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1st Guma’ Higai of the Chamorro Village is unveiled
CNMI Master of Arts and Culture Eusebio Borja, with his family, pose in front of the Guma’ Higai, a thatched traditional Chamorro hut that they built at the Civic Center in Susupe. (Iva Maurin)
The vision of recreating a Chamorro village is off to a good start with a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday for a thatched traditional Chamorro hut called a “Guma’ Higai” at the Civic Center in Susupe.
CNMI master of arts and culture Eusebio Borja built the Guma’ Higai with his family. They started building last Aug. 15, and had to go through two storms before the hut was finished.
“I am very happy to do this for the community to show the community that this is what we were using traditionally,” Borja said.
Borja, along with his family, built the hut by hand, using organic materials.
“We all did this by hand. It’s hard, particularly during the rainy season, when it is hard to climb trees, and carry materials from the jungle, where it is slippery,” Borja said. “It is not easy, but you don’t feel tired because you see your progress, and now, people can see this kind of house.”
Borja also said that he is trying to get inmates who are on probation or are doing community work to be involved with building more Guma’ Higai.
“Through this, the community will realize that we are doing something that will promote our culture, and our family values,” Borja said.
Roman M. Tudela Jr., executive director of the Indigenous Affairs Office, and Isidoro T. Cabrera, president of the Inetnun Åmut Yan Kutturan Natibu, presented a certificate of recognition to Borja and his family yesterday to memorialize the first Guma’ Higai they built.
“This is the traditional house, and it’s important to showcase to our younger generation so that they know their history,” Cabrera said. “This is going to be the first of many thatched houses that will be built one at a time. The next one will be coming up pretty soon.”
