2003 Trip to Yap & Palau

 

In February 2003, my wife, Karen, and I traveled to Yap and Palau for 17 days. We traveled from Florida to Guam and on to Palau. Both Yap and Palau use American money, speak English, and until 1990 the governments were run by American citizens.

 

 

Left: Rock Islands  Right: Stone money quarry on Babeldaop Island, Palau

 

The first morning in Palau we visited the Rock Islands on a private boat and visited the quarry on Babeldaop Island, where the Yapese used to come to make their famous stone money. Prior to the coming of Captain O’Keefe in 1871, the Yapese had to take outrigger canoes to the island of Palau, a distance of over 300 miles. Many lives were lost due to storms while at sea in the small outrigger canoes. In 1871 Captain O’Keefe used his boat to take the natives to Palau and help them quarry the stone money, introducing them to iron, steel and dynamite to make production of the money more efficient. The stone, a type of calcite, is very soft.

 

  

Left: Karen Opitz swimming in Jellyfish Lake. Notice orange jellyfish. Right: Tridacna shells

 

  

Sea cucumbers, also called trepang or Beche-de-Mer

 

We also visited Jellyfish Lake, where we snorkeled with the jellyfish. Over the centuries, the jellyfish have lost their ability to sting because they had no natural predators in the lake. We also snorkeled in the ocean and saw sea slugs called sea cucumbers, trepang, or beche-de-mer.

 

  

Left: (left to right) Carlos Salii, husband of the Queen of Palau, Nancy Wong, Veronica Kazuma, Dirraii Yosko Dginatumerang, Queen of Palau, Bilung Gloria Salii, Karen Opitz, Charles Opitz. Taken at a dinner hosted by the Charles & Karen Opitz to view and discuss important udoud. Right: Queen of Palau, Bilung Gloria Salii.

 

 

         

Left: Dirraii Yosko Dgiratumerang wearing udoud named “Ingos”, given to her as child money. Middle: Veronica Kazuma wearing udoud named Bachel “mweimer” etul a blai ratemarkel. Right: Nancy Wong wearing udoud named “Meked Kud”. it came from Idid to Ikelau of Koror. Idid – highest clan of Koror.

 

 

 

Udoud owned by the Queen of Palau, Bilung Gloria Salii. These are some of the rarest in existence. Lower left is Ngirbidul, Upper right is a Bachel, Solid green & green striped are kluk, Two orange spheres next to Bachel are kldait.

 

The next evening we hosted a dinner meeting with the Queen of Palau and her husband, Carlos Salii, along with three of the high-ranking ladies in her clan. We met to discuss and see the finest Palau stone moneybeads called udoud. These beads are the most important traditional money on Palau. The queen, Bilung Gloria Salii, was wearing the largest and most valuable Palauen udoud called Mechvchvu – Idid Clan’s money. She also showed us her other very rare and valuable udoud. It was a real thrill to see these very important udoud. Carlos H. Salii, an attorney, was able to explain the important factors about udoud. The other three women were also wearing important udoud. Dirraii Yosko Dginatumerang was wearing an udoud called “Ingos.” It was given to her as child money. Veronica Kazuma was wearing Bachel “merimer” etul a blai ratemarikel. It was from Idid to the house of Temarikel of Koror. Nancy Wong was wearing “Meked Kud.”

 

             

Left: The famous artist, Wyland, painting a mural on the side of the Etpison Museum in Koror. Middle: A money jar on display in the Etpison Private Museum. Right: A olcholl bracelet called a klilt and “Order of the bone”. It is the vertebra of a dugong (a form of manatee). In the Etpison Private Museum.

 

          

Three pictures on left: Girls wearing udoud. Right: High chief Reklai Bao Ngirmang of Melekeok with his wife Dirrauedes and the author and his wife, Karen, behind taken on the chief;s premises. She is wearing a very large Bachel Berrak (udoud). It was worn by High chief Reklai Bao Ngirmang of Melekeok at his first chief ceremony.

 

The next day we attended a contract award ceremony for the new Ngarachamayong Cultural Center that the Queen had invited us to attend. I was introduced to the President of Palau, Tommy E. Remengesau Jr. We later visited the Etpison Private Museum and met with Ms. Mandy Etpison, the director. While we were there we saw the famous artist, Wyland, who was painting a whale mural on the side of the museum. His art is very well known in the United States and is quite valuable. During the day we were able to meet with High Chief Reklai Bao Ngirmang and discuss the use of udoud and toluk. The High Chief is paramount chief over ten lower chiefs. He introduced us to his wife, who was wearing a very important piece of udoud.

 

           

Left: The Meleleok Bai in Palau (men’s house). Middle: Inside of the men’s house. Right: Author swimming with a dolphin at the Dolphin Encounter.

 

On last day in Palau we visited the Dolphin Encounter. We were first allowed to pet the dolphins, and I had a dolphin “kiss” me. We then went to the second part of the adventure, which was to swim with the dolphins. Karen and I spent 30 minutes swimming with a dolphin. It was a really fun experience to actually swim with and touch a dolphin.

 

 

  

Mold called “chorsachel:

 

After lunch we visited one of the local turtle-dish makers. He made a dish while we watched. The buyer of the dish normally furnishes the turtle shell. He does not follow the old traditional way of heating the shell in water over a wood fire and using a hand-carved wood mold. Instead, he heats the shell over a gas fire and makes the mold from plywood to reduce the time it takes. The mold is called “chorsachel.” The value of the dish is determined by a number of factors including the thickness of the shell, color, symmetry, and size of the dish. The dishes are called “toluk”. They are still used as traditional money for many traditional obligations such as for a first childbirth ceremony.

 

    

Left:  The airport in Yap with two Yap stones at the entrance. Right:  Native hut with (left to right) our driver, Karen Opitz, our guide, Tommy Kennington.

 

After we flew to Yap we saw two Yap stones mounted at the entrance to airport. We were greeted at the airport by a topless Yapese girl in a grass skirt and a boy in a thu, who gave us each a flowered lei. Men in traditional dress wear a thu, which is a piece of cloth that is wrapped around the waist and through the legs and nothing above the waist. Women in traditional dress wear the skirt that extends below the knees and nothing above the waist. The next day we took a land tour of the entire island. Our guide, Tommy Kennington, of the Traders’ Ridge Report took us to ten different villages to visit their stone money banks and meet the villagers. On Yap Island all the land, except in the center of the capital city of Colonia, is privately owned, and you must get permission to cross the land or enter a village. Prior to our coming, Tommy had visited all the villages and obtained permission for us to enter the villages and see their stone money. We visited the village of Gilman on the southern tip of Yap where most of the copra (dried coconut) was produced and where most of the betel nut trees still grow. We also visited the villages of Gal’, Okaw, Bugol, Dechmuur, Maa’, Tomil Municipal Center, Makiy and Bechiyal. When entering a village it is customary to carry a small green branch and walk in single file to show you come in peace. The stone bank is a path with Yap stone money disks lined vertically along one or both sides of the path. The stones can be owned by the village or by many individuals from the village. We also saw their stone platform called a pebai. These platforms are very old, possibly hundreds of years old. Next we visited the village of Okaw to see one of the most impressive stone money banks on Yap and the remains of an old men’s house. We then visited the village of Maa to see the reconstruction of a men’s house and a small stone money bank. While visiting these villages we were surprised at how few villagers we saw. I was told that the Yapese are a very shy people, and they tend to hide when strangers come to their village. Next we visited the village of Bechyal. This village was a big disappointment, and it is the village that most tourists see. The village had only a small men’s house, community house and small stone money bank. After the other villages this village seemed to have so little.

 

 

  

Left to right: Mike Caldwell, Charles Opitz, John Mangefel.

 

In the evening we met a local American professor, Mike Caldwell, who has been on Yap and Guam for many years, and John Mangefel, the first state governor of Yap state. Tradition is also a very important part of the culture. Even at the present time a number of Yapese dress traditionally. Tradition is not only in dress, it is in most of their activities. They have a very strong belief in private property. All land, and most things, including tree and crops, are owned by someone, and these things are never to be taken or used without the approval of the owner. Yapese are most concerned about respect. Walking on a person’s land without asking permission shows a lack of respect. Taking a piece of fruit from a tree without asking permission shows a lack of respect for the owner. These are important crimes that the Yapese take very seriously. John and Mike told me whale teeth and vertebrae, lava lava (the woven skirts worn by the women), and roofing thatch were also used as a form of money. They also told of a stone money I had never heard about. It is called “daryor,” which means “nobody cry.” There are only a few pieces of this stone money, and it is not particularly valuable because it was made on Yap from one of the few deposits of aragonite found on there. It is called “nobody cry” because stone money made on Palau entailed much risk of loss of life in traveling to Palau and back by outrigger canoe. Many times men were lost on the voyage. The “nobody cry” stone money means nobody could die in its making because it was entirely made on Yap from Yap aragonite and therefore did not need a trip to Palau. The value of stone money in which someone died in the process of obtaining the money increased the value of the piece.

 

Charles & Karen Opitz on Ulithi holding a piece of tortoise shell ring money and wearing a flower lei.

 

We then flew to the island of Ulithi. Ulithi is an “outer island” of Yap, and it has an entirely different culture and different language. John Rumal told us about the island and showed me a large turtle shell ring that had been used for money. It was about six inches in diameter and had a large hole in the center. Our guide explained that the outer islands do not use stone money, but they do use tobacco, shells and other traditional money. It appeared to me that they do not have the wealth that the main islands have.

 

Charles & Karen Opitz at the site of O’Keefe’s house on Terang Island.

 

The next day we took a boat tour of the northern part of the island and visited Terang Island, the island that David Dean O’Keefe owned when he was on Yap helping the Yapese produce the Yap stone money. We also saw the remains of his house and the concrete staircase that was in his house. We also saw the Manta cleaning station at Mill Channel. A cleaning station is a place where the mantas go to have their parasites eaten off by other fish that would normally fear being eaten themselves. Upon returning to land we visited the village of Wanyan in the municipality of Gagil to meet Louis Pitmag. In this village we saw the second-largest piece of Yap stone money in existence. We also saw one of the oldest pieces, and it has two holes in the center. This is very unusual, as only a few stones have two holes.

 

         

Left two pictures: Mr. Pitmag, an important high chief on Yap with his string of gau.  Middle: Mr Pitmag’s porch with shell money hanging from the ceiling. Right: Two traditional money necklaces owned by Mr. Pitmag.

 

     

Left: Yar – Ni Ngavchey owned by high chief Louis Pitmag. The gold lip shell comes from Australia. The value is only in the shell, the wrap is only decoration as with all Yar. Right: This shell belt is called a figaa and was worn by women when they danced. It is owned by high chief Louis Pitmag and is another form of traditional money on Yap.

 

  

Left: Newer gau owned by Louis Pitmag. Right: Aa’giy, a shell mortar belonging to high chief Louis Pitmag of Wanyan village.

 

Mr. Pitmag is an important chief on Yap. He showed us some of his important pieces of traditional money. Yapese will very seldom show any of their important money. He showed us three of the finest gau I have ever seen. Gau is a string of coral shell beads that are very rough, about six feet long, and have one or two whale’s teeth attached. Gau is the most valuable form of traditional money on Yap and also one of the rarest. Gau is used in ceremonies, weddings, to buy land, to buy canoes, and to apologize. It is no longer made. When I asked the eighty-some-year-old-chief where he got it, he said, “from my daddy.” He then showed us a very fine “giy,” which is a shell betel nut pounder. The “giy” looked very old except for a modern wrap. He said it was four generations old, and he used if only on special occasions. Turmeric powder is used as a form of traditional money and also as a spice and dye for coloring the body. The turmeric is made into a liquid and placed in a shell until it hardens and then is removed and wrapped with coconut fiber and tied at both ends. There are three different grades of turmeric. He showed us a “thawey,” which is a spondylus shell bead necklace made with reddish, black and white beads. It is very rare and seldom used at the present time. He then showed us a black and white shell belt that was worn by women while performing dances. It also was used as a form of traditional money. It was the only one I saw on Yap, but was happy to know that I have one in my personal collection. Next he showed us what we call yar nu au. He called it “ngebehey.” It is a large gold lip pearl shell with a handle made of coconut rope with a boar’s tusk attached at each side of the handle. The shell came from Australia, but the piece was made on Yap. It appears to be very old; the shell is about nine inches in diameter. He had a piece that is very similar to the yar nu au, but was made from black lip shell and called “balaw”. Leaning against the side of his house were two Yap stones from two to three feet in diameter. He did not think they were as important as his other traditional money.

 

      

Left: Charles Opitz with Stan Fillmed, an elder from Kaday village, wearing a traditional thu. Middle: Charles Opitz and Stan Fillmed. Right: left to right Charles Opitz, Stan Fillmed’s daughter, Karen Opitz, Stan Fillmed.

 

      

Traditional dancers from Kaday village wearing traditional dress.

 

We then went to the village of Kaday to talk with one of its elders, Stan Fillmed. Stan is a very knowledgeable person and also very personable. Stan pointed out a small stone about two feet in diameter that the village had recently received from a neighboring village. Some boys from that village were caught stealing betel nut from Stan’s village. The elders from the boys’ village came and sincerely apologized and said they would make sure it never happened again. In apology they gave Stan’s village that piece of stone money. The betel nut had very little value, but the boys had disrespected Stan’s village and that was the reason the theft was so bad. The coconut rope is also a form of traditional money and is made only on the outer islands and traded to Yap proper. From the outer islands lava lavas are traded to Yap proper. They are skirts worn by the women and used as a form of traditional money and as gifts. Lava lavas formerly were made of pandanus, but recently most are made of cloth. Stan announced the start of the dances and told a short story about what the dance was about and what it meant. About 14 villagers in traditional dress danced and chanted while they danced. They danced in two lines in front of the stone money bank. The men wore a thu, the women wore a grass skirt and a lei around their neck. Both the men and women wore flowers in their hair and were topless.  Stan’s daughter was one of the dancers, and she had recently returned from Hawaii; where she had graduated from the University of Honolulu. Many Yapese get their higher education in the United States. Yapese generally are a shy and friendly people who are not interested in having the material things that most societies are interested in having. They are most happy with their families and their traditional way of life. They have a high regard for private property and respect for each other.

 

We got up early the next morning and boarded a boat to the forbidden island of Rumung. It is one of the main islands that make up Yap proper, but is separated from the other islands by water. Our guide, Thomas, a resident of Rumung, told us that in the 1960s a Peace Corp volunteer told the people that Rumung was so beautiful that they should forbid tourists and others from visiting the island because it would then be Westernized and ruined. Later a professor from some American university agreed with him, and as a result it is virtually impossible to visit Rumung. Before traveling to Yap we wrote for permission and provided a biography of my writings about traditional life on other islands and a copy of my pamphlet on Yap. We also had obtained a letter of recommendation from our Congressional Representative, Cliff Stearns, who has been a personal friend for many years. Our guide did considerable legwork to present our request and answer questions about us. The decision to allow us to visit was made by the Council of Pilung. They did not allow us to take any photographs, as nobody is allowed to take any photographs on the island, and there are no exceptions. This council is made up of the ten high chiefs from Yap, and they have absolute traditional authority. There is a caste system in Yap and the chiefs come from the higher-caste villages only. Our guide told us that even native Yapese who were not born on Rumung couldn’t visit the island. We were very excited to be allowed to visit the island and see the largest Yap stone money in the world, which is located on Rumung. It is about 12 feet in diameter, and it lies on its side. It is about eight inches thick and was carried by modern boat, as pieces this large could not be brought back from Palau on outrigger canoe. The piece is named “Ruwegarus” and was made by our guide’s grandfather, Tammad, who was in charge of many others who also helped. We also were able to visit their two large stone money banks and the foundation of their old men’s house, which is in front of their new men’s house. They do not allow taking pictures on the island so I have no pictures.

 

   

Left: The Chief of Teb, Walter Chieng of Tomil Village holding a very large and valuable Yar – Ni Ngavchey. Right: The Chief of Teb, Walter Chieng of Tomil Village with Charles Opitz both holding his two kinds of gau.

 

The next day we met with Chief of Teb Walter Chieng of Tomil Village. This is one of three high-ranked or high-caste villages. Walter Chieng told us the story of the origin of gau and how it was used as money. A man named Anugmang traveled to find something to use in trade and found gau. It was the first use of money. This oldest and rarest kind of gau is called “anu.” Walter then showed me two gau. One was the old original type called “anu,” and the other was the more modern type. On the original type he has written in ink the name “anu” in Japanese. The modern type has two whale’s teeth attached.

 

Below are many pictures of Yap stones we saw on Yap

     

 

     

 

         

 

      

 

           

 

      

 

     

 

       

 

         

 

     

 

       

 

 

        

 

 

      

 

       

 

      

 

      

 

       

 

      

 

      

 

         

 

      

 

 

He also listed in order of value 15 different kinds of traditional money on Yap. This information is in my new book. When we got back to the Traders Ridge Hotel we were pleased to see Stan waiting for us. He knew I was interested in gau, and he brought his two pieces of gau, one old original and one newer piece, for me to see. I was very pleased to see his wonderful pieces. He then gave me a shell bracelet, called a wauri, which was used as traditional money. He also gave me an Au, a wrapped length of coconut rope used as traditional money. He is a truly generous man. After some down time we went to the airport for our 1:30 AM flight to Guam and then to Honolulu. After two days in Hawaii we continued on to Florida.

 

The following examples of Yap traditional money in the Opitz collection.

         

Left: Yap stone obtained by Charles Opitz in 1966 directly through the District Administrator of Yap. It is a post O’Keefe piece and is 23 inches in diameter and weighs 66 pounds. Middle: Yap stone owned by Charles Opitz and weighs 78 pounds and 21 ¾ inches is diameter. It is a pre- O’Keefe piece which is white with small crystals (the preferred type). Right: Yap stone owned by Charles Opitz and is a pre-O’Keefe piece 15 inches in diameter weighing 35 pounds.

 

     

Left: Yap stones owned by Charles Opitz. The left piece is 11 inches in diameter and weighs 5 pounds. The center piece is 5 inches in diameter. The right two pieces are modern pieces made on Yap from aragonite. Right: Yar-Ba tha’l – yar on a rope- part of the collection of Charles Opitz.  

 

         

Left: Turtle shell ornament  Middle: Lump of turmeric called reng and used as traditional money in Opitz collection.  Right: A large shell bracelet made from a seashell where the base and all interior spirals have been cut away. It was used as traditional money and is in the Opitz collection.

 

      

Left: Yar – Ni balaw in Opitz collection. Right: Gau in the Opitz collection.

 

  

Left: Shell string called figaa in the Opitz collection similar to the Pitmag piece. Right: Turtle shell dishes called toluk in the Opitz collection.

 

  

Left: Coconut rope called au in the Opitz collection. Right: Two turtle shell rings in the Opitz Collection.

 

  

Old lavalava made from pandanus in the Opitz collection. Right is close-up.

 

  

Modern lavalava mafe from cloth in the Opitz collection. Right is close up. Notice colored yarn.