The most accurate representation of a Chamorro Flying Proa.
.... ><((((*> ..... ><((((*> ..... ><((((*> .…. TSS/TASI Newsletter
Traditional Seafaring Society and Traditions About Seafaring Islands Newsletter
Master Navigator Manny Sikau
August 26, 2007
CONTENTS:
REGULAR MEETING
PLANS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
T-SHIRTS
MESSAGE FROM M TENORIO
MESSAGE FROM REED OLIVER ABOUT LOGS AND CANOE CEREMONY IN POHNPEI
MESSAGE FROM MARIO BORJA
MESSAGE FROM DENNIS POBLETE
PROPOSED SIGN
PAGAN WATCH
REGULAR MEETING – Saturday 10 AM
This is the actual starting time!
Our regular meeting will be Saturday at the Paseo Canoe House, Sahyan Tasi Fache Mwan.
PLANS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Dr. Akira Goto is attending a Rapa Nui conference in Norway.
We welcomed our TASI Board Members, Chris Leon Guerrero and Bruce Best with a nice lunch at the canoe house. Mike Phillips was unable to attend.
Erwin Manibusan wrote out a generous check to TASI and is selling lunch plates to help us raise $5,000 in the next three weeks.
Gordon has come up with a great design for a new T-shirt. They should be out soon. He needs to know the color and sizes you need immediately.
We discussed helping the Museum with a fundraiser at the Sheraton.
Chamorro canoes
Sakman – Largest Chamorro oceangoing outrigger sailing canoe.
Ladyak – Sail, or large Chamorro oceangoing outrigger sailing canoe.
Lelek - Medium to large Chamorro oceangoing outrigger sailing canoe.
Dudings – Medium size Chamorro outrigger sailing canoe.
Duduli - Smallest Chamorro outrigger sailing canoe.
Galaide’ – A small Chamorro canoe used mainly inside the reef; no sail. Today in Chamorro a galaide’ is the generic term for any canoe with or without a sail.
Source: Original source Freycinet in 1819. Find in Cunningham, Lawrence J. Ancient Chamorro Society. Honolulu: Bess Press, 1992.
The bottom of the hull of the new small canoe was painted black this week by Rainam and Kevin. We discussed building a lelek (a medium to large proa but not quiet as large as a sakman). We worked on one of Ron Acfalle’s trailers and we moved six four inch by ten inch beams from the Friary to Al Scalabrin’s place for safekeeping.
Attendees:
Kayoko suggested that Larry send a thank you letter on behalf of all of us to Dr. Nishijima for the free dental and bridge work he offered to do for Manny. Unfortunately, Manny was not able to take advantage of this generous offer. His knees gave out and he had to return to Guam before our Shimonoseki visit. The mascot of Dr. Nishijima’s dental office is the dolphin. We have already given him a large star compass Manny made of shells on a pandanus mat, but I’m looking for a nice dolphin carving to send him as well.
We need to raise $in the next three weeks. Donations will be appreciated. Make checks out to TASI. We got a big check from Erwin Manibusan this week.
Anthony and Daniel are working on a Chamorro name for our new canoe that will honor Manny and Rainam, the masters who are showing us how to make canoes. They are also working with Manny on some ancient Chamorro pottery designs to be painted on the new canoe.
When the canoe is finished we will have a launching ceremony. Anthony is working on a chant. Manny is preparing a small bowl for this ceremony.
Larry passed out information from William Dampier’s 1687 visit to Guam (pp. 20- about Chamorro canoes and from Woodes Roger’s visit in 1710. It was captain Swan who took a Chamorro canoe back to England.
Dampier, William. A New Voyage Round the World. London: Argonaut, 1927 edition taken from Dampier's original, 1697. Reprint, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1968.
Rogers, Captain Woodes. A Cruising Voyage Round the World. New York: Longman Green and Co., 1928.
________. A Cruising Voyage Round the World. N. Israel/Amsterdam/ New York: Da Capa Press, 1969.
Next week will discuss a policy for the use of the canoe house and rules. See proposed sign below.
Projects:
Collect pandanus this week for the canoe house roof repair.
Bring ladders next Saturday.
Repair container.
Complete GVB grant application.
Pick up breadfruit log in Santa Rita.
Pick up the trailer in Agat.
Enlarge the canoe house.
Repair the QUEST trailer.
Repair Ron’s large trailer.
Finish small canoe.
Transport remaining Friary beams and rudder to Al container.
Clean up Friary.
Repair Ron’s medium size trailer.
Start work on Rob’s canoe.
Build two more canoes like the MAISA.
Get donations for Macy certificates: $5.00. The certificates give customers a special discount on Macy’s purchases for one day. We get to keep all the money we raise.
Spend more time training people sailing our canoes.
T-SHIRTS
Gordon will order more t-shirts. It will have the same front as the last T-shirt, i.e. a sakman with tattoo style dolphins on each side. On the back will be the Anson Plan with TASI above it and Traditions About Seafaring Islands below it. We really need to sell these.
I have seen the new design and it is spectacular.
Gordon has T-shirts for $10.00 - $14.00. Contact Gordon at critters@ite.net or call him at 565-2529.
MESSAGE FROM M TENORIO
Larry,
I enjoyed my brief visit and look forward to more. Good luck in the coming months and I hope to give of my time upon my return. Please extend my appreciation to the group. Take care.
Maggie
MESSAGE FROM REED OLIVER ABOUT LOGS AND CANOE CEREMONY IN POHNPEI
Good morning Doc.:
Kaselehlia from Pohnpei. it is about 15 minutes to four in the morning, time to get up and get things ready from the office side. It is best time for me to get things organized and check on the days work ahead when it is peace and quiet. Thank you for the picture, yes, this is close to what I have in mind, but not this fancy, it will be locally made and I want to copy some of those from Hawaii if we can. The canoe that I bought has not touched the water yet, as I need to make plans for me and some of my family men for us to make the first "use" of the canoe to fish and bring the catch to my grand mother and some other older folks in our family as a way of paying our respect before we start using the canoe for our own use. I want to make it the way we use to make it long time ago when I was young, where we need to prepare "mwaramwars" and coconut oil for the men that will be doing the first fishing and bringing them in, we will also need to prepare one sakau on the rock that will do the ceremonial pounding upon arrival of the canoe, I want it done at Lidakihka Beach or closer to that area, I want to set a small tent and prepare the area for their arrival and bring my grandmother and mom and Estle’s mom and other older people we know about one hour before they reach the beach so they won't be sitting long.
Let me know about your friend’s trip to Pohnpei so I can also prepare to meet them, I've asked for big breadfruit trees and some people know where there are, and I am sure Saimon Mix will also know people that can also help.
My greetings to your friends and family, signing off for now,
take care.
Reed & Family
MESSAGE FROM MARIO BORJA
Mario is asking the Governor, in the letter below, if all the groups interested in building Chamorro canoes (Saipan, San Diego, and Guam) can meet with him either Sept. 24th or 25th.
I’m hoping we can host him at the canoe house.
Larry
Senot Maga'lahi Felix P.Camacho,
Si Mario R. Borja este gi San Diego. Pago matu hao San Diego, unbesita i Sons & Daughters of Guam Club ya hu-fa'nu'i hao todo i checho-mame guine para i kutturan Chamoro. La megai pago mas para en haksa para i kumindat-ta talo. Man-danania ham yan si Senot Larry Cunningham yan si Senot Noel Quitugua para en haksage i SAKMAN CHAMORRO: Uno giya Guam, otro gi ya Saipan, yan uno guine giya San Diego. Ya put esti na malago yo du-miskuti yan hago.
Para bai fatto Guam gi dia 23Sep07 yan asagua-hu JoJo. En fin para Palau guato i chalan-mame put i tano i familia, lao malagu-ham sumagaye Guam dos dias para sina mohon tafan ali'e da dos. Yanngen maolek todu, kao sina na tafan ali'e gi dia 24Sep o dia 25Sep? Gracias para i konsiderasion-mu.
Si Yu'us Maase,
Si Mario Reyes Borja
Sakman Chamorro, USofA
MESSAGE FROM DENNIS POBLETE
Greetings from the Philippines:
Hey Larry, I was looking at the pictures and I noticed that Manny is using a crutch??? What happened? I hope nothing serious......
Dennis
P.S.
Miss you all... say hi to Bruce and Sandy for me... and gretch also
PROPOSED SIGN
PUBLIC NOTICE
Traditional
Seafaring Society
& T.A.S.I.
Canoe House
Såhyan
Tåsi---Fache Mwan
WELCOME ! Take photos anytime. Ask questions and we will answer!
Please RESPECT this Sacred Place by following all of the rules of the Department of Parks and Recreation.
NO cooking, camping, loitering, or littering within 30 feet of the canoe house
Also please UNDERSTAND that there is
NO SMOKING
allowed in house due to high flammability!!!
Please, park only on the road on Yellow (not red) curb.
Thank you very much!
The Traditional Seafaring Society,
T.A.S.I., and
Guam Department of Parks and Recreation.
(at bottom in Japanese we will also add:)
Welcome! Take photos anytime. Ask questions and we will answer.
FESPAC American Samoa July 20th – August 2nd, 2008
http://www.festival-pacific-arts.org/About_American_Samoa.htm
PAGAN WATCH
For all Pagan mining stories, please visit the PaganWatch web site at:
http://www.chamorro.com/pagan/pagan.html#2.
"Throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sail, Explore, Dream, Discover. -- Mark Twain
If you would like to be dropped from future mailings, please email a “drop me” message to Lcunning@uog9.uog.edu .
Thanks,
Lawrence J. Cunningham
Faculty Advisor