2007: YEAR IN REVIEW

NW Hawaiian Islands monument gets official name

by Rachel Gehrlein – THE GARDEN ISLAND

Nearly one year after President Bush signed a proclamation making the Northwest Hawaiian Islands the world’s largest protected marine area in the world, First Lady Laura Bush was on O‘ahu in March for the announcement of the monument’s name. The name, Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, was revealed in a ceremony at the former home of Queen Liliuokalani.

The name pays homage to an ancient Hawaiian tradition, suggesting the abundance and timelessness of life on the remote islands.

The national monument, which is nearly seven times larger than Yosemite National Park, has nearly 140,000 square miles of islands, atolls, reefs and ocean waters that is home to more than 7,000 marine species. A quarter of those are endemic to Hawai‘i.

According to Aunty Pua Kanahele, a well-known kumu hula, scholar and spiritual practitioner, who spoke at the ceremony, the name Papahanaumokuakea is the ancient name of one of the islands in the chain, which stretches more than 1,000 miles from the main Hawaiian Islands.

The naming process spanned several months and involved dozens of academic scholars, teachers, cultural practitioners, community activists and resource managers who had experience working directly with issues concerning the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

The National Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the area, is in the process of developing a plan for visitors to Midway Island, home to the world’s largest colony of Laysan albatrosses.

Due to the fragile nature of the area, no more than 30 individuals at one time were allowed this year and no more than 50 at one time for 2008 and beyond.

Last November, USA Today and “Good Morning America” named the site as one of the new “Seven Wonders of the World.”