Led Chamorro resistance

Following the death of Catholic missionary Father Diego Luís de San Vitores in 1672, the Spanish fought the Chamorro rebels with increased military might. With their religion and colonial desires being directly challenged, the Spanish did not hold back.

During this time, a pact of resistance was formed amongst the people of villages responsible for the murders of San Vitores, Brother Pedro Diaz, and Father San Basilo. Joining them were those in the villages of Orote, Tarisay and Asan, after the customary handing out of turtle shells. A Hagåtña noble named Aguarin led this alliance, which eventually failed, overpowered by the military might and advanced weapons technology of the colonizers.

The Spanish first became aware of Aguarin during an attack that he led on a Catholic holy day. On the eve of the Feast of Saint Rose, the Chamorro forces caught the missionaries and soldiers off guard. Many buildings were left in flames as the attacking squad left under the cover of night.

Aguarin used this victory to rally willing Chamorros to resist the Spaniards. Following a well-crafted plan by a man named Cheref, seven died in a canoe on the way to Hagåtña. Among those killed was Father Sebastian de Mauroy.

Aguarin is noted to have used this instance to show that there was nothing to fear from the Spanish. Convincing his supporters that the Spanish could be decimated by simply cutting off their supplies while in their base, a date was set to attack the presidio, the Spanish garrison, in Hagåtña in 1677. A crafty plan, however, created by Francisco de Irisarri turned the tide in favor of the Christians. Following the loss, Aguarin and his supporters withdrew to northern Guam and from time to time were spotted participating in hit-and-run attacks.

Aguarin finally fell to the Spaniards shortly after the well-equipped and supported Don Joseph de Quiroga, an experienced Spanish war veteran, arrived in 1679 on Guam with the orders to stop the Chamorro resistance to Spanish colonialism. In 1680, an invading force into the neighboring northern island of Rota came across the man the Jesuit order called the “War Chief.” Brought back to Hagåtña, Aguarin was executed.

By Nicholas Yamashita Quinata

For further reading

Aguon. Katherine B. Commentary. “Ancient Chamorro Leaders of Guahan.” Guahan Magazine (June 2007). Also available online at Guahan Magazine (accessed April 9, 2008).

Benavente, Eddie L.G. I Manmaga’lahi yan I Manma’gas – Geran Chamoru yan Espanot, 1668-1695. N.p.: Eddie L.G. Benavente, 2007.

Hezel, Francis. “From Conversion to Conquest: The Early Spanish Mission in the Marianas.” Journal of Pacific History 17 (1982): 3-4; 115-37. Also available online at Micronesian Seminar (accessed April 2, 2008).

Le Gobien, Charles. Histories des Isles Marianes. Paris: 1700. A manuscript translated into English is available at the University of Guam Richard F. Taitano Micronesian Area Research Center.

Levesque, Rodrigue, comp. and ed. History of Micronesia: A Collection of Source Documents. Vols. 1 – 13. Gatineau, Quebec: Levesque Publications, 1992-.

Risco, Alberto. The Apostle of the Marianas: The Life, Labors and Martyrdom of Venerable Diego Luis de San Vitores, 1627-1672. Translated by Juan M. H. Ledesma. [Hagåtña?]: Diocese of Agana, 1970.

Rogers, Robert F. Destiny’s Landfall: A History of Guam. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press, 1995.