Most recently, the Guam Historic Resources Division corrected the beginning of the Spanish Period to the last years of the 17th century - not the date that a Portuguese explorer landed here in March 6, 1521. We have discovered the error - that Spain did not have control of the Chamorro Archipelago until it defeated its defenders through genocide, the introduction of diseases( no immunity to) and European warfare, from 1668 to 1700.
In essence, the Latte Period of Chamorro History began in the 9th century and ended in 1700 A.D.. The last thirty two years of the Latte Period we designated as the Chamorro Spanish Wars.
What this revelation does to the historic narrative of Chamorro history is interesting. For example:
"During the Latte Period of Chamorro History, foreigners from Europe arrived and visited the Chamorro Archipelago. The first of them claimed to have discovered Guam despite their accounts and descriptions that people were already here. In the Spanish accounts, the crew of the ship and its leader received water and provisions from the Chamorro sailors who boarded their ship. The leader of the Spanish expedition ordered crossbows to be fired on the unsuspecting sailors resulting in casualties. A small boat was taken by the retreating Chamorro sailors and placed the boat in plain view of the Spaniards believed to be in the banks of present day Humatak village. An attack was ordered to the village wherein seven elderly people were murdered. The village was sacked with supplies of food and water - and the murdering foreigners left - chased by Chamorro flying proas wherein the Spanish chronicler Pigafetta described the women in extreme grief - pulling their hair off their scalp and the men hurling at them slingstones in the hundreds. The criminals escaped."
I will continue this blog in the next posting.
William L. Hernandez