Traditional chiefs of Palau explained

Palau has several traditional chiefs of its 16 states. A factor that resulted in the decline of chiefly authority in Palau was the introduction of elected governors, called upon in the Constitution of Palau which came into effect on 1 January 1981.[1]

List of current chiefs

TitleStateIncumbentPredecessorclass=unsortableNotes
BeouchNgardmauVacantSakaziro Demk[2]
HeimongHatohobeiVacant
IbedulKororAlexander MerepYutaka GibbonsSee ibedul succession dispute.
MaderngebukedNgaraardThomas Remengesau Jr.[3] Thomas Remengesau Sr.
NgirakebouNgchesarVacant[4] Roman Bedor
NgirakedAiraiYukiwo P. DengoklJohnson Toribiong[5]
NgirturongNgeremlenguiJohn Sugiyama[6] Yamakazaki Rengiil
NurapSonsorolNicholas Aquino
ObakPeleliuVacant[7] Isao Singeo
RdechorKayangelIsimang Bandarii
RekemesikNgatpangSurangel S. WhippsNgiratkel Etpison[8] Title disputed by Uchelsias Shallum Etpison, son of Ngiratkel Etpison.
ReklaiMelekeokRaphael B. Ngirmang[9]
RengulbaiAimeliikYukiwo Etpison
UcherbelauAngaurLorenso Edward
UongercheteiNgerchelongVacant[10] Victor Joseph
UongruiousNgiwalVacant[11] Paulus Wong
Other chiefs
BilungKororGloria Salii[12] Female counterpart of ibedul and highest ranking female chief.[13]
NgiraikelauKororFranco Gibbons[14] 2nd highest ranking chief in Koror.
UchelsiasPeleliuShallum EtpisonYukiwo ShmullSpecifically chief of Ngesias which is the central portion of Peleliu.[15]

Ibedul

Ibedul is a title given to the high chief of Koror, in Palau, who is also the head of the Idid clan.[16] [17] Koror is the most populated state with approximately 64% of Palauans living there as of 2020 and so historically bearers of the title were erroneously referred to as "Kings of Pelew" despite them not having authority over all of modern-day Palau.[18] [19]

List of known ibeduls

| Abba Thulle[20]
| ||||-| Ilengelekei[21]
1871
–
1911
| ||| 1911|-| Louch[21]
1911
–
1917
| ||| 1917|-| Tem[21]
1917
–
1943
|||| 1943|-| Mariur[21]
1943
–
1958
|||| 1958|-| Ngoriakl[21]
1958
–
1972
|||| 1972|-| Yutaka Gibbons[21]
1973
–

| | ||
Aged 77|-| Alexander Merep[22]

–
present
||||Living|}

Notes and References

  1. Book: Shuster, Donald R.. Custom versus a New Élite: Palau’s 16 State Constitutions. The Journal of Pacific History, vol. 29, no. 2. 1994. 188. JSTOR. January 1, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240101092927/https://www.jstor.org/stable/25169227. January 1, 2024. live.
  2. Web site: Ngardmau joins BWA. Variety News. Staff. September 24, 2008. December 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231230203357/https://www.mvariety.com/news/regional/ngardmau-joins-bwa/article_d30c1b3f-8450-5817-8794-ca0faa985fda.html. December 30, 2023. live. Marianas Variety News & Views.
  3. Web site: In Palau, working for 'the next generation, and the next, and the next'. March 13, 2023. December 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231230170940/https://www.thegef.org/newsroom/feature-stories/palau-working-next-generation-and-next-and-next. December 30, 2023. live. Global Environment Facility.
  4. Web site: High Chief Ngchesar Ngirakebou Bedor of Ngchesar passes away. September 11, 2018. December 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231230203248/https://islandtimes.org/high-chief-ngchesar-ngirakebou-bedor-of-ngchesar-passes-away/. December 30, 2023. live. Island Times.
  5. Web site: Leilani. Reklai. ‘If your titles die out, so will our Palauan culture’: Toribiong. June 17, 2022. December 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231230205902/https://islandtimes.org/if-your-titles-die-out-so-will-our-palauan-culture-toribiong/. December 30, 2023. live. Island Times.
  6. Web site: John Sugiyama is the new Ngirturong of Ngeremlengui. June 6, 2017. December 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231230201134/https://islandtimes.org/john-sugiyama-is-the-new-ngirturong-of-ngeremlengui/. December 30, 2023. live. Island Times.
  7. Web site: Leilani. Reklai. Late Chief Obak’ldelolk Isao P. Singeo honored with a Presidential Proclamation. June 20, 2023. December 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231230204755/https://islandtimes.org/late-chief-obakldelolk-isao-p-singeo-honored-with-a-presidential-proclamation/. December 30, 2023. live. Island Times.
  8. Web site: Honolulu Star-Bulletin 05 Aug 1997, page 2. December 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231230184156/https://www.newspapers.com/image/273940592/. December 30, 2023. subscription. live. Newspapers.com.
  9. Web site: Council of Chiefs – PalauGov.pw . December 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160318234402/http://palaugov.pw/executive-branch/council-of-chiefs/ . March 18, 2016 . dead . PalauGov.pw.
  10. Web site: Chief Uong Er Etei Victor Joseph honored. December 24, 2019. December 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231230203850/https://islandtimes.org/chief-uong-er-etei-victor-joseph-honored/. December 30, 2023. live. Island Times.
  11. Web site: Leilani. Reklai. Presidential Proclamation honors late chief Uongruios Paulus Wong. November 16, 2021. December 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231230204155/https://islandtimes.org/presidential-proclamation-honors-late-chief-uongruios-paulus-wong/. December 30, 2023. live. Island Times.
  12. News: Robert. Trumbull. A Former U.S. Army Cook, Now Ruler in. Western Pacific Islands: Leads Foes of Military Bases There. The New York Times. 14 January 1979 . June 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20231229143134/https://www.nytimes.com/1979/01/14/archives/a-former-us-army-cook-now-ruler-in-western-pacific-islands-leads.html. December 29, 2023. live. subscription.
  13. Web site: Bilung assumes Ibedul title and claims compensation. Leilani. Reklai. December 31, 2021. December 31, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231231130607/https://islandtimes.org/bilung-assumes-ibedul-title-and-claims-compensation/. December 31, 2023. live. Island Times.
  14. Web site: Bilung as Ibedul takes control of HOTL. Leilani. Reklai. January 18, 2022. December 31, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231231131737/https://islandtimes.org/bilung-as-ibedul-takes-control-of-hotl/. December 31, 2023. live. Island Times.
  15. Web site: Shallum becomes Uchelsias of Peleliu. Island. Times. December 21, 2018. December 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231230174041/https://islandtimes.org/shallum-becomes-uchelsias-of-peleliu/. December 30, 2023. live. Island Times.
  16. Book: 2022-12-19. 1996. Arnold H.. 978-0-275-95390-4. en. Leibowitz. 103. Greenwood Publishing Group. Embattled Island: Palau's Struggle for Independence.
  17. Web site: Ngaremeketii/Rubekul Kldeu, Terekieu Clan and Jonathan Ngiremekur Sked, represented by Miriam Kual Appellants vs. Koror State Public Lands Authority, Appellee. December 5, 2016. December 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231230122318/http://www.palausupremecourt.net/doc/NeutralCitations/2016/2016%20Palau%2027.pdf. December 30, 2023. live. www.palausupremecourt.net.
  18. Web site: Palau - 2020 - III.B. Overview of the State. December 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231230111538/https://mchb.tvisdata.hrsa.gov/Narratives/Overview/1f589dfe-e49b-48f7-8890-567fb7a6d71b. December 30, 2023. live. mchb.tvisdata.hrsa.gov.
  19. Web site: Abba Thulle, King of Pelew. December 30, 1788. December 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231230112247/https://loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3b32617/. December 30, 2023. live. www.loc.gov.
  20. Web site: Capt Henry Wilson. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20231230094736/https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG129711. December 30, 2023. December 30, 2023. The British Museum.
  21. Book: Nero, Karen Louise. University of California, Berkeley ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. 1987. A cherechar a lokelii: Beads of history of Koror, Palau, 1783-1983 - ProQuest. December 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231230120029/https://www.proquest.com/openview/d2dcd29e594a69a5d0c3aa79d456c6ad/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y. December 30, 2023. subscription. live.
  22. Web site: Ngarameketii accepts Merep as Ibedul. Leilani. Reklai. February 25, 2022. December 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231230094301/https://islandtimes.org/ngarameketii-accepts-merep-as-ibedul/. December 30, 2023. live. Island Times.

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