GINEN I MAÑAINA-TA

Our earliest ancestors built wooden homes with thatched palm roofs. These either rested on the ground or on wooden pole foundations in a similar style to homes in Island Southeast Asia.

A 500- to 800-year old skull found at the Tåga’ site in Tinian was reconstructed in 1998 to show what the person may have looked like. Bone analysis revealed he was in his mid-50s at death. The healed bone scar on his skull possibly came from a penetrating stab wound to his face as a young man.

Carving a canoe was sacred traditional knowledge that was passed down through generations. The wood had to be cut and shaved perfectly for all the pieces to fit tightly together. The largest canoe on record was said to have been 52 feet in length, but 26- to 28-foot vessels were more common.

The asymmetrical hull and outrigger were unique features of the såhyan CHamoru and Micronesian canoes. The låyak (sail) made of woven pandanus was moved from one end of the hull to the other. To the first European observers, the proa seemed to “fly, gliding over water at a speed of up to 20 miles per hour.”

The most sacred and ancient of our traditions relate to navigation and canoe-building. Through advanced seafaring knowledge and canoe designs, our ancestors traveled thousands of miles to reach the Mariana Islands. These adept mariners voyaged by following Timek (Polaris, or the North Star) and other constellations, by observing cloud formations, wave patterns, ocean hues, the presence of sea birds and sea life.

Navigation was taught at an early age to young male apprentices. By puberty, they could sail on their own.

The presence of fahang dångkolo (brown noddy birds) signals that land is nearby. The birds fly out to sea to feed and return to land at night.

Clouds often cluster over islands, and sometimes reflect the green of vegetation.

While on open ocean voyages, our ancestors sailed their sakman throughout the Marianas, the Caroline Islands and elsewhere for trade. They may even have travelled as far as the Philippines, Taiwan, the Ryukyu Islands off of Japan, and beyond.

Our ancestors built latte’ stone foundations, which consisted of a haligi (pillar) and tåsa (capital). Structures such as guma’ sahyan tasi (canoe house) and guma’ urritao (bachelors’ house) rested on rows of latte’, which were oriented parallel to the coastline or cliffline.

Latte’ first appeared around 900 AD, before other Pacific megaliths such as Nan Madol in Pohnpei and moai statues of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) were constructed.

Varying in size, latte’ were erected in parallel rows in even sets of six to fourteen. The most impressive latte’ (15 feet) are at the Taga’ site in Tinian. The As Nieves Quarry in Rota contains the largest known haligi and tåsa, which remain in the ground.

The latte’ provided a stable base for wooden flooring, keeping it secure during earthquakes. Latte’ elevated the guma’ above the damp ground, kept out vermin, and provided ventilation and a shaded work or storage space under the structure.

Latte’ builders used various geological material found throughout the island such as reef rock, coral, limestone, sandstone, volcanic sandstone and basalt.

By the turn of the 17th century, our ancestors were a highly organized society based on matrilineal (or maternal) kinship ties. They enjoyed gupot (feasts) where families would gather, share food, and engage in games, storytelling, debates and competitions of strength and skill.

They practiced a system of reciprocity and exchange, called chenchule’. The ancient social order placed great emphasis on famagu’on (children) and mañaina (elders).

Using only what they needed, they respected the land and the sea profoundly as the stewards of these natural resources. Our ancestors were distinguished for their hospitable, generous ways. Values of mana’daña (collaboration), manafa’maolek (cooperation), and mana’gofli’e (seeing the best in others) are a true testament to the philosophy of harmony, reconciliation and conflict resolution.

I Mesngon, Ayu Åpman

Our ancestors were great orators. Their play of words and use of metaphors and humor came alive in the Kantan Chamorita and storytelling traditions. These forms of art, reflecting the beauty and richness of our Fino Haya (the indigenous language of the Marianas) persist to this day.

The material culture of our ancestors was well developed and highly technical. They adapted the knowledge and skills of their ancestors in Island Southeast Asia to their homeland in the Marianas. Their seafaring craft, elaborate tool-making and architecture reflect their ingenuity, familiarity with the environment and capacity to create a signature footprint among world cultures.