Guam residents: Seal incorrectly depicts traditional canoe

Posted on Jul 02 2015

Tag: AGANA, Guam, Helen Paul, Jose Martinez

AGANA, Guam (AP)—Nearly 100 years after a woman named Helen Paul was inspired by a local artist and designed the flag and seal of Guam, some residents are saying that it incorrectly depicts an important cultural artifact.

The Pacific Daily News reports that a number of people on the island territory say the flying proa—a cornerstone of Guam’s seafaring traditions—is drawn incorrectly on the seal.

One resident calling attention to the problem is Jose Martinez, secretary of Traditions Affirming our Seafaring Ancestry. He wants to see the flag fixed.

Martinez says a canoe shown in the seal is drawn incorrectly, with the outrigger on the wrong side. He says if the canoe were built that way, it wouldn’t sail.

He compares it to drawing a car with triangle wheels.

Associated Press

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