Abstract
This paper aims to examine the colonial history of Palauan war canoes (kabekel) and their present-day revival. Canoes were employed in warfare between villages during precolonial times, but colonial administrations banned their practical use for peacekeeping purposes. War canoe races were organized on Athletic Day (Taiiku Dei) during Japanese rule. Races were not held from the end of the Japanese administration until 1979, when financial aid from the United States enabled the construction of two new war canoes to commemorate the establishment of self-government in Palau. After Palau was selected as the host country for the Ninth Festival of Pacific Arts, which was to be held in 2004, seven new war canoes were built to illustrate and celebrate Palauan national culture. War canoe races were then staged at the Festival for the benefit of both foreign and native spectators. This paper will show that representation of Palauan national culture was made possible by appropriating successive colonial experiences under German, Japanese, and American administrations.
