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 GibbonsTitle disputed by former Kloteraol James Lebuurakuk "Lebuu" Littler, son of Gloria Salii, who holds the title of Bilung (the female counterpart of Ibedul, and the highest ranking female chief in Palau)[3] See ibedul succession dispute.
MaderngebukedNgaraardThomas Remengesau Jr.[4] Thomas Remengesau Sr.
NgirakebouNgchesarVacant[5] Roman Bedor
NgirakedAiraiYukiwo P. DengoklJohnson Toribiong[6]
NgirturongNgeremlenguiJohn Sugiyama[7] Yamakazaki Rengiil
NurapSonsorolNicholas Aquino
ObakPeleliuVacant[8] Isao Singeo
RdechorKayangelIsimang Bandarii
RekemesikNgatpangSurangel S. WhippsNgiratkel Etpison[9] Title disputed by Uchelsias Shallum Etpison, son of Ngiratkel Etpison.
ReklaiMelekeokRaphael B. Ngirmang[10]
RengulbaiAimeliikYukiwo Etpison
UcherbelauAngaurLorenso Edward
UongercheteiNgerchelongMathias Erbai[11] Victor Joseph
UongruiousNgiwalVacant[12] Paulus Wong
Other chiefs
BilungKororGloria Salii[13] Female counterpart of ibedul and highest ranking female chief.[14]
NgiraikelauKororFranco Gibbons[15] 2nd highest ranking chief in Koror.
UchelsiasPeleliuShallum EtpisonYukiwo ShmullSpecifically chief of Ngesias which is the central portion of Peleliu.[16]

Ibedul

Ibedul is a title given to the high chief of Koror, in Palau, who is also the head of the Idid clan.[17] [18] 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.[19] [20]

List of known ibeduls

| Abba Thulle[21]
| ||||-| Ilengelekei[22]
1871
–
1911
| ||| 1911|-| Louch[22]
1911
–
1917
| ||| 1917|-| Tem[22]
1917
–
1943
|||| 1943|-| Mariur[22]
1943
–
1958
|||| 1958|-| Ngoriakl[22]
1958
–
1972
|||| 1972|-| Yutaka Gibbons[22]
1973
–

| | ||
Aged 77|-| Alexander Merep[23]

–
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, Bilung claims Ibedul is highest title in Palau, rejects Alex as Ibedul. May 17, 2022. September 9, 2024.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. 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.
  21. 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.
  22. 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.
  23. 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.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Traditional chiefs of Palau".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.