HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Humåtak bustled with activity as villagers and visitors celebrated Mes CHamoru with the reenactment a couple of days ahead of Ferdinand Magellan’s historic March 6, 1521, landing.
The sun glistened off Humåtak Bay’s waters as the afternoon display depicted what may have transpired the day the Spanish explorer stumbled upon Guam.
“It all began when Ferdinand Magellan and his three small ships stumbled upon the Mariana Islands (on) 6 March 1521. Totally exhausted, sick with scurvy, and half-starved, Magellan and his crew were fed and the ship’s stores replenished. Magellan stayed just long enough to take vengeance on the islanders for their theft of his ship’s skiff and, reportedly, carve out human entrails for his sick crew,” Guampedia said.
The Humåtak mayor and the mayor’s planning council committee have been hosting the reenactment for over 30 years, but this year the event is smaller.
“Right now, we only have the reenactment. We’re not having food trucks or anything because of our construction site. After the storm, there’s a lot of damage. We are doing a new playground. Our pavilions for the food booths, most of them are damaged. Our stage is damaged. We’re starting to just repair it,” Humåtak Mayor Johnny Quinata said.
The event, however, still managed to draw a crowd. For some, it was their first reenactment experience.
Alix Engler, a first-time attendee, told The Guam Daily Post that she was eager to learn more about the island.
“Learn more about the CHamoru culture and to see what the island’s all about, learn about its history and experience something new. (I) just moved here,” said Engler.
Engler, who moved a few months ago for the military, saw the beauty in the music and dance used to tell the story of Magellan’s landing.
“It’s really beautiful, and I think it’s a really good way to relate to people who might not understand everything,” Engler said.
It was the same for Taylor Anderson.
“I think it’s beautiful, same as her. She brought me here. I didn’t know anything about it,” Anderson said. “This is a cool introduction to it because we don’t know much yet and still getting settled.”
CHamoru cultural dancers perform at the Humåtak reenactment of Ferdinand Magellan’s 1521 landing in Guam on Monday, March 4, 2024.
