ABSTRACT
Palau had been colonised by Spain, Germany, Japan, and the United States. How do Palauans interpret their past and foreign influences? Oral histories are not merely descriptions of the past. The narrators’ interpretations of the past are reflected in their stories. This study examines how Palauan people expressed their reality (the truth for them) in terms of their experiences under Japanese and American colonial rule. Specifically, two Palauans’ narratives on traditional Palauan tenets and relations with the Japanese during Japanese colonial time are described and analysed. Based on examination, two messages are extracted from the narratives: namely, ‘We are proud Palauan’ and ‘Good old Palauan tenets are fading because of foreign influences’. Under each colonial rule, Palauans attempted to reconcile foreign culture with their own culture, but at the same time, they never lost their cultural identities. When new colonisers came and new culture was introduced, some would claim that it was not the Palauan way. However, whatever they may believe, ‘tradition’ has been influenced by former colonisers. Lastly, in order to understand the history of others, it is important to take into account not only the words but also that which is beyond the words.
