council of 10 titled male chiefs and a
paralle! “advisory” staff of 10 females,
each representing one of the ranking
clans of the community. In addition to
these two councils, both men and
women were, and continue to be,
grouped in numerous societies for
social and economic purposes. Palauan
hamlets were foosely linked into
village clusters, constituting the municipalities of today. These village
clusters in turn were linked in alliance
to make up two great semistates, north
and south, each headed by a high
chief. Due to rapid change in this
traditional system, however, it has
been possible for today’s younger,
educated men to assume positions of
prestige in the community.
Social stratification reached a peak
in Yap where nine social classes were
recognized, with the three lowest
classes as well as the Trukese-speaking
outer islanders relegated to a subordinate status. A milder form ofthis class
stratification is still important on Yap
today. In early times, Yap dominated
an economic-religious empire which
allegedly reached as far as Kusaie in
the Eastern Carolines. Today, remnants of control are found in the
Ulithi-Woleai areas, where a landlordtenant relationship exists through
affiliations with villages and families in
Yap, primarily in Gagil Municipality.
Large fleets of canoes customarily
made annual trips to Yap for food and
building materials which were urgently
needed in the low islands. In turn, the
low islands would provide manpower
for major construction projects as well
as luxury items or gifts, such as the
products of their looms. This exchange
of gifts is still practiced.
In the Marianas, Western family
structure has been adopted; the traditional social class structure of nobles
and commoners of Chamorro society
is completely gone. Within the Saipa
area, however, are central Carolinia
communities which became establis!
ed during the first half of the 19
century and still retain a more typicz
ly Micronesian matrilineal social o
ganization.
Most of the inhabitants of ¢
Territory today are Christians, wi
the Catholic and Protestant fait
about equally represented. The inc
pendent
Marshallese
Protest:
Church, a Congregational sub-sect.
over {00 years old. Catholicism, int
duced into the Marianas before 1€
and transmitted to other districts
the late 19th and early 20th centur
is represented by the Capuchin or
in the Guam diocese, which inclu
all islands of the Marianas; elsewr
Catholic missionary activity is ¢
ducted by the Society of Jesus. Ev.
where religious faith is strong. Abc
inal superstitions and taboos are
found among manyislanders, howe
and in several areas, traditional
medicine is still known, used,
valued.
Social Organizations
Traditional “social clubs” for
are important in the Western
Central Carolines to this day. (
non-governmental social organiza
are rare, except for the village ch
Palau which still play an impc
role in the social life of the co
nity for the middle-aged and
groups.
The Japanese administratio
couraged formation of age-grad
ganizations, particularly for mei
means of modernization. Son
these organizations, in modified
exist today in Yap and Palau a
78
Part Vil—Social Advanc
ee ee
me, See
“ol
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