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Coalition Statement: Our Journey together continues

PRI

As the tides change with a new U.S. administration, we–the Pacific Islands Heritage Coalition–want to express our deep gratitude to the many members, partners, supporters, communities, scientists, elected officials, and others who have been on this journey with us for the last ten years. Our journey together continues. Caring for the places that sustain us is lifelong work. 

Over the past four years, we worked closely with the Biden administration to safeguard the unprotected areas of Howland and Baker Islands, and Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atoll. Through this collaborative relationship, the Biden administration set a goal to complete the sanctuary designation process before the change in administration, but they did not meet that timeline. From an Indigenous lens, our vision is to safeguard this unique seascape in perpetuity to ensure that industrial extraction and the threats of climate change do not destroy ecosystems vital to future generations. Considering that no further protections were extended for an area of such ancestral significance, our Coalition is deeply disappointed. 

Our Coalition also requested President Biden rename the Monument. We offer our deep gratitude to our cousins across Oceania, who answered the call and gave their valuable time and input to federal agencies as part of the renaming process. We welcome the new name announced by President Biden: Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument. The new name focuses on connection and recognizes the shared Pacific Islander heritage that links past, present, and future generations. By removing the word “remote,” we are progressing beyond the colonial mindset that these islands and atolls are disconnected and unimportant. On the contrary, they are central, and interweave our communities across Oceania geographically, historically, ecologically, and in our shared vision for a healthy ocean. We also look forward to future opportunities to rename individual islands and atolls to integrate Indigenous language terms or other more appropriate names for specific areas.

Further, the administration heard our call and recognized the sacrifices of 135 young men, most of whom were Native Hawaiian and include ancestors of Coalition members, that the federal government recruited in secret. As a group, they later became known as the Hui Panalāʻau. The young men – high school students and graduates – were sent on a quiet operation from 1935-1942 to “colonize” the Line Islands of Howland, Baker, and Jarvis in the South Pacific. They carried out the mission by living on the islands for months at a time, establishing them as permanent residents – and the three islands as U.S. territories. The youths being of Hawaiian descent was intentional, as it was  “believed” they could better survive the isolated and harsh conditions of the islands. They were not told where they were going or what they would be doing, and their families were kept in the dark on where they had gone. 

Tragically, three young men lost their lives during their service. In October 1938, Carl Kahalewai died of appendicitis while in transit back to Hawaiʻi for an emergency operation. On December 8, 1941, Howland and Baker were bombed and shelled by the Japanese, and Joseph Keli‘ihananui and Richard “Dickie” Whaley were killed on Howland Island. The remaining six boys on the two islands were finally rescued nearly two months later, on January 31, 1942. Colonists on Jarvis and Enderbury (part of thePhoenix Islands in Kiribati) were not evacuated until February 9, 1942.

Now, more than 80 years after the group’s rescue, President Biden has expressed the nation’s gratitude and recognition to the brave men, their families, and their descendants. To learn more, visit https://www.huipanalaau.org/ 

As we paddle forward, we remain steadfast in our commitment to safeguard this special place for generations to come. We stay committed to nurturing and building on our deep relationships across the Pacific toward a thriving future. And we do this work knowing that caring for our cherished places never ends. This work is our life-long responsibility. 

Thank you for being with us.

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