Carolinians (Repaghuluwósch)

## Country of Origin

Efáng llól Marianas/Northern Mariana Islands (United States): 12,000

## Religion or Spirituality

Roman Catholicism with mixed traditional aspects

## Related Ethnic Groups

Micronesians Austronesians

**Carolinians** are a Micronesian ethnic group who originated in Oceania, specifically the Federated States of Micronesia, but now they have mostly settled in the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and Palau. The immigration of Carolinians to Saipan began in the early 19th century, after the Spanish killed most of the local population of Chamorro natives, reducing them to just 3,700. They began immigrating by sailing mostly from small canoes via islands which were previously devastated by a typhoon. The Carolinians have a much darker complexion than the native Chamorros.

## Etymology (Faal)

Refaluwasch or Repaghuluwósch means "People of the deep sea" in Carolinian as well as a multitude of Micronesian languages.

## History (Uruwow)

### Pre-Colonization (Mmwakolonizaschan)

   They have a history stretching back over 3000 years. The Carolinian people had contact with the Chamorro people for years. They had a long history of traveling from the Caroline Islands to what is now Guam. "Pre-contact" Carolinian designed pestles, hooks for fishing, and rings made out of shells found on the ground and beneath it show contact between the two groups. They built canoes that would have a small roof. The roof only went over less than half of the canoe. The sides could be different colors. The boat could fit over 9 adults in it. Centuries ago they used sea-lanes based on memorized information from the prior generation.

Before colonial times a system called *sawei* was practiced. The word *sawei* means Yapese chief, conqueror, tyrant. This involved the Carolinians gathering once every two or three years in Yap. This system may have existed before the year 1600. More on this is discussed in the religion section. Trade between the two groups went on even during the Spanish occupation of Guam.

### Removal from Micronesia (Milaaló sángi Maikronischa)

In the late 1600s leprosy was present in the Marianas. The Spaniards tried to deal with this by quarantining lepers to Saipan and Tinian. These islands were isolated. Spaniards brought Carolinians from Micronesia to these islands to help the hospitals holding the patients with leprosy. Spain sold the Northern Mariana Islands to Germany in 1899, after losing Guam to the United States in 1898.

### Cultural Loss (Kko Átchigha)

In Guam the people were made to adopt Western ways because of the U.S. Naval Administration. One example of this was banning nudity. In Guam the first American governor was Richard P. Leary (1899–1900). He issued an order where Carolinian women in Guam weren't allowed to be naked when ever he visited. This was done away with by Governor William E. Sewell (1903–1904). The men were not allowed to be naked either. Many went to Saipan to avoid doing this. The constant nudity of the people bothered the second American governor Seaton Schroeder (1900–1903) so much that he decided to move them off the island.

### 1914-1950~

   Japan took over the Mariana Islands in 1914. They were able to keep it due to the Treaty of Versailles. The Carolinians had villages which the Japanese called *kanakas*. These villages were controlled by *sosoncho* and *soncho*. A *sosoncho* is a general village chieftain. A *soncho* is a village chieftain. These chieftains didn't always have position under the traditional tribal patterns. While the Japanese controlled these islands they used these people as laborers for mining and handling phosphate ore. One of the mines was in Angaur under the Palau group. Carolinians were not treated as well as the Chamorros who worked with them. The Japanese and other colonial powers during this time (WWI-WWII) would not allow Carolinians to do canoe navigation over large distances. During this time a term was used to refer to the Micronesian people under Japanese control which was 'Tomin.' Tomin meant inhabitants of the land. The Carolinian and Chamorro people viewed this as a put down since Japanese used it as part of discrimination. The people were kept under strict surveillance. They were enslaved in 1944. After the Japanese surrender Refaluwasch were allowed to return to their lands.

## Family (Familiya)

Under Carolinian family law property can be owned by one person or a whole family. The CNMI Code says family land should be held for the equal enjoyment of all members. Traditional Carolinian land tenure involve women. Land was passed down from mother to daughter. The land was owned and controlled by women. The oldest female in the maternal line with the longest held title would be a "trustee" for the rest of the lineage members. In 2005 Commonwealth Code said family land is a right to anyone with at least one Carolinian ancestor.
In this culture there are rigid gender divisions. When a male relative is in the same room a female may make herself lower than him. They may even get down on their hands and knees and crawl to where they have to go. Utt is a meeting house where men congregate. They would also construct canoes in these places. In Garapan there is Carolinian Utt where you can play different sports. Its also used as a community center.

## Food (Mwoot)

Seafood makes up a big part of their meat dishes. They have a history of fishing that goes over thousands of years. Fishing trips are not just for feeding a small group of people but also for annual village parties, baptisms and confirmations, marriages, and other special celebrations. After fish are caught some of it may be given to the wife of the fisherman's family members as well as others.

In the past palu (navigators) brought food from the sea. They were respected.

Payúr is a fish that is caught using a poiu (fishing stone). Payúr is Refaluwasch for mackerel scad. Poiu consists of a limestone spherical sinker. Its smoothed into the shape of an egg. Holes are put into it. After this an inverted half coconut shell that's either the same size or a little smaller is connected with a cordage. Half of the coconut is filled with mashed or ground meat from a young coconut. This is similar to churn. This is to draw fish to it. This whole device is tied using a longer cord that's 50 or 60 feet in length. The cord is very long so that the poiu can be lowered into deeper water to feed fish. The poiu is set down on the sea bed before being moved closer to above the water over the course of a month. The Payúr are eventually gathered using a scoop net after getting to the surface.

One of the ways they prepare food involves using an *uumw*, which is a traditional underground oven in which food is roasted.

## Dance (Bwaay)

The people have two different dances. For the men, it’s called “Maas”. They also do a Stick dance. For the women, it’s called “Bwaay”, a slow dance. In certain men's dances, they wear large leaves around their necks (ubwuut) and a traditional bead called “Lighatuttur” or “Usos”. They also wear coconut leaves fashioned into a crown. The dance was originally for warriors but spread to other men after the people came to the Mariana Islands.

## Beliefs (Aweeweel)

Roman Catholicism dominates in their societies. Due to Spanish missionary influence, they also use rosaries and novenas. Despite the Catholic faith many of them use land to talk to their ancestors. Land in their culture is not just "property". It's a spiritual matter. The place is where people can talk to their ancestors as well as collect unique properties for healing and teach traditions to future generations. The ocean to these people is not just important to them its spiritual. According to some of them its spiritually central to Carolinian Indigeneity. After an individual dies in certain cases their skull is kept because some believe the spirit of the late relative can visit their family when necessary. The living have great respect for the dead. In their culture concerning their traditional religion(s) spirits of the dead can assist or hurt the living. It is also believed that since the spirit world is the source of all things in this world everything that lives or is real must be respected. They contain spirits which go by different names such as ghosts, *taotaomo'na,* white ladies, among other names.

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