Palau has spent years under colonization and imperial influence, until reaching independence in 1994. Throughout this, partnerships were built with many different countries, with a primary impacting nation being the United States of America. Thus, visiting the US Embassy gave major insight on Palau's relationship with both the US and the rest of the world.

Additionally, Palau has maintained its traditional governing ideals through the use of the Bai, or the meeting house of chiefs. We got to experience a modern version of this, through the Women's Airai Bai, where we were greeted with a hearty meal and meaningful art. These Bai allowed partnerships between the states of Palau in making major decisions for the country.

Through Palau's role in the Pacific, the country also acts as a trendsetter in conservation efforts. We got to experience this first hand through out tour of the Palau International Coral Reef Center, learning all about the ways Palau is honoring the natural ocean and ecosystems. However, Palau cannot do it alone and through partnerships in the Pacific, efforts towards conservation becomes a joint effort where all countries learn from each other towards the betterment of our world.

Day 4 - Education & Building Island Connections

Alii! This interview video made by Princess and Eddie features guests within our PAAC Palau Study tour cohort as well as People from Palau's community. Our main focus was discovering connections and building bonds between islands in the Pacific Ocean. We decided to do interviews to allow speakers to openly share their thoughts and experience on Palau while showing off their personality. In Palau, community and growth are pillars in their society which is something Hawaii values just as much.  Interviewing students who are direct contributors to their communities shines light on the future of Palau and Hawaii and the ongoing dedication of education and leadership.

 Visiting Palau was a learning experience that inspired growth in everyone participating. PAAC is grateful for Palau welcoming us kindly and teaching us about their culture and effective ocean conservation efforts. As we reflect on this trip, let's continue to impact our communities with what Palau taught us and remember we are separated by islands but joined together by one beautiful ocean.

Sulang, Eddie and Princess

We got to explore the food systems of Palau through visiting the taro patches and clam farms. We learned about how the people in the villages take part in using the land and the ocean to sustain themselves. The clam farms use the energy that pass through the rabbit fish to grow the clams that they harvest every 6 months. The taro grown is yellow taro, which is unique because it can harvested at any time without going bad, compared to purple which has to be harvested in a specific season or it won't be edible. Visiting the taro patches turned into a spontaneous hike led by the Auntie Cory and we somehow ended up back at the start. It was cool to be able to draw connections between Palau's system and ancient Hawaiʻi systems. Overall, this day was super informative and very memorable. 

Nikko Bay, located in Koror, is known to locals as a great spot to jump and have fun. However, there is a deep history within its waters. When we arrived in Palau, we learned that during World War II the Japanese took over and put many bunkers close to coral life. We also saw a B-24 plane crash at the Bay and a shipwreck at the Rock Islands. The coral started to cover the shipwreck, taking back what they lost from these gruesome battles. When you are having fun in the ocean, it is important to remember all the marine life living beneath the surface of the water. 

Throughout our whole journey around Palau also known as Belau, the island nation gave us a sense of identity and responsibility that each one of us will carry moving forward in our lives. Palau culture and community has thrived through 4 different occupational period and 3,000 years of history. Seeing how Palau is a leading country in ocean conservation and climate change and preserving cultural heritage,  it was inspiring to see how much action they have took in such a short amount of time. This experience in its entirety has given us the knowledge of what it means to honor the past while living in the future.