Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 1, 1 January 2011 — Apoliona visits Papahānaumokuākea [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Apoliona visits Papahānaumokuākea

On Dec. 4, then-OHA Chairperson Haunani Apoliona traveled to Midway Atoll with a group of federal officials, including Co-Trustees of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. "I feel honored to have participated as part of the delegation visiting Papahānaumokuākea," said Apoliona, the first OHA Trustee to visit the Monument. OHA is a Co-Manager of the Monument along with the Co-Trustees: the State of Hawai'i, U.S. Interior Department and U.S. Commerce Department. "The wonder and awe of its natural and cultural significance and history made me think of our kūpuna kahiko and the strength of their spirit to survive and thrive in our island environment and deeply appreciate the fact that culture and nature are indeed one." For generations, the area's natural and cultural significance hasn't been well-known among Hawaiians, so "an important objective going forward will be to have more in our Native Hawaiian community to have a 'personal experience' with Papahānaumokuākea, whether as a volunteer working a three-month assignment, as a visitor or as a student absorbing the spirit of Papahānaumokuākea through videos, exhibits and readings," she said. The purpose of trip was to familiarize senior-level officials of Papahānaumokuākea's Co-Trustee partners with the Monument. The Dec. 4-5 trip was made in conjunction with the World Heritage inscription ceremony on Dec. 3. For Apoliona, "Being physically present in Papahānaumokuākea and knowing this SEE MIDWAY ON PAGE 22

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Then-0HA Chairperson Haunani Apoliona dances wilh albatrosses on Midway Atoll. - Photo: Courtesy ofSusan White

MIDWAY

Continued from page 6 area is now under protection and management for present and future generations" were highlights of the trip. "Witnessing at least half a dozen green sea turtles swimin and crawl up on shore to rest, seeing a half dozen Hawaiian monk seals resting undisturbed on the heaeh ... and seeing the thousands of Laysan Albatross, were also scenes to remember," she said. The delegation of about 25 officials, included federal officials visiting from the Washington, D.C., area: Esther Brimmer, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations; Tom Strickland, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks; and Larry Robinson,

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Conservation and Management. The group also included 'Aulani Wilhelm, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Superintendent; Danielle Carter of the State of Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources, whieh is a Monument Co-Trustee; Heidi Guth, OHA's Manager for the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument; and Andrew Skeat of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Parks Authority in Australia and Tukabu Teroroko of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area in Kiribati. Both the Great Barrier Reef and the Phoenix Islands are on the World Heritage list. It was the first trip to the Monument for many of the delegation, and all showed "genuine respect

NATIVE HAWAIIAN » NEWS | FEATURES | EVENTS for our Native Hawaiian history, culture and early native settlers," said Apoliona, who shared Hawaiian protocol on Midway. "I also observed the 'will' in committing to make sure that decisions to be made regarding this special area will not be absent the input and concurrence of Native Hawaiian leadership," she said, adding that the delegation and their respective federal agency support staff recognize the significance of Papahānaumokuākea's designation as the sole "mixed" - natural and cultural - World Heritage site in the United States. "This special and unique designation, honoring both culture and nature is being taken very seriously by these federal agencies," she said. "As one Native Hawaiian leader, I commend this attitude." -Lisa Asato