Navigating together, toward a thriving Pacific
We are elders, fishers, cultural practitioners, navigators, scientists, nonprofit leaders, and storytellers from across Oceania working to protect the Pacific Remote Islands and the ocean that connects us. We are committed to the heavy, complex work of navigating how to care for our ocean and for each other within a government framework that we did not choose, but is our current reality.
We do this challenging work with a deep and beloved responsibility because the future of our ocean, and communities whose lives are inextricably linked to it, are at stake. Extractive industries, like purse seine fishing and deep-sea mining are looking for every way possible to reap the rewards of the Pacific. These industries do this, even if it threatens our way of life as people of Oceania. We challenge them and any others who advance their own interests by pitting our communities against each other. We do this work not with words, but with actions, waking each day, here in our islands, connecting with one another, and moving forward together.
Instead of division, we choose a vision of unity.
A vision of a healthy Pacific, where our communities are thriving, and we collectively respect and care for the natural world as our ancestors. A future where Indigenous and island communities are united. We put this vision into action with our efforts to build bridges and work together to protect culturally and biologically important places across the Pacific.
We strongly believe that the Pacific Remote Islands will have the greatest protection when Pacific Island communities are properly represented at the highest levels of management and in decision-making processes. In that spirit, in 2022, we submitted a sanctuary nomination that asked the Biden administration to adopt a co-management structure that ensures Indigenous Pacific Islanders have a seat at the table for future management of the region. We also called for the name of this special place to change. We requested an inclusive process, that spanned the Pacific, to give this area a culturally appropriate name, one that honors the deep, interconnected history that many Pacific communities have with this place.
We continue to hold the administration and U.S. federal agencies accountable for an inclusive, transparent process that engages and elevates community voices. Along the way, we have provided guidance as people committed to the journey and seeing our vision into reality. Colonial systems don’t get broken down by throwing stones, but by leaning in to rebuild the structures we want to change.
The 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture was a powerful time of re-connection. Those present felt the energy of unification, the celebration of our vibrant cultures, and the collective strength that comes when we honor each other. Now, it’s up to all of us to continue to nurture these connections and chart a shared course toward a healthy Pacific Ocean. Our call to paddle together will always be open.
The Pacific Remote Islands Coalition