Research Interviews and Master Weaver Tan Elena's Contribution

As part of my research, I was fortunate enough to interview my mother, Julia Santos Naputi, who as you know is a weaver and has taken the time to teach me the steps of weaving simple crafts that students in grades 1, 4, and 7 will enjoy, as part of their mathematics instruction. See my previous posting regarding my interview with her. My father, Joaquin Nangauta Naputi, also contributed to the interview, as he recalled how my grandfather, Juan Acfalle Naputi, whom we fondly called "Tata" would often weave his own baskets for farming purposes (i.e. hold coconuts, fruits, etc.). He also mentioned that my grandmother, Maria Nangauta Naputi, whom we fondly called "Nana" would also weave mats for the house, but that she would also sell them.

In addition, I've been able to interview Jose Atoigue Cruz, Jr. and James C. Bamba, who have both been weaving for 15 years. They contributed their weaving photos, and there is also a weaving video of the katupat that Bamba shared, which I wrote about in a previous blog post. For further insight, I interviewed Dr. Jose Quinene Cruz, who grew up with weaving surrounding him, as well as Ronald T. Laguana, Administrator of the Guam Department of Education Chamorro Studies Division. A special interview of Tan Floren Meno Paulino was also obtained online via pacificworlds.com.

In particular, Jose Atoigue Cruz, Jr. shared with me that he learned his weaving from Guam's best, Tan Elena Cruz Benavente. He mentioned that Tan Elena was honored by the Guam Council on the Arts and Humanities Agency as a Master Weaver of the Agak (Pandanus). As such, pictured in this post is Tan Elena featured as a Pandanus Master Weaver. She has since passed away, but I'm sure she is smiling from heaven above knowing that she has passed on the Chamorro artistry of weaving to her family, who will hopefully continue to pass it down for generations to come.


References:

Bamba, J. Personal INTERVIEW. 14 March 2010.

Cruz, J.A. Personal INTERVIEW. 12 March 2010.

Cruz, J.Q. Personal INTERVIEW. 12 March 2010.

Laguana, R. Personal INTERVIEW. 15 March 2010.

Naputi, J. S. Personal INTERVIEW. 23 February 2010.

Naputi, J. N. Personal INTERVIEW. 23 February 2010.

Paulino, F. (2010). Weaving. Retrieved March 9, 2010 from http://www.pacificworlds.com/guam/stories/story3.cfm

The Culture of Guam. Retrieved March 12 , 2010 from http://ns.gov.gu/culture.html