Good afternoon

the two of us are here today to talk about

in CHamoru about this the

study named CHachalåni Mo'na

to further the knowledge of how CHamoru is constructed

therefore the program's point here is to search for

those who are of a certain age

for whom it is certain that CHamoru is their first language

foremost they should know CHamoru before English

so ah good afternoon Tun Mariano

Hello

Okay, please tell us a little about your story

so, where were you born

how old are you and where did you grow up

I was born at

Naval Hospital Guam

my mother, my father said I was born

"XXXXXXX XX, 1937"

they

when they built that schoo-, church that

it was not the Church, the Tamuning church

previously the hospital

I say, y'known, that I was born

the

XXXXXXX XX, 1937

that they built the new hospital, the one that they broke down

ah

who was that governor

American governor

they changed my birthday

they said XXXXXXX XX, 1936

but they changed that after the war

when they built the new--

No, the war was already over

the war was already over

the was over (when) they changed my name

so that happened(?) because that is what they wanted

yeah but what could be the reason for them to change your birth date

there was something they didn't-- there was something they did-- there was something I wanted them to do with me

so this thing they--

it wasn't legal, y'know

not

it wasn't legal for them to do it, y'know

that.is they threw away that record

so that change was not from war time confusion

no no

there was something else they thought, another motive, another motive

there was another

a different (reason) for what they did to me

so my date of birth then

XXXXXXX XX, 1937

so

my mother, they did not meet with my mother yet

my mother was not pregnant, I was born already

I was already born

so then who raised you

your grandmother, yes, and what is her name

my grandma

my grandma, man

Madalena

her maiden name, my grandma, Madeleine Quidachay

Madaleien Quichocho' Ogo

Ogo

so when the Chinsese came in, my grandfather, Quidachay, he was Quidachay

then they changed, the Qui from Quichocho left and (became) Ogo Quidachay okay

then my name, your name is a mess in CHamoru that Quidachay, that is not Quidachay, no

Quidachay

so during Amer- during

that is a vulgar word

no, during the Spanish (occupation)

that was my name but when America came in, Spa-- they beat-- they beat Spain

they changed my name to Quidahay H-A-Y, when the Americans came in now

they changed it to say Quidachay, the syllable ran (away), so those I understand, my situation and what they were saying

so the name (was) supposed to be Quidachay

ah

it was not Quida-, that was only during the American (occupation) they started pronouncing it like that

yes, only that (reason it was) Quidachay ah, "chai" means lika ah drop l right

so at that time, I had another name Quidahay

so your upbringing

ah so ah

they, you were the only one they raised -- by your grandmother, or were there others

no, I was the only raised by my grandfather because they would have

they would have

they didn't want to, my mom and my dad

I come from a different people

another family

so that.is my father didn't want to take me so my grandma took me and she raised me up

then, was it only you

yes, only me, cow's milk

ah goat's ah milk

all of those kinds

so then, "mohmo" you know what is "mohmo" right

oh you you you

yeah right

that is when that

you chew it first

two already

yeah

chew it first then that is when

uh, you

then my grandma fed it to me

yeah say that word again please

mohmo

mohmo

mohmo

my grandma, man, although although

she loved me, nonetheless, I was the only one she loved

because my birth was not supposed to happen

my mother and father did not want to take me into the hospital

okay, then ah ah then ah was it just your grandma? or was it your grandpa also

my my grandmother is from Talofo'fo', y'know

at that time, y'know, in the 30s, y'know, they travelled to Tumon

do you know what "efohmo" is? or "fohmo"

(trying to repeat)

this "efohmo" means that they see "che'ok" (a woven coconut basket worn on the back) made like the "guagua'" (woven coconut frond basket)

make sure you make your basket large, then you place a rock there, you put a rock in, right?

then you put, y'know, in, in what's called 'finger rocks', uh

they're put in there, then you'd continue to dig dig, continue to dig, the fish would continue to enter until you raise it up

That's it, that's it, yeah?

So it's not difficult to catch fish like that

Because, because at the time, there were no fishing nets, there was nothing whatsoever, y'know?

So that's why, y'know, at

imag-- just look at this from Talo'fo'fo'

my grandmother, y'know

they went to Tumon to do that

no one there went to uh went inside (to work) there was no work there was majority rocks and those sorts of things

then there in Tumon was where they said was work

can you please repeat again... what you said again how they fished during that time

okay

the "che'ok", that's a big, y'know, like "guagua'" (woven coconut frond basket), y'know?

I'd fill it with...

with the...

'finger rocks' they call it in English, yeah?

ah that coral, they call it

so it's not, ah put to the sid-- in the middle there

ah

it's put, y'know, in the center, y'know

then we and grandma, y'know

we'd vigorously break them

tireless we'd break (them)-- then the fish continue to enter

okay, so we lift it up

there are these eels

the eels that are bigger, those are very good to

to put in coconut milk and so forth, y'know

so now then those fish

the small ones

the coconut leaf stem is put

the coconut leaf stem

two of the stems like this

then

they're hang dried, when they're hang dried, y'know

that is when, y'know, it's put on...

on uhh on the fire

covered, that was our meal

so

me, y'know

our family, y'know

the cycad, they say, y'know

I'm the one who knows about the cycad

the "Federico palm", y'know, in English

yes

the Federico, y'know, it's

it's taken, ah it's split, and then it's smashed

so

for us, y'know

at that time, y'know

Robert

there was no water, only in the gutter, the gutter and the coconut tree which was put in a tank, y'know

so when it is

dry

sunny, y'know

we couldn't, y'know, Robert, because there is only little for us to drink

so the vehicles, y'know, go down

the cart, y'know

they call it a 'bull-cart'

to the Spanish bridge

the old Spanish bridge

I was there, I was a child then, I would watch those who showered

and who washed

so

this is in Agaña

um in Hagåtña, y'know

so that's why, y'know, Robert, y'know

that the

the water, y'know

the tank is taken and put in

in the cart, y'know

is set down to be taken

there were two tanks

then

it's taken up for the cycad to soak

the cycad, y'know, as food, y'know

is poisonous, you need to soak it

sometimes it takes 3, 4 weeks to soak

it's done soaking

when all the tea comes out

so when it's done soaking, y'know, Robert

then

it's hung up

then it's dried

in y'know six months to a year, the cycad

it won't spoil if it's already dry

so

if you are going to make it, y'know

you take the cycad again, you make it wet

so when it's wet, y'know

because you can't chop it

and there was no grindstone

the grindstone was expensive back then

it was expensive [unclear]

so it wasn't being ground (hand-milled)

expensive

the grinding stone is expensive

where, that's called, where and..., "mitåti" (hand-stone)

that's what was used

then

that's what, that's what it's called, y'know

to to pieces, y'know, you are grinding it, they say go and grind it

so, that.is, y'know

as for me, i don't like the cycad smell

it smells, y'know

because the corn

there's, uh, that smells good, right

corn on the cob can, can

there's barbequed corn on the cob

those types

so, corn

but cycad is not the same

now corn is not the same, y'know

corn, y'know, you can't, y'know

grind it

you need to soak it for a while in "eskome" (quicklime and water)

that's what's called "lime" (in English)

ah, lime

the lime, you heat up water

put in the lime, then

you put in the...

young.corn

the corn

yeah

you pick it up the next day, the corn will have, y'know, softened

because if you are going

going to grind the corn, you cannot because it is too hard

that's what we CHamorus did before

then uh you heard that they are saying that

that eating the cycad-- those that often ate the cycad contracted the Lytico and Bodig

so to your knowledge, is, uh

uh, is that idea correct? Or like

for me, for me, that--

didn't

they didn't, they didn't, they were in a hurry and they did not wait until...

uh they removed the poison or what

no, no no no

for me, y'know, my feeling is that's wrong

they contracted Bodig and all of that, y'know

because in the CHamoru custom, y'know

they drink and

go out at 10 o'clock