Overview:
Melekeok is mourning Ebil-Reklai Mitsko Walter, head of the council of female chiefs and a leading traditional figure in Palau’s eastern region.
By: Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang
MELEKEOK, Palau (Oct. 30, 2026) — Ebil-Reklai Mitsko Walter, the head of Melekeok’s council of female chiefs and a leading traditional figure in Palau’s eastern region, died Wednesday, Oct. 21, after serving in the cultural role since March 2024.
Walter held the title of Ebil-Reklai, the female counterpart to the High Chief Reklai, and served as the head matriarch of Desbedall, Palau’s eastern region.
She assumed the title following the death of Ebil-Reklai Gracia Demei Yalap, who died July 1, 2023, after holding the title since 2009.
Walter’s death has prompted a traditional mourning period in Melekeok, as the community and the nation mourn her passing and her service to Palau.