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Summary

A gupot mahigai or balangai, a roof thatching party in 1930s Guam.

A gupot mahigai or balangai, a roof thatching party in 1930s Guam.

A gupot mahigai or balangai, a roof thatching party in 1930s Guam.

This image was featured in the July 1938 issue of National Geographic in the article “Guam – Perch of the China Clippers” written by Margaret M. Higgins.

The article provided a portrait of Guam at the time, including two dozen images featuring CHamorus and their daily lives.

The caption for this image was: “Chamorro Roofers Need Nimble Fingers, Not Hammers and Nails. Fronds from coconut palms are plaited and tied to the framework, beginning at the ridgepole and working down the steep slope. Wooden walls are painted white, with blue slats covering the cracks. Huge hardwood logs like those in the foreground serve as foundation. They are hewn from ifil trees and last for generations.”

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