The Spanish Reduccion’: Minimizing the Power of Chamorro Women By Judy Flores, PhD Prepared for the 3rd Marianas History Conference and Guampedia
Women had significant freedom and power in pre-colonial Chamorro society and seemed to be among those with the most to lose by converting to Christianity and its dogma of submission to male authority and lifelong monogamous relationships. Historian Francisco Garcia specifically points out in 1681 the subjugation of Christianized women to their husbands, “whom they recognize as their head and superior” as being a triumph of missionary influence. This paper reviews the historical commentary that describes the power of women and Spanish attempts to undermine the power structure. Early Encounters and Descriptions Descriptions of the Chamorro people span a period of over 150 years, beginning with Pigafetta’s account of Magellan’s 1521 visit and encompassing Garcia’s writing which described the early missionization period of 1668 to 1681. An analysis of the various descriptions can give us a general picture of continuity and change within the culture over several generations, during the time when westernization had not yet changed practices to a great extent. These descriptions provide insight into the role of women in ancient Chamorro society. In an attempt to missionize the natives of the Mariana islands, Fray Juan Pobre de Zamora jumped from a Spanish galleon that stopped briefly in the Marianas and stayed in the island of Luta (Rota) in 1602. He wrote the first account of Chamorro society. Jesuit historian Father Francisco Garcia, who never visited the Marianas, compiled missionary letters and reports into the first history of the mission in the Marianas, which was published in 1683. These two accounts and a few other sources provide information about Chamorro society before it was significantly altered by colonial intrusions. While we must take into account the religious bias contained in these accounts, repeated observations serve to verify and build a story of Chamorro life in the 17th century.
3rd Marianas History Conference 2016 • Page 50