KOROR, Palau – The Edaruchei Clan of Ngerkeyukl in Peleliu has been declared the rightful owner of Ngercheu Island, according to a recent appellate court decision. This reverses a 2021 trial court decision that awarded ownership to the Edaruchei Clan of Ngerdelolk.
The appellate court’s decision remanded the case back to the trial court for further proceedings. The decades-long dispute centered around the original ownership of Ngercheu Island.
The appellate court found that the trial court focused on Rubasch Fritz’s clan membership rather than the island’s original owners.
The Edaruchei Clan of Ngerdelolk argued that Rubasech Fritz filed a 1950 claim for Ngercheu Island on their behalf. The Edaruchei Clan of Ngerkeyukl countered that Fritz, a respected community member and English speaker, submitted the claim on their behalf.
The Edaruchei Clan of Ngerkeyukl presented evidence including historical residence on the island by Uchelmekediu Ngireblekuu, a clan member, and a joint claim filing with Fritz. They also showed that their clan members lived on the island in Quonset huts. Additionally, they documented ancestral gravesites on the island.
The Estate of Kishigawa, which joined the Edaruchei Clan of Ngerkeyukl in the lawsuit but challenged their representation by Joseph Koshiba, had their case dismissed without prejudice in the appeal.