tpdadihe 6 ad ak phebe od ati‘camadl Sas Kiar.Bd. ahs
A socaaaa
The Government of the Trust Terrifory promotes social advancement of
e Territory through programs of
bencrul education, by raising the level
On Ponape Island, in the Eastern
Carolines, a complex social system of
titles exists with most male adults
holding titles in either of the twolines
of nobility or in the line of commoners. The island itself is divided
into five districts, formerly independent areas, each having two lines of
chiefs headed by Nanmwarki and
Naniken, respectively. The titles bestowed by these chiefs advance a man
in social prestige. This status system is
still a potent force in local sociallife.
bf public health, and by improving the
standard ofliving. [t encourages Micro-
hesiuns Lo voluntarily integrate into
eir own culture useful features of
bther crvilizations to enable them to
ad more meaningful and rewarding
ives in today’s changing world.
Chapter 7
The traditional social organization
of Kusaie, Ponape District, has been
modified due to the influence of
missionary teaching over the last
hundred years.
GENERAL SOCIAL CONDITIONS
Soceul and cultural diversity exists
mone the districts, but increased
fontact und education have brought
Bbout adoption of new cultural forms
d have created a more common
pattern of social organization throughut the Territory.
f The basic units of social organizaHon in the Carolines and the Marshalls
be aomumber of lineages tracing decent matrilineally. In the Central
parolinies, in Truk, the senior male of
Bat lineage which first settled on a
particular istund possesses considerable
fatus, und chiefs still enjoy traditional
brestive and authority. The Polynesian
Blands
oof
Kapingamarangi
and
Nukuoro, support a similar level of
Dell orpanization based onpatrilineal
ecscent,
A rather complex class system still
exists in the Marshall Islands. At the
lower levels are the headmen, alap, of
the families of commonerstatus, directing their affairs and speaking for
them in larger councils. At the higher
levels are the chiefs, iroij, of the
families of “royal” status, of whom
the highest are paramount chiefs.
Between these royal and commoner
leaders are chiefs and families of varying degrees of status. The importance
of this social stratification is evident in
the Marshall Islands Congress charter
which permits the /roij laplap to sit by
hereditary right.
In Palau, in the Western Carolines,
hamlets were traditionally ruled by a
; iscal Year 1968
77
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