Day 221: Airai Bai (Men’s Meeting House), Airai Village, Palau
📌APIA Every Day (221) - The Bai ra Irrai in Airai Village, Palau, is one of the few surviving original meeting houses in the region. The structure sits on eight wooden beams supported by stone platforms and has been maintained through approximately ten renovations over its 300-year history. While the nipa leaf roofing requires replacement every decade, some original materials persist in the flooring and corners. Historical records show that the building was disassembled during wartime and reconstructed by craftsmen from Ngerkedam and the villages from Ngerusar to Ngetkib, maintaining traditional measurements and construction techniques.
The building functions as a council house for Airai Village's ten chiefs, each representing different clans and lineages. The seating arrangement follows a strict hierarchical order, with positions numbered one through ten. The first position belongs to Medechiibelau, the village deity, represented by a title bearer called Ngerekiklang. The interior features narrative beams depicting local histories and myths, decorated using traditional pigments: lime powder for white, clay for red and yellow, and wood ash for black. Chiefs must purchase their positions in the bai, with higher-ranked positions requiring larger contributions.
The construction relies on traditional measurement units, with the teréu (outstretched arm’s length) and meliútech (thumb and finger measurements) serving as primary reference points. The structure employs a weight-distribution system that eliminates the need for nails, instead using tied joints throughout. Ironwood posts (dort) provide primary support, while the overall design allows for complete disassembly when necessary. Historical photographs from 1919 document that Airai Village originally housed three bai structures: Osebuulngau, Ngerdubech el bai, and Outangelbai, with one featuring a two-story design and another using a unique single central post system.
The bai's governance system operates through specific protocols. Chiefs communicate through intermediaries during meetings, and all decisions require unanimous consensus. When consensus cannot be reached, the four highest-ranking chiefs must convene on the okeuídbad ("70 stones"), an external stone platform, until agreement is achieved. Chief selection involves a formal process where senior female clan members nominate male candidates for council approval. Approved chiefs must then host a feast and present money to purchase their position in the bai. The building holds important historic and cultural significance in Palau, leading to its designation on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
LEARN MORE:
National Archives Catalog: Bai Ra Irrai NRHP Form
Fish n Fins: Airai BAI Adventure
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