Ceremony Marks Completion of Traditional Canoe

OneReef hosted a special ceremony at Ngetmeduch Park to mark the successful completion of a kaeb or traditional canoe designed for inter-island travel. Master Carver and Navigator Akilino Albis, alongside a team of seven skilled artisans from across Micronesia, showcased exceptional craftsmanship, constructing the hull and outrigger in just one month.

This customary event honors the natural materials and craftsmanship used while expressing gratitude for the canoe as a gift from God and our ancestors as a symbol of our safe passage and settlement on these islands. It recognizes enduring kinship with the environment and celebrates our people’s strength and resilience.

Distinguished guests included Father Rusk Saburo, Koror State Government (KSG) officials – Governor Eyos Rudimch, Speaker Millan Isack, members of the Koror State Legislature, and the dedicated women of Ipang Seineng and NgaraMaiberel.

Other partners present were Beouch Demei Obakrairur, Ngardmau State Government staff and community members, Helen Reef conservation officers, and Uchul A Chei Fishers (UACF) members.

Master Carver Akilino and his team are currently constructing a diangel, or canoe house, as part of the project’s second phase, a core element of OneReef’s Traditional Stewardship Program.

This program underscores the importance of preserving traditional knowledge for the sustainable management of our island ecosystem. The diangel will serve as an alternative learning space, facilitating the transfer of ecological, social, and cultural knowledge to Palauan youth through a collaborative partnership between KSG, UACF, and OneReef.

OneReef, a nonprofit founded in 2009 in the USA and chartered in Palau in 2021, supports communities in preserving their island ecosystems across the Micronesian region. For more information about OneReef, visit www.onereef.org or call 488-4361