First Sakman voyage from Guam in 200 years

The Chamorro Sakman arrived on Saipan shores last Friday, but the welcoming ceremony of the first voyage from Guam in 200 years using a traditional Chamorro canoe was held yesterday, during the last day of the 36th Annual Flame Tree Arts Festival at the Garapan Fishing Base.

Master traditional navigator Tony Piailug, accompanied by Sesario Sewralur, Ben “Guelo’’ Rosario of Guam, and Piailug’s student navigators comprised the crewmembers for the historic voyage.

Once on land, Piailug explained to Saipan Tribune the significance of the voyage.

“This is what we are. In the ancient times, we did not have all these fancy things we have right now. We only had sailing. We lived off of local food from local ground and the nearby local waters,” he said.

Piailug wishes to return to traditional Chamorro roots—a wish that is shared with Rosario. Rosario was nicknamed “Guelu” on Guam and has been advocating for the revival and retention of traditional Chamorro practices on Guam.

Rosario has been a resident of Guam for 12 years but is originally from Rota.

“We have lots of ‘missions’ [in Guam]—we have slingstones, canoe carving, hut-building, and celestial navigation,” said Rosario, referring to the many lessons he offers on Guam.

Government officials that attended the welcoming ceremony yesterday felt blessed and emotional after seeing the traditional Chamorro Sakman from a distance.

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres told members of the media how blessed he was to have witnessed something of great historic significance to the islands he serves. According to Torres, a canoe for Saipan, along with a canoe program, is on its way.

“We have funding, $200,000, to build our own canoe here. We are in the process of making this a reality,” said Torres.

“We are going to put more funding into our culture; both into the canoe and into the music industry of the culture,” he added.

Torres mentioned that by the end of 2017, “we would have a good foundation of where to go from there,” even mentioning his desire to make the Sakman voyage something of an annual attraction for the islands.

Department of Community and Cultural Affairs Secretary Robert Hunter couldn’t help but get emotional upon the sight of the traditional Chamorro Sakman.

“Anytime I see a traditional canoe sailing, I tear up and end up having to fight [back the tears]. My grandfather is from Ulithi, an outer island of Yap. For me, [the sight] is moving,” he said.

Like Torres, Hunter wishes to see the Sakman welcoming ceremony as an annual event. According to Hunter, there have been numerous voyages from other Micronesian islands in the past, but one problem seems to remain a constant hindrance—coordination. Hunter hopes that the canoe program that is recently in the works would help alleviate the problem.

“It is a little complex to coordinate because we are dealing with people from outer islands such as Yap, Chuuk, and all these places to try and get them to meet on some small island and sail in at just the right time,” said Hunter.

“[Now that we have a canoe program], it’ll be a more regular fixture at these cultural activities and festivals.”

Office of Indigenous Affairs executive director Roman Tudela Jr. believes the historic voyage could be the start of something bigger.

“There are a lot of organizations that are [associated] with traditional canoes. You’re going to be seeing a lot [of canoes] in the future; this is a good start,” he said.

Tudela hopes that through this historic voyage, the CNMI could start traditional navigational schools that teach students celestial navigation, same as the navigation ancient Chamorros used to utilize in the past.