Was the Method of Missionization in 17th Century Chamorro Archipelago a Disaster: A Personal View By William L. Hernandez

In reading the chronicles of Spaniards and foreigners about Guam between 1521 - 1700, it was almost obvious that the writers were racist when they wrote about the indigenous people of the Chamorro archipelago. Except for one that comes to my mind. His name was Fray Juan Pobre who wrote about the Chamorro people in 1602. He described a civilization with a government, rules, ethics, value system, hierarchy,  land tenure system, and a system of currency connected with the value of life. He made a revealing statement when he wrote that the Chamorros are more Christian than his own people.

 

Earliest depiction of a Chamorro Warrior from the Boxer Codex circa1590

I think there was enough information in Pobre's account to devise a method of Catholic missionization, but the Franciscan Order failed to establish a mission in the Chamorro Archipelago - despite efforts to do so through numerous unauthorized entry into the islands by jumping ship and joining the Chamorro community.