiritual ancestors when entering a jungle.

Glimpses of Guam culture are evident in local legends and folklore such as the taotaomona (ancient spirits), doomed lovers leaping to their death off Two Lover’s Point (Puntan Dos Amentes), and Sirena, a beautiful young girl who became a mermaid. Guam Society and Culture Complete Report, 2010) The Spanish occupation was based on conquest and conversion to “save the heathen souls”, implemented by force, which nearly resulted in the total extermination of the pure Chamorro race. However, the Spanish failed to recognize that the Chamorro culture was matrilineal and largely ignored the influence of the Chamorro women, which likely accounts for the fact that the Chamorro culture has endured to this day. The greatest influence of the Spanish over Guam’s culture was through the Catholic Church, which has, since the 17th century, been the center of village activity.

Today, every village has its patron saint whose feast day is celebrated with an elaborate fiesta, to which the entire island is invited. These fiestas, whereupon by duty, extended families contribute food and work to cook for the village guests remain a key attribute of the culture of Guam till’ this day. Chamorro society emphasizes respect for the elderly. The practice of manngingi ("to smell") entails sniffing the right hand of an elderly person to express one's deep regard. Before colonial rule, Chamorro’s recognized the power and authority of clan elders.

Informal positions of authority were granted to elders who commanded the respect of their clan members.

Elders could pool the labor and material resources of their clans in times of need. (Guam Society and Culture Complete Report, 2010) Today thousands of tourist visit the island to experience a blend of Spanish, Micronesian, Asian and western influences that have inhabited Guam for the past 300 years. The experience of the island’s history and living traditions when you visit historic sites or by sampling some of the island’s delicious food.

In conclusion, because Guam is the because island in the pacific, and a strategic point in the pacific, it is a valuable territory that will always be secured by America and very much appreciated. Although, the natives appreciate the Americas presence and Guam’s current political status on the island, they are still fighting for a lot of the original land to be returned to original landowners. The natives endured many struggles from Spain and Japan in order for the island to be what it is today.

The diverse influence that started from the Spanish era, the Japanese occupation, and then the liberation from the Americans is what makes the Chamorro culture very unique. The new generation is fighting to preserve what is left of the island’s history, and many organizations are working to promote the culture through song and music.