By: Olkeriil Eoghan Ngirudelsang
Palau National Gymnasium, Koror – July 3-4, 2024
A two-day forum held last week brought Palau’s traditional leaders together to discuss pressing issues facing their authority and roles in modern Palauan society. The forum, themed “Honor, Respect, and Preserve Our Basic Traditional Values,” addressed concerns ranging from multiple chiefs claiming the same title to a perceived decline in the power of the klobak system.
One of the most prominent concerns raised by Rubekul Belau, the national organization of chiefs, was the confusion surrounding traditional chief selection processes. Chiefs expressed worry about individuals holding titles without proper knowledge of their cultural responsibilities. Chief Ngirkungiil of Melekeok specifically pointed to “chiefs appointed to bear traditional titles without doing the due diligence of learning their traditional roles and responsibilities in the klobak.”
Former Vice President and Chief of Ngaraard, Antonio Bells, attributed the issue of multiple claimants to a single title partially to financial incentives. “Money and our system of paying chiefs with taxpayers’ money,” he argued, “is the source of this issue.”
Adding another layer of complexity, Chief Ngirturong John Sugiyama of Ngeremlengui recounted an instance where the Chief of Ngeremlengui resolved a dispute of who should be Chief Rengulbai of Aimeliik. However, Dirrengulbai Sariang Timulch, a high-ranking female leader (Chief Rengulbai counterpart) from Aimeliik, disputed this account, stating, “A Ngirturong a keleng mla mecheuid” (Perhaps Ngirturong misunderstood). This disagreement highlights the complexity of the issue of selecting the Palau chiefs.
Traditionally, the ranking female members of a clan would select a chief through consensus. This process is breaking down where there is no consensus or compromise and two or more are put forward for one chief title.
The proliferation of contested titles is seen as a major threat to Palauan unity. As one high school student attending the forum observed, “I am unsure of the roles of chief in our modern government system, but I know we have to preserve our culture and to do that, they should have roles and some authority in our government.”
The forum served as a crucial platform for Palau’s traditional leaders to openly discuss challenges and work towards solutions that ensure the continued relevance of customary practices in Palau’s modern society.