"Chinchuli:" An Evil That Has No End?
Chamorro Reciprocal Exchange System during the time of Governor Felipe de la Corte (1855-1866) By Michael Richard Clement, Jr. University of Guam Abstract: In 1853, Spain’s tenuous hold on the Western Pacific was vulnerable to aggression from much stronger rival imperial powers. In response, the Governor General of the Philippines appointed the unusually well qualified Lieutenant‐ Colonel Felipe de la Corte y Ruano Calderon to the governorship of the tiny province of the Mariana Islands. The reform minded governor spent 11 years on Guam persistently studying the island and its people as he developed plans for reform and modernization. Among his numerous observations was that at least in his mind, the indigenous Chamorro/CHamoru reciprocal exchange system known as "chinchuli" was extremely inefficient and was a primary obstacle to progress. This presentation rereads Governor de la Corte’s bitter, but also very detailed and informative complaints about the Chamorro culture of the time. A case is made that de la Corte’s reports provide incredible insights into the way the indigenous population of the island was able to maintain an autonomous identity despite nearly 200 years of colonial domination up that point in history. But also, that de la Corte’s reports are still relevant today as 21st century Chamorros, and other Pacific peoples, continue to negotiate tensions between communal obligations and the cultural structures of the modern world.
Presentation Recording
Presentaiton slides on the following page