Palauan Culture

I hope you enjoyed the previous post, written by a Junior Yapese. I have another essay written by a Palauan Junior female about her native culture. I also hope you enjoy this one. You may find it interesting, or you may not.
Nothing new is going on. We had Crazy Day last week, which is just an excuse for the students to go absolutely nuts: scream, wear women's clothing, yell some more, run around, and flip out for no reason. I'm still getting through one week at a time. Always busy, always tired, but trying hard not to stress out. Time is honestly moving by too quickly. I basically have three months left, but, let's be honest, the month of May doesn't count because it's the last month and it's full of final exams, parties, saying goodbye, and freaking out because I'll be entering the real world soon. But your emails still help, and I'm still unsure of what's going on when I get home. Oh well. Enjoy.

A symbol, not embroidered on a flag or tattooed on one's body, but is worn around the neck of a woman. Each has a legend, which came from gods or mystical creators. There are hundreds of these legendary symbols varying in size, shape, color, and design. Each symbolizes wealth and status within each village of the Islands of Palau. The precious item is the traditional Palauan Money. They are rectangular-curved and circular stone beads symbolizing Palauan heritage.

The traditional Palauan Money varies in size, color, design and value. Most of the beads are made of colored stones and a few are made of glass materials, but the stones have a higher value than the glass. The colors of the stone range from yellow and orange to bright orange-red, and the glass looking beads range from light blue to sea-green. One type of bead money had a feather hanging from a small hole in the middle. The bigger the Palauan money, the bigger the value it possesses.

The ancient Palauan Money is extremely valuable; and therefore, not everyone is given the privilege or responsibility of holding this item. The old women of a family or clan is in charge of holding on to these valuables. The respected old women are given the power to choose which of their daughters, granddaughters, or any female in the clan will hold the precious item around their neck. According to tradition, only the old woman who hung the money around your neck could unhook the bead, or until the woman's death. When the respected old woman dies, all the Palauan Money in the family is passed on to either the deceased's sister or the second ranking woman in the clan. If the deceased woman has no sister, the money can be passed on to her eldest daughter, as the Palauan money may never be in the possession of a male.

However, the traditional money was not only worn on the neck but also used during customs and other occasions. In the old days, Palauan money was presented to a girl's family when a man came to ask for marriage. The traditional money was also presented again to the woman's family during a divorce. The Palauan money is also used when women are pregnant, wearing a round, yellow bead called "Omebael," to symbolize pregnancy. Women also wear Palauan money when presented to their husband's family during the first child hot-bath ceremony, showing that the mother and father of the baby are married. The Palauan money is not only used as a symbol for marriage, childbirth, and divorce, but is used to buy land as well as a house.

Therefore, Palauan money usually circulates between clans and families. Once presented to a clan, or family, one has the right to either keep the money within their family or use it in customs. Most Palauans these days choose to keep the traditional money within their family since problems arise of who originally owned the money.

The Palauan money has been used for many centuries. The money is a symbol of pride, culture, and heritage of the Palauans. Palauan customs are incomplete without the presence of this traditional object. The Palauan people have been able to keep this piece of their heritage until now and will continue to do so for many more generations