By: Faith Chen
On September 6-7, the Palau Sailing Association and Imeungs Youth Movement hosted the “Traditional Canoe Quest,” a youth cultural sailing event celebrating Palau’s rich maritime traditions. The event featured a memorable journey from Ngeremlengui back to Skojo, successfully completed by young sailors with guidance from Mr. SENDA Yuto, a JICA Volunteer and sailing coach.
Mr. Yuto shared insights about the event and his experience: “The Traditional Canoe Quest is a short voyage program where we sail from Skojio ra Meyuns, our usual training location. This time, we chose Ngeremlengui because of a special connection with our PSA team. On the traditional side, we practice not only modern sailing but also traditional techniques. We are very enthusiastic about using our brand-new traditional sailing canoe, which we carved this year, to pass down the knowledge of our elders.”
Over the course of two days, the young sailors enjoyed navigating the seas, observing marine life, and experiencing changing weather conditions. Fully immersed in the ocean’s natural environment, the program was challenging. “At times, the kids looked very serious, but this difficulty was a rewarding part of the journey,” said Mr. Yuto. The sailors returned to Skojio ra Meyuns beaming with pride and joy over their accomplishment.
The team consisted of 8 sailors from PSA and 4 kids from Ngeremlengui, participating in shifts on the way to and from Ngeremlengui. “We’ve been training with traditional sailing canoes for a long time, but for the past two months, we focused specifically on this canoe,” Mr. Yuto added.
Looking ahead, the organizers hope to encourage more youth to participate in traditional sailing programs. “Our goal is to organize more short voyages to other states near Koror. Ultimately, we hope to see our waters filled with sails again, which would be a beautiful sight from the Palau shore,” said Mr. Yuto.
The Traditional Canoe Quest not only strengthens sailing skills but also fosters cultural pride and connects Palauan youth with their maritime heritage, promising a vibrant future for traditional sailing in Palau.
