ANZ presents
- A young country with an exciting future
-2.jpg) The Republic of Palau
is a
country rich in tradition and culture which was evident when
they hosted the 9th Festival of Pacific Arts in 2004. The Belau
National Museum, which is a 'must see' when visiting the islands
records Palau's past and present through collection, identification,
documentation, preservation, interpretation, education and research.
We thank the museum for providing the traditional and modern
dress photos in today's issue.
Belau (the traditional
name for the Republic) is located in the northern Pacific Ocean,
about 500 miles southeast of the Philippines and has a Compact
of Free Association with the US, ratified in 1993.
Palauans welcome
the future with enthusiasm, while not abandoning traditional
values. It is traditionally a matrilineal society in which land,
rights, obligations and descent are traced through the women
in a community.
 According
to Dr. Katerina Martina Teaiwa of the University of Hawaii, women
also play a central role in the Palauan performing arts. "Proper
posture and movement is crucial and much preparation goes into
creating the elaborate and colorful costumes. In the old days
girls danced topless but today they wear a woven pandanus bra.
The performers are usually covered in coconut oil that is colored
with tumeric made from a well-dried root. The turmeric oil is
also used in the important rituals surrounding a first-time mother.
A woman's two-piece dancing skirt is made from the fiber of treated
hibiscus bark and the color that the skirt is dyed represents
the family or clan. The characteristic bent knee and moving hips
of a dancer accentuate the colorful skirt."
The sea was the
domain of men who braved its fury to harvest the fish necessary
to sustain the village and wage battle. Inter-village wars were
common, so men spent a lot of time in the men's meeting houses
mastering techniques of canoe building and refining their skills
with weapons.
The sea plays
an important role in modern Palau as well, Palau's reefs make
it a prime destination for tourists. In 1989 Palau was ranked
and listed by CEDAM International (a nonprofit organization dedicated
to the understanding, protection and preservation of the world's
marine resources) as the ranking Number 1 Underwater Wonder of
the World out of the seven underwater wonders. Tourist activity
focuses on scuba diving and snorkeling in the islands' rich marine
environment, including the Floating Garden Islands to the west
of the country's largest city Koror and the Rock Islands to the
south.
 To
preserve the artifacts and traditions of Palau's culture is the
Ngarachamayong Cultural Center (right) spearheaded some years
ago by a group of visionary women of Palau, led by Bilung Gloria
G. Salii. The center came about after a special meeting to discuss
ways in which Palauan culture and traditions could be preserved,
which led to a series of conferences that influenced legislation
and national policies aimed at preserving Palauan culture and
traditions.
There are also
many cultural sites scattered throughout the island group, one
most notably is Chades er a Mechorei (below), the traditional
causeway in Airai one of Palau's 16 states. Entered into the
Palau Register of Historic Places in 1995, it remains one of
the most significant pieces of Palauan heritage that can be seen
in Palau today.
 It
is not certain when the Chades er a Mechorei or the meeting house
were constructed; however, respected elders from Airai say that
they were built before any foreigners came to Palau. Chades er
a Mechorei is a significant site for the village of Airai. It
demonstrates the skills and perseverance possessed by Palauans
of former times. Hardworking and inventive, they were capable
of creating sophisticated architecture without using any form
of modern technology. Chades er a Mechorei is a valuable landmark
because in the old times, it served as the boundary for jurisdiction
under Reklai and Ibedul, the two highest chiefs in Palau.
While much of
Palau's natural environment remains free of environmental degradation,
there are several areas of concern. Like other Pacific island
nations, a potential major environmental threat is global warming
and the related rising of sea level.
 On
November 5, 2005, President of Palau Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr.
took the lead on a regional environmental initiative called the
Micronesia challenge, which would conserve 30 percent of near
shore coastal waters and 20 percent of forest land by 2020. In
addition to Palau, the initiative was joined by the Federated
States of Micronesia and Marshall Islands, and the U.S. territories
of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands. Together, this combined
region represents nearly 5 percent of the marine area of the
Pacific Ocean and 7 percent of its coastlines.
[Compiled
from information provided by the Palau Ministry of Community
and Culture, Belau National Museum and from the Pacific Islanders
in Communications website: http://www.piccom.org, the wikipedia website:
http://en.wikipedia.org and Palau Visitors Authority
website: http://www.visit-palau.com/]
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