Overview:
Palau High School students stepped out of the classroom and into history, conducting hands-on archaeological fieldwork at the sacred Beluu er a Ngchesechang site in Airai. Guided by cultural experts and village elders, the field school is helping inspire a new generation to document, preserve and protect Palau’s heritage.
By: Laurel Marewibuel
KOROR, Palau — Imagine high schoolers knee-deep in jungle vines, mapping stone paths carved by ancestors and grilling elders on epic migration tales. That’s exactly what 18 Palau High School students did Thursday at the sacred Beluu er a Ngchesechang site in Airai State, blending teen energy with pro archaeology under the Ministry of Human Resources, Culture, Tourism & Development’s bold education push.
Bureau experts McMichael Mutok Jr. and Deureng Camacho teamed up with Dr. Yan Cai on Feb. 12 to launch the field school, turning lush cultural landscapes into a living classroom. Students dove hands-on into documenting stone platforms, weathered taro patches and a slice of ancient stone trail—skills that could spark Palau’s next generation of heritage guardians.
The real magic hit during intimate chats with village elders Uchelmiich Robert Ngirablekuu and Dirradai Uai Skebong. They spun gripping yarns of Ngchesechang’s origins and its deep ties to distant Kayangel, giving kids pro tips on interviewing and capturing oral histories before they fade.
With backup from the Bureau and Airai State Gov’t rep Johnson Joshua, the crew mapped features, snapped measurements, sketched ruins, gauged conditions, eyed threats, photographed everything and even fired up 3D scans for digital immortality.
The ministry hailed Palau High School for fueling young archaeologists and safeguarding the nation’s irreplaceable cultural mosaic. “This is preservation in action,” the ministry said in a statement, “bridging yesterday’s stories to tomorrow’s stewards.”