Tenhos 2025
Phases of i pilan Tenhos
Homhom i Pilan
New Moon
August 23
Sinåhi
Waxing Moon
August 31
Pulan Gualåffon
Full Moon
September 8
Kuatton Kresiente
Waning Moon
September 14
Lunar phases sourced from timeanddate.com
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Guampedia is a non-profit affiliate of the University of Guam with operations funded by the Government of Guam’s Tourism Attraction Fund.
Marianas History Conference
Weaving Stories of Land & Lineage
Despite over a century of political separation, the islands of the Marianas archipelago still hold a shared culture, language, and stories of place. In 2011, a group of historians, scholars, and community members from across the Marianas decided to create the Marianas History Conference, which would focus specifically on revitalizing the ongoing connections and delving into the shared histories of the Mariana Islands. The initial group of organizers, led by Scott Russell from the Northern Marianas Humanities Council and Rosanna Barcinas from the Guam Preservation Trust, came up with the inaugural conference theme - “One Archipelago, Many Stories.”
The Marianas History Conference
(MHC) is co-sponsored by the Northern Marianas Humanities Council, Guam Preservation Trust, the University of Guam, and Guampedia. Since 2012, the conference location has alternated between Saipan and Guam. MHC has generated communitybased scholarship and presentations by a diverse range of historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, economists, traditional scholars, and cultural practitioners. Guampedia is proud to feature e-publications, conference papers, and recorded presentations from MHC! Click here to learn more and access these resources We are excited to share that the 7th Marianas History Conference, with
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the theme “One Archipelago, Many Stories: Weaving Stories of Land & Lineage” will be held from August 29-31 at the University of Guam:
Generations of Mariana weavers have bound together separate fibers to make useful and beautiful objects: from baskets to ocean-faring vessels. The processes and objects contain and express values central to the peoples of the Marianas. In this spirit, the 7th MHC will provide a space to weave stories, tell our histories, bind ourselves together, and connect to our pasts to remake “One Archipelago.”
This conference will feature 50 stories from presenters within our islands, representing centers for community, culture, and history like the MARC, Gi Matan Guma’, and 500 Sails. Additionally, this year we
Event Details
Friday, August 29, 2025 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. *Registration starts at 4 p.m. at the Guam Museum*
Saturday, August 30, 2025 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday, August 31, 2025 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Location: Guam Museum (Day One) University of Guam (Day Two and Three)
welcome scholars from the Pompeu Fabra University in Spain, Hitotsubashi and Sofia Universities in Japan, and Griffith University in Australia, as they illustrate the deep connections our islands have with research around the world.
From music and dance to histories of psycho-oncology and perspectives on murder, panelists over the course of 7 sessions will share their diverse works reflecting the sheer breadth of history, culture, and tradition present in our islands. We hope you’ll join us this Friday to remember the histories that weave us together, revitalize our connections as an archipelago, and uplift emerging and local scholarship. Biba Marianas!
Typhoons, Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Oh My! How Natural Disasters Shaped Our History
This pulan Tenhos, meaning stormy or angry, signifies the beginning of typhoon or rainy season in the Mariånas which is from August to November. Typhoons, or påkyo, are formed when warm ocean water (27°C and above) meets cool air. These elements then rise and fall respectively, creating clouds and spiral structures, which are then carried away by the rotation of the earth. Påkyo increase or decrease in strength as they move and carry heavy rains and powerful winds wherever they go. As we enter rainy/typhoon season and reflect upon our most recent tsunami waves from the earthquake in Russia, looking into on our typhoon, tsunami, and earthquake history and potential for Guam can help us prepare for extreme weather and embody the tenacity and adaptability of our ancestors who survived påkyo and linao or earthquakes for millenia.
Typhoons have always been a part of life in the Mariånas with earliest written accounts of typhoons recorded by foreigners in the 1700s. Like all peoples, Guam’s ancient environment and climate shaped our culture, society, and spiritual beliefs. Some of the most memorable typhoons that hit Guam listed below:
Typhoo Karen - 1962
Typhoon Pamela - 1976
Typhoon Russ - 1990
Typhoon Yuri - 1991
Typhoon Omar - 1992
Super Typhoon Paka - 1997
Typhoon Pongsona - 2002
Typhoon Dolphin - 2015
Typhoon Mangkut - 2018
Super Typhoon Mawar - 2023
Storm above homes in 1902. Courtesy of Charles D. Lemkuhl/Micronesian Seminar
These disasters caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and disrupted many people’s livelihoods for months at a time. The American Red Cross Guam Chapter essential in disaster relief and recovery since its establishment in 1916. The frequency and force of these typhoons and supertyphoons shifted our island architecture from the old-style wood and tin houses to the typhoon-safe concrete houses we all have today to lessen the damage and displacement.
Although påkyo and other natural disturbances are a part of our lives here in the Mariånas, we will start to experience more frequent and powerful ones as a result of climate change. Typhoons have taught us a lot about conservation, respect for our natural environment, and adaptability through the millenia of our existence here in the Mariånas. We must continue this legacy by educating ourselves on typhoon preparedness and our family’s stories of survival through typhoon recovery. What was the worst påkyo your family lived through? What are some cherished memories that became of it? How did it change your ways of life moving forward?
Educators’ Corner
Welcome to the Educators’ Corner! In this recurring feature, we share ways you can adapt content on Guampedia for curriculum in the classroom or for help in assignments. In this month’s issue we look at our archive of over 180 videos as well as our Life on Guam Workbooks.
Video Library
From academic presentations to musical performances, our Vimeo page containts 183 individual videos on a variety of topics. Many of these recordings can be used in class assignments that encourage students to listen to the voices of our elders and analyze their experiences and how they can be connected to lessons taught in class. Additionally, the recordings from our coverage of the Marianas History Conferences can provide students with both new and exciting content as well as an example of how to articulate dense information in oral presentations. Click here to explore our Vimeo page.
When teaching science, a common challenge comes in finding ways to bridge the connection between concepts in the textbook with the realities of the environment our students experience. Here we have an amazing resource to help strengthen that connection and foster a curiosity for both the subject and our island envronment through the Life on Guam Workbooks.
Produced in 1977, these workbooks provide relevant class, lab, and field materials in ecology and social studies for Guam’s middle and high school students. While alot has changed on our island, much is still as it was for millions of years. These workbooks can both be used in the classroom as they provide inspiration for ways to bring Guam’s rich environment into the classroom. Click here to view our collection of Life on Guam Workbooks.
Science
Damage from Typhoon Karen’s storm surge in Asan, November 1962. Courtesy of Lyle Fisher, U.S. Air Force.