Back to Hawaii News index

Posted: Saturday, March 3rd, 2007 6:21 AM HST

Northwestern islands monument receives Hawaiian name

By Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) _ The massive national monument created by the president last year out of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands has received a new name. In a ceremony with first lady Laura Bush, Governor Lingle and U-S Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne the monument was renamed the Papahanaumokuakea National Monument yesterday. President Bush stated in his June proclamation that the monument would eventually receive a Hawaiian name. The name refers to the natural bounty of the area as a place that gives birth to all things. It took about five to six months for a group of cultural practitioners, scholars, teachers and officials to develop the name. At nearly 140-thousand square miles the monument is 100 times larger than Yosemite National Park. It's home to seven-thousand marine species and is the primary habitat for the endangered Hawaiian monk seal and green sea turtles. (Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved)