How were land-use rights usually passed down in Micronesian communities?

In traditional Micronesian communities, land was the most significant form of property, typically owned by extended families or lineages rather than individuals. While specific land-tenure customs varied by island, land-use rights were generally passed down through the following mechanisms:21

• Matrilineal Inheritance: In most of Micronesia, matrilineal inheritance of land rights was the norm. Descent was traced through the matrilineage, and individuals acquired use rights to specific plots through these kin connections.12
• Patrilineal Exceptions: In Yap, patrilineal inheritance of land and patrilocal residence were considered the ideal.2
• Flexible Use Rights: Even in matrilineal societies, children often held rights to use land associated with their paternal grandmother’s side. In practice, children could also inherit use rights to land worked by their fathers or receive a share outright if the father’s lineage possessed a surplus.21
• Role of Leadership: The eldest child typically directed the use of lineage or family lands. Furthermore, individuals acknowledged the group's ownership by offering first fruits to the kin group's leader.21