Ngaraard

From Freepedia

Ngaraard is the 8th state of Palau, located on the northern tip of Babeldaob directly to Ngerchelong state. There are five hamlets in Ngaraard including Choll, Elab, Ngebuked, Ulimang and Ngkeklau. There is a saying in Ngaraard, "A rengud a donkngei," meaning everyone works together as one in spirit and in the heart. The original name of Ngaraard was Kerradel.

History

Ngaraard history comes from long ways from Spanish time to German time to Japanese time to World War II and its present lifestyle.

During Spanish time there was a priest named Father Luis who lived in Elab. He lived there to spread the good news of the Lord and he raised chicken at his place. People from Ngaraard did not take the Christianity so he decided to move. He went to Melekeok to Chief Reklai but no one like the Christianity, so he decided to live at Ngchesar. On his way to Ngchesar, he met some people on the road who gave him bad directions to Ngchesar. Father Luis ended up not knowing where to go and got sick, Chief Reklai hear Father Luis story so he told people to look for him. They found Father Luis lying down and was very sick. The people of Melekeok take care of him but he died. He was buried crosswise not like everyone at Uudes burial ground.

On German time, there were men of Ngebuke who were working for German police station in Ngebukedd. Maderngebuked at that time was a friend of Mr.Winkler a German person. Maderangebuked asked Mr. Winker that prison would move to Ngaraard. Mr Winkler said it was OK. So the prison moved to Ngebuked. During that time German made a law that all Palauans would work to plant all kinds of plants. If no one does it, they will be sent to Ngebuked for prison and Maderengebuked would supervise them. This is one o the reasons why there are lots o coconuts in Palau. Germans stopped marriage and other religions accept Catholism. But they made people work very hard. Some people of Ngaraard moved to Angaur to work in the phosphate mine. Doctors from Angaur traveled to Ngebuked to see people because there was a sickness called leprosy. Those who were found to have leprosy were sent to Melekeok for healing. There were to much leprosy during that time that so many Palauans died. In addition, a German lives in the bai ra Ngesang with his wife and children. Nobody knew what he was doing but people saw him shooting herons (sechou).

During the Japanese time, there was a Japanese school in Ulimang, Ngaraard. Japanese teachers and a few Palauans teach at the school. The school was only 1st, 2nd, 3rd grade. Students from the school came from Ngardmau, Ngerchelong, Kayangel and Ngaraard. There is a teacher Hijikata they remember that he teach student on arts and crafts. Every morning students have assembly like the assemble at our school and they would bow to toward Janpanese to show respect and their loyal to the Japanese Emperor. My great grandma said that if students did not know their lessons, they would be punishing in standing outside all day staring at the sun. I am glad I am not in Japan time. Ngaraard also had two stores. The first store sells sweets and clothing materials. Nanboyeki store was to buy coconut from all the islands. People who did not have money can exchange coconuts for clohes material. There was another Japanes who was married to Palauan woman and they had tapioca farm. Many people from Ngaraard went to work at Angaur for phosphate mining, others went to Ngardmau to work on bauxite and some went to work for Nanboyeki. Then there were also Spanish priests who stayed in Koror and travel to all the islands sharing Christianity. When World War started in Palau, people of Ngerchelong and Peleliu came to Ngaraard to stay. When they came to Ngaraard, Taro Matsuda, Maderangebuked younger brother was to help all people who came Ngaraard and find people to host them. When the war started all the people run to live in the jungle of Ngebuked and make their houses. People who wanted to go to taro patch or go fishing must tell Japanese soldiers to get ok from them. When they finish doing taro patch or fishing they have to go back to the Japanese soldiers and tell them they are finish. My grandma said they always take lots of their food so when they go home they have only little for the family. When Americans started to shoot everything. People from Ngaraard were very afraid because no one have ever seen the airplane. Especially when something comes out of it like fire. They called it big birds with fire (Meklou el kiued el ngarngii ngau el tuobed a ngerel). Japanese were always marching back and forth keeping their eyes on everything that moved. During that time, plenty of food runs out because Japanese keep taking their food and the Americans big bird keeps flying out. So many Ngaraard people were very hungry. They always go out at night and find food because the big birds would not come but they had to be careful because if Japanese soldiers see them they would kill them. Japanese ordered that they would group Palauans and kill them. Japanese soldiers met with Palau chiefs to discuss where to house Peleliu people because they were going to make Peleliu as their Military base. When they were in the meeting not one of the chiefs wanted to house the Peleliu people. Therefore, Maderangebuked volunteered to take all the Peleliu people because Ngaraard has a big taro patchs and farms to give food for a lot of people. This is why Ngaraard people and Peleliu people have a special friendship. There is Odesangel stone, this is an old name of Peleliu standing by Bai ra Ngaruau. The people of Peleliu who were in Ngebuked during war carved the Odesangel Bad. They carved the stone as a memorial o the time they came out from hiding. Carved on the stone are written, "Odesangel Bad, 1945 28/9". The writing shows that the people of Peleliu and those from Ngebuked and others that had been hiding in the jungle came out from their hiding place on September 28, 1945.

It is said that Ngebuked people were originally from Angaur. They lived on a mountain in Angaur called Roisbuked. When Roisbuked was full of people and not enough land for crops or food to support all the people. People from Angaur went out looking for another island to live in. After leaving Roisbuked, they moved to Peleliu called Ngerchol. When Ngerchol could not hold many people, the people decide they will move to Babeldaob looking for a place to stay. They traveled to the Babeldaob where they landed a place between Melekeok and Ngaraard. When they landed there, they walk on their feet toward Ngiwal. People from Ngiwal were very mad at them so they moved to Ngaraard in Ngeteluang. And one morning a child walked up the mountain and found Ngebuked, he told the chief so the chief went to see what he saw. It was so true so they all moved to Ngebuked. Ngebuked was divided into two sections, bita el taoch ma bita el taoch. The chief of one section was Kerai and the other section was an old woman named Romei. When an old woman could not hold all the responsibilities as a chief, she asked Oiseuang another older woman to rule. There were two brothers from Ngeruangel sailed by and saw smoke rising at Ngebuked, they stopped to get their supplies. The older brother like what he saw at Ngebuked and decided to stay and dthe younger brother traveled to other areas at Babeldaob. The younger brother ended up in Melekeok and became, Chief of Melekeok. The older brother stayed in Ngebuked, he was very nice man who minded his own business, and he did whatever they asked him. Oiseuang became older and cannot perform her work as chief so she looked for a person in a village who can perform all the work for the chief. She saw that the man had the skills to get the chief. She visits him and asks if he can become a chief, he asked he could be named Mad. Chief Mad was able to unite the two sections into one whole village of Ngebuked and so he became Mad ra Ngebuked. Kerai remained the head of the village; meaning that when there is a contribution of food, he still receives the portion for the first title but the one who has the authority and power over Ngebukedd is Maderangebuked. Therefore, the order of the chiefly title the first title is Maderangebuked, the second title is Kerai and the third is Techur. The title Techur had clan members from Ngeaur, Airai and Ngerchelong. Therefore, if a member from Angaur assumes the title then he would be called Techurchelong and if a clan member from Ngerchelong assumed the title he would be called Techurchelong and if he was from Airai he would be called Techurrulak.

Resources

Ngaraard has many natural resources mainly including forests and water. The landscape of the outlook is mostly mountainous forest, sandy beaches on Desbedall and mangroves on Keiukel side. There are many living things that lives in Ngaraard natural resources; they are fruitbats, pigeons, starlin birs, pigs, mangrove crab, land crabs, cone shells (rechiil), shrimps on the creek, banded snake (mengernger), aquatic snake (kemaiirs), dogs, cats and different kinds of insects this includes mosquitos, wasps, bees and kerdard and many more. One of the famous crop/plant at Ngaraard is taro and its recipe (using taro leafs, coconut milk and land crab) it is called Demok. These are some crops of Ngaraard; swamp cabbage (kangkum), tapioca (diokang), sweet potatoe (chemutii), giant swamp taro (brak), banana, calamondin (kingkang), breadfruits, ysaol, amra tree (titimel), Eugenia plant (chedebsachel), wax apple (rebotel), betelnut tree and pepper leaf (kebui). Ngaraard has a rich soil it has plenty crops but Ngaraard has only few vegetables. People from Ngaraard should plant different kinds of vegetables.

There are many important places in Ngaraard State, all hamlets are very important because they all have valuable places from long time ago. There is Traditional Village of Elab, Chetoilechang, Diong er Ngerchokel, Bai ra Ngaruau, Beluu er Ngebuke, Diong era Imeduurang, Ulimang hamlet is said to be the child of god Chuab. We also believe that an important places includes; Head Start, Elementary school and Bethania High School, hospital, Bai ra Rubak, Ngaraard State Office at Koror, Bem Yore and the stores.

The lifestyle of Ngaraard has change a lot due to the introduction of modern technology including computers, telephones, electricity and televisions. Due to the construction of roads, the majority of people in the state now use cars for transportation rather than boats. However boats are still used for fishing.

Population

The population of Ngaraard has changed considerably over the years. In 1990, its population was 440 and in 1996, it decreased to 360. In 2000, it had increased to 638. The Office of Statistics under Ministry of Finance has not yet determined the total population for 2004.

Geography

Ngaraard has a tropical climate. The temperature raises high at 83˙F to a low 81˙F. Rainfalls take place during May to January and heavy rain is in June and July. Climate is dry from February until April.

Flag

Ngaraard just changed its flag. It is made of a golden-yellow star on a field of deep sky blue background. Behind the star, it has red stripe from the bottom left corner and to upright to the upper right corner of the flag. The star stands for the unity of Ngaraard State, and the five fingers of the star stands the five counties or hamlets of Ngaraard. The stripe of the flag shows that the state has both the east and west coast of northern Babeldaob and is striving for success. The blue background symbolizes the blue of the sky and ocean surrounding the Ngaraard State.