What IS I Taotao?

The word “I Taotao” means “The People” in the CHamoru language. The cards are an interpretation of CHamoru “royalty” during the pre-colonial period known as the  “Latte Period” and the Spanish colonial period. Each card showcases commonly known and uncommon elements throughout CHamoru culture and on top of that, each person is a different shade of brown.

What inspired you to create the cards?

I came across a deck of playing cards from a Hmong (South East Asian) artist, Gaoshua. Their cards were so detailed and proudly displayed their culture…so I thought, “Why can’t CHamorus have that?!” then the wheels started turning.

As an adult I realize the importance of cultural representation. So I put two and two together and came up with this project. For me it is crucial to work with local talent and ended up reaching out to Sonny Chargualaf (Heroes and Headkicks) who agreed to collaborate with me.

I’ve always felt that cards were part of my life growing up. My dad taught me how to play solitaire and my grandparents used to run nightly poker games with their friends and relatives.

What are some of the challenges you encountered when creating the cards?

One of the biggest challenges was representing women. In CHamoru history, we have pictures of our male leaders in the past. There is no mention (as far as I know) of specific women leaders but there are some pictures and descriptions of their role in CHamoru society pre and post Spanish colonial era.

Which cards are your favorite?

I don’t pick favorites, but I was most excited for the Suruhåna/Makåna (Joker) card! Because Sonny’s art skills are comic book inspired, my goal for the female Joker was to pay homage to our elderly women, the manåmko, and spiritual leaders with an influence from the Phoenix or Jean Grey from the X-Men.

What do you hope to achieve with this project?

The answer is always money but on a deeper level I wanted to create something fun and meaningful and as time progressed, the project overlapped with education, history, and cultural representation.  I do hope that this inspires more unique projects from other CHamorus especially our younger generation.