People :
Palauans appear to be the most Americanized of Micronesians; don't expect to see native dress. Beneath the surface, though, they are extremely tradition-oriented. While friendly, they'll often check you out by waiting for you to smile or say hello first.
Palauan culture was traditionally matriarchal, with women choosing which males would be the clan chiefs. Women owned and divided land. Chiefly titles were, and still are, inherited through the mother.
The majority of Palauans are Roman Catholics, with a significant number in Protestant sects as well. However, a large percentage of Palauans still retain some of their traditional beliefs. This may in part be due to the United Sect, or Ngara Modekngei, founded by Temedad on Babeldaob in 1915. This belief system began as a nonviolent opposition to the Japanese occupation. It was a conscious return to beliefs that even at that time had been partially lost. It contains elements of ancestor worship and faith in protective spirits.
Both Palauan and English are official languages. Because of the 31-year Japanese occupation, the Palauan language still contains many words rooted in Japanese, particularly words describing 20th century technology.
In 1903, under the German administration, inhabitants from the Southwest Islands were relocated to Echang in Koror after a typhoon. In 1996, descendants of Palauans who claimed prior ownership in that land brought suit to recover title. In February 1998, the Palau Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Southwest Islanders. The Palauan litigants then set up an ongoing "sleep-in" at the turnoff to the road leading to Echang. One sign left up by the protesters read, "NO MORE TYPHOON—GO HOME." Apparently to some Palauans, the fact that the families of the Echang residents had lived in Koror for four generations was outweighed by the fact that they had retained their own language as well as other traditions. After 95 years in Koror, they were still "outsiders."