book chapter

Native land tenure in the Truk District

Land tenure patterns : Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands • Guam • Published In 1958 • Pages: 161-215

By: Fischer, John L..

Abstract

This is a study of real property and land tenure among the Chuuk. Real property may be owned by individuals or by lineages ('clan lands.') Real property can include dry land, fresh water swamp, mangrove swamps, or reefs. Property can be acquired by conquest, through improvement, in payment for damages or medical care, as a marriage gift, and in the modern era, through purchase. Improvements include planting of trees or plants, building, or construction of fish weirs of stone. Clan land is apportioned among its members. The matrilineage retains reversionary rights to clan land and the chief is given an annual gift, or tribute, of 'first fruits' in recognition of these rights. Sale or gift of clan land requires the unanimous consent of all lineage members. Both men and women can own land, and land can be passed down either side of the family, i.e., men can divide their share of matrilineage land among their children of both sexes. Full title and usufruct rights to land can be complex. This complexity was largely ignored by both the Germans and Japanese who gave full title to either the chiefs or the current land users, resulting in an increase in land disputes during this period.

HRAF PubDate

1999

Region

Oceania

Sub Region

Micronesia

Document Type

book chapter

Evaluation

Creator Type

Ethnologist

Document Rating

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Ian Skoggard ; 1997

Field Date

1949-1950

Coverage Date

1850-1950

Coverage Place

Chuuk State, Federated State of Micronesia

Notes

By John L. Fischer

Includes bibliographical references (p. 212-213)

LCCN

70015587

LCSH

Trukese (Micronesian people)