|
ecilia, an Indigenous Poet and Writer hailing from the Island of Guam is the author of the literary compilation "Signs of Being -- A Chamoru Spiritual Journey" which articulates the mindscape of the contemporary Chamoru consciousness.
Mannamoru or those who are Chamoru, are the indigenous people of the Chamoru archipelago of the Marianas Islands in the Northwest Pacific. Both the people and the language are called, Chamoru. The islands which are their ancestral homelands, are known today as the Marianas.
From legends we know that the Chamoru people claim their origins from the islands themselves. The story is told of the first two beings, Puntan and Fu'una. It was from her brother's body that the sister, Fu'una, made the earth, the sky and all that we find in nature. In fact, some place names on Guam refer to parts of the human body (e.g. Urunao, the head; Tuyan, the belly; and Barrigada, the flank.) There are fifteen main islands in the archipelago. The largest and southernmost island is Guam, neighbored by other inhabited islands of Luta, Sa'ipan and Tinian.
ecilia, by birth was named Cecilia Catherine Taitano Perez,
by family was given the name Lee Perez,
and by I Mannamoru (the indigenous
people of the Pacific Marianas archipelago) was given the name Hagan Ita.
This is an unofficial
Webpage created as a tribute to Cecilia by her Iman Chamoru following.
The anthology, "Signs of Being--A Chamoru Spiritual Journey," is a
creative writing documentary on the politics of cultural
identity and historical memory of
Chamoru mind and senses. It is written from the self-reflexive view of an
indigenous Chamoru woman writer from Guam who celebrates the survival of her
people
who were slaughtered or colonized for 336 years by external conquering nations.
She employs creative writing in her sojourn through five passages
which politically sensitizes us to what being Chamoru means today.
The Works of Cecilia has been copyrighted © Nov 1997 through the U.S.
Library of Congress. All poems on this website
must be authorized by Cecilia before being used on other
publications and mediums.
(Please use Internet Explorer to hear the music)
Family of Cecilia. Poem
"Sky Cathedral" and Analysis of poem.
Photos of Life in Marianas. Poem "Kafe Mulinu" and analysis.
Poem "Steadfast Woman" and analysis.
Agana Swamp
Monkeypod Tree.
Poem "Strange Surroundings" and remarks.
Micronesian Nation Neighbors. Poem "Bare-Breasted Woman" and comments.
The Culture of Guam. Invisible Ceremonies.
Peskadot
- The Chamoru Sea Warrior.
The Star Cave of Guam. A celestial event marker.
