AN OCEAN OF KNOWLEDGE: FINDING THE WAY HOME
AN OCEAN OF KNOWLEDGE CONFERENCE
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IRVINE 18-19 OCTOBER 2017
DR JUDY FLORES, UNIVERSITY OF GUAM
"FINDING THE WAY HOME"
SINAHI
On November 21 I gave a talk for the MARC Seminar Series at the University of Guam. This talk was meant to encourage a continuing discussion of the crescent-shaped, carved body ornament called Sinahi by contemporary Chamorros. My interest in this object is due to the fact that it has become a major icon of Chamorro identity, yet its ancient origins and usage is a mystery. To summarize my talk: · The name Sinahi was given by contemporary Chamorros because it looks like a crescent moon. This is confusing because Sinahi actually means New Moon, meaning the dark moon. According to my sources, ancient Chamorro language described the waxing moon as Sinahi---( i.e One, Two) , using ancient terminology for the enlarging size of the crescent over the month’s cycle. Contemporaries shortened these terms to just Sinahi . In the northern Mariana Islands, it has been called Kalang , meaning pendant. · It was carved from the giant clam shell, a ver
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