Palau Freedom Memorial
PROPOSED DESIGN
Otis College of Art and Design students have been given the opportunity to work with Palauan residents and community members to design a Freedom Memorial Park to commemorate the Palauans who have lost their lives serving in the U.S. military from the Vietnam War to the present, and who lost their lives during WWII.
This three year project began in 2011. During the first phase, students had the opportunity to meet Palauan civic leaders and family members of the military and also present four design proposals. During the second phase, they were able to narrow it down to one design. During the third phase of the project, students worked to incorporate their designs from the previous year with the feedback collected to produce a final design to present and share to the people of Palau.
The design consists of eight 10 ft. tall stone monoliths and eight corresponding “toluk” sculptural seating structures. They rise out of the earth along the curve of the spiral of a conch shell. The conch shell has been used since historic times by Palauan men to announce gathering together for celebratory or other important events as well as a call to arms. The monoliths will be made from local limestone. Their shape and organization reflect the early stone monoliths found on the island of Babeldaob in Palau.
Traditionally, toluks were made from shells of the hawksbill sea turtle. They are oval trays that serve as women’s currency and are given to pay for food preparation services performed for traditional customs. Because conservation plays an important role in cultural preservation, Palau Conservation Society in recent years initiated a five year moratorium on the harvesting of hawksbill turtles. The toluk is culturally specific to Palau.
Each of the eight monoliths will have two sided stone carvings depicting the legends that best represent each of the sixteen States. These illustrations will be drawn by Palauan artists and carved by local artisans who are well versed in wood carving. They will be trained by Los Angeles stone sculptor Rude Calderon, who will conduct workshops so that the artisans will learn a new skill and source of income.
The monoliths are inspired by the Ngerchelong Bai Stone Monoliths, the standing stones at one of the great archaeological ruins in Palau, at the northeast side of Babeldoab. In the legend of Bairulechau, the gods, working at the bottom of the sea, carved the parts for a Bai (traditional Palauan men’s meeting house). At night, as they were carrying the parts to Ngerchelong, two magicians heard the noises and went outside to investigate. Magician Uchel performed his magic and a rooster appeared. The seventh time it crowed, sunlight shone. “You are the creator of sunlight,” Uchel said to his companion Iechaderngel. Then Iechaderngel carved a sun. Since the gods could only work in the dark of night, the construction stopped. The supporting stones remain in the verdant fields at Ngerchelong.
The Otis group visited the two sites in Koror that may be suitable to place this memorial, Long Island Park and Ngetmeduch (with nearby islet Reberaber) near the Japanese Friendship Bridge going towards Airai.
Turtle logo designed by Palauan artist Scott Weers