Bringing you the art and expertise of Judy Selk Flores, PhD
To all our lovely and beloved mothers, enjoy a gift of flowers – batik style, from Guam Batik Gallery.
These hibiscus, so representative of Guam, are painted on a long piece of silk that can be mounted and framed, but is often used to accessorize as a scarf. I especially like the various hues of blue in the background that is so particular to batik.
This Sunday on Guam will be the celebration of St. Joseph, the patron saint of Inalahan. As one mahalang Inalahan native, this post is made in honor of the celebration. Here is a historic telling of Fiesta activities:
Father Oscar Calvo organized the first Cocnut Festival in 1947. It was celebrated in conjunction with the patriocinon San Jose or Feast of St. Joseph, held annually every second Sunday after Easter. The theme was based on the idea that the coconut is king, due to its various uses.
For example, coconut palms give drink, medicine, shelter, fuel and light. The shell alone can be used for charcoal, all types of bowls and cups, ladles and spoons. The husk may be used for fuel, brushes, doormats and ropes. Father Calvo’s initial attempt was to stimulate the people to go back to the coconut, meaning back to farming, after the war (Naputi, 1973).
The coconut festival of those years was a very colorful and lively event (Naputi, 1973). This event began the island wide tradition of queen’s contests to raise funds for the parish. Queen candidates served as the royal entourage. The queen was crowned in a lavish ceremony by uniformed military men to rule over festival events. The festival events included agricultural displays, arts and crafts exhibits, and livestock exhibits.
The religious activities of the fiesta took place Saturday evening with a mass and procession around the village where the statue of Saint Joseph was carried. Each home displayed a lamp or lighted candle while the procession passed. After procession, visitors were feasted with a large food table at the church grounds, with food donated from every parish family, called na’taotao tumano. A traditional play or program followed the dinner and included songs, dances and skits performed by the parishioners. A dance might continue the festivities far into the night, as well as a cockfight for the men. On Sunday, the morning mass was followed by games of volleyball, tuba drinking contests, carabao races and horse races. Fiesta tables loaded with food opened at noon. Every house in the village hosted a fiesta, to which friends and relatives were welcome. The festivities concluded with a colorful float parade with floats built by sponsors of each queen candidate as well as from various religious organizations and business. Prizes for floats and games and a raffle drawing from the queen’s ticket sales culminated events (Annual Fiesta: Patrocino of San Jose, 1953; Naputi, 1973).
Candidates and their sponsors were and still are very competitive and work very hard to make their candidate win. The winning candidate typically brought in thousands of dolloars to the parish, with much pride and prestige attributed to their families and sponsors. The San Jose Patrocino and Coconut Festival was one of the major events of the island. This theme continued until 1953, when other themes were introduced. The Coconut Festival was briefly revived in 1973.
The first Coconut Queen was Fay Naputi Flores in 1948 (who married Francisco A. Rivera), followed by Conchita S.N. Flores in 1949 (who married Joaquin Duenas Diego), Teresita L.G. Paulino in 1950 ( who married Juan C. Meno), Teresita S.N. Paulino in 1951, (who became Sister Mary McCauley), Ruth Borja Flores in 1952 (who married Randolph Carbullido), and Mae Reyes Leon Guerrero in 1953 (who married Antonio Paulino). Mae’s daugher, Mae Rose Paulino, was crowned Queen Mae II in 1973 (Naputi 1973). In 2010 the Coconut Festival resumed under the auspices of Historic Inalahan Foundation and Gef Pa’go, with the crowning of Queen Eden Dianne Duenas Ikesakes. The reigning Coconut Queen for 2011 was Ciera Afaisen Aguon. Inalahan continued to be known as one of the biggest and best fiestas on the island.
- story and photos from the book Estorian Inalahan
si Sandy
Inspired by the beauty of Guam and its people, Judy Flores(Mom to me) has been creating images of the island for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I witnessed her working in everything from macrame’ to acrylic painting, but for more than 30 years now, it has been batik that has been her medium of choice. I’m not sure, but I suspect part of the appeal is the way a batik only reveals itself completely when it is finished with the ironing off of the wax. Crisp and steaming, the cloth finally shows off the detailed art of intricate lines and crackles. I wonder if Mom can imagine that end stage beforehand, or if it is still a fun, final revelation.
It is especially enjoyable for Mom to do a commissioned batik; a piece of art that a person specifically requests of her. Always, there is a story. In the last twelve months alone, there has been a request for a memorable wedding gift, a depiction of a place where a couple fell in love, and a series of pieces that depict the life of a beloved wife and mother. Mom always takes the time to understand what the client is really looking for, and makes their happiness the measure of the success of her work.
My own concentration has always been to make the art accessible. Part of that is creating reproductions that are meaningful and affordable, such as the glass ornaments and latte, and the other part is reaching out with the internet and at face to face events to share the art. About a year ago, monthly art classes began being offered at the Inalahan studio. Mom also attends cultural events twice a year with me here in San Diego, California; the Pacific Island Festival(PIFA) in September, and the Chamorro Cultural Fest in March.
It has been over 10 years ago now that Mom became Judy Flores,PhD in the Arts of Oceania, and created a body of work around her research of art and history on Guam. In 2011 her book ,Estorian Inalahan was published. The book not only summarizes the most recent historical research about the island, but gives in depth information about the lives of the people of Guam through the experience of the people of Inalahan. We also share this on our website and through public events. The latest event was her talk on ancient ornamentation at the Pacific Islander Ethnic Art Museum in Long Beach.
What is ahead? We expect we will be collaborating on a new children’s book. We are also looking at creating new gift items around her artwork. We would love to hear from our readers just what they would most like to see – and when and where. We’re listening!
For those who share our love of Guam and the art that honors it, dankulu si Yuus ma’ase.
si Sandy
In honor of Chamorro month, here is another writing on the ancient Chamorro from the book, Estorian Inalahan. This material will be presented by Dr. Judy Flores to students and the public at the Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum in Long Beach California on March 25th, 2012 at 11am.
A highly valued item of exchange was the turtle shell. Its value was determined by the difficulty involved in catching. Therefore a turtle captured at sea would have more value than one caught on the beach. Anyone who caught a turtle was required to present it to the magalahi of the clan, who determined its value and how the turtle shell plates were distributed. Early chronicles describe the wearing of turtle shell plates by high-status women, who fastened cords to the holes drilled in the plate and wore it like an apron. They also hung turtle shell pendants from the garlands around their heads as part of their dance adornement. Chamorri were buried with turtle shell valuables, described in early accounts. Turtle shell, unlike seashell, decays and disappears in burials.
Sinahi
While the value of turtle shell was documented by early visitors to the Marianas, nothing has been noted about the crescent-shaped Tridacna piece which has been found in burials. Considering its carefully worked shape and highly-polished finish, this sinahi (quarter moon), as it is called today, was probably very valuable in ancient Chamorro society. It could have been worn by chamorri as an indication of wealth and status. One of several pieces could have been hung together as a display of wealth in the payment of tribute to a victorious clan or as an exchange valuable to form alliances between clans.
Related photos and descriptions can be viewed in the book, Estorian Inalahan
Saina Maase
The Chamorro Cultural Fest in San Diego is about celebrating the Marianas and what makes it special. This year there is an addition to the event program, Chamorro Memories, which are short stories recalling events that are particular to the culture.
We hope you will attend the free Festival and enjoy your own copy of these Chamorro Memories. Here are a couple of our submissions to give you a taste of the stories you’ll enjoy.
My Chamorro Family
After I moved to Guam from Colorado in 1957, the Diego family in Inalahan became my second
family, with all the children as my brothers and sisters. I went with the Diegos to feed the pigs
and to harvest the produce, learned to make traditional coconut
treats like bokayu (coconut candy) and ahu (young coconut pudding). I
accompanied them to San Jose Church services, the after-school parochial
classes and learned the prayers. When I was baptised as a Catholic at age
16, Joaquin and Rosa became my Nino and Nina.My paintings have been inspired by
these experiences and memories. Inalahan was a very special place to grow up.
- Judy Selk Flores, Inalahan Guam
Single Handed Crab Hunting
Because many roads on Guam run along the beach, land crabs get caught in the car headlights as they make their way from the jungle to the ocean. Driving along, especially on full moon nights, our pick-up could suddenly pull off the road. There was no mechanical problem, just Dad spotting a big crab. He would run out and pick it up in one quick movement. He expertly held back it’s legs so that it’s claws could not pinch him. Often, the back of the truck became their holding pen until we got them home. But other times Dad would drive home, crab in one hand, steering the truck down the road.
by Sandy Flores Uslander, San Diego
In observance of the upcoming month of March, Chamorro month on Guam, we share this writing on Ancient Chamorro fishing.
Ancient Chamorros were excellent fishermen, both in deep sea and within the reef shallows. Fishhooks were made from pearl-shell. After contact with western cultures, they traded for iron nails, which they fashioned into more durable fishhooks.
Fishing lines were made from coconut fiber and pagu (wild hibiscus tree) fiber. Several types of nets made from pagu fiber were used, such as large dragnets (chenchulu), gill nets (tekken), and short hand nets (lagua).
Sinkers for the nets were made from rocks, and floats from puteng (Barringtonia asiatica) seeds.
Wooden spears, called fisga were used for shallow reef fishing (Cunningham, 1992: 33 Thompson, 1932: 46-9). Spear fishing was done in shallow water with a bone-tipped spear also called a fisga. Fishhooks described earlier were also made of turtle shell, or fishbone, and sometimes had a coral shank.
Night fishing in the lagoons was done with a torch that attracted the fish to the light where they could be speared. Underwater spearfishig took place in deeper water. A method of stunning fish by poisoning a tidal pool with ground puteng seed (Barringtonia asiatica) was probably used in times of emergency or scarcity.
A 1602 description of activities following a fishing expedition gives clues to the Chamorro rituals of daily life:
from Life in Ancient Inalahan , Estorian Inalahan, page 9
Happy Valentines Day from the Guam Batik Gallery
Valentines Day did not originate with Chamorros, but it is celebrated by Chamorro people everywhere. Our Valentines art depicts a couple enjoying the romantic atmosphere of Tumon with Two Lovers Point in the background. You can almost feel the warm night air and smell the plumerias. Enjoy a special day, wherever you are.
si Judy
and si Sandy (hagan Judy)
Learn batik painting with Judy Flores. Monthly classes are now available at her garden studio in Inarajan. Please go to our Events site for more details and to register online.
Watch the batik process featured on Pacific Home and Garden TV HERE (enjoy our segment right after learning about Guam Historic Preservation).
Join Judy at the Chamorro Cultural Fest March 24th in San Diego. See details here.
Or attend Judy’s talk at the Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum in Long Beach (PIEAM) on March 25th at 11am.
What our attendees have said:
Judy and Sandy, it was a really great time and experience for me to be a part of the workshop! Having come from afar just to meet and experience Judy’s expertise was well worth the trip and the wonderful hospitality all around was definitely a bonus. Just that little taste of batiking was enough to encourage me to “play” some more. I am anxiously looking forward to my supplies arriving and then…ahhhhh, my pursuit of practicing my newfound craft. Life is good! Si Yu’us Ma’ase and keep on sharing our island’s beauty through your art. – Agness, Delaware
Batik Workshop with Judy Flores
Join Guam artist, Judy Flores for an afternoon of batik in her garden studio near Inarajan, Guam. Your ticket price includes material for 4 projects. Choose from making scarves, suncatchers or banners. This is an opportunity to work in a small group with one of Guam’s most well known artists in her home studio in beautiful southern Guam. Register for a batik class HERE.
or Contact Us to talk about your interest.
Saina Maase
