RMI Cultural & Historic Preservation Office

25/05/2025

10/05/2025

CHPO THANKS HIGH SCHOOL INTERNS

MAJURO - Friday, May 9, 2025. The Cultural and Historic Preservation Office (CHPO) held an appreciation ceremony to acknowledge and congratulate our Marshall Islands High School (MIHS) senior interns. Certificates were awarded to Ms. Christina Korok and Ms. Joniba Yoko Quinit for their contributions to the CHPO office over the course of their internship. Mrs. Judy Tomeing-Kurn, CHPO’s Administrative Officer, presented the certificates on behalf of CHPO.

02/05/2025

Celebrating people and place! Happy Historic Preservation and Pacific Islander months!

14/03/2025

MARSHALLESE HUMAN REPATRIATION INITIATIVES

March 14, 2025. Today, Minister Jesse Gasper, Jr. met with the Administrative Leadership from the University of Göttingen in Germany. They discussed details and timeline regarding the repatriation of Marshallese human remains to Enewetak atoll.

Two ceremonies are being planned. A small, solemn ceremony is being planned at the University in Germany on October 7, 2025; and a larger one at Enewetak atoll on Monday, October 13, 2025. The staff at the Marshallese Permanent Mission in Geneva will travel up to Göttingen to be part of the smaller ceremony.

The remains will be accompanied by the University of Göttingen's officials from Germany to Enewetak atoll in the Marshall Islands.

Additionally, officials from the State of Washington and State of New York preservation officers will be in attendance as they are also bringing human remains to be interred at Enewetak atoll.

11/03/2025

What do state historic preservation offices do? Today we met with representatives from the Marshall Islands. Ancestral remains from the Marshall Islands were found in Seattle. Our agency has been asked by the Marshall Islands Historic Preservation Officer, Wilbert Alik, to assist with the repatriation. We are working to ensure these ancestors travel respectfully back to their home. We certainly appreciated the beautiful handmade gifts that we received from Wilbert Alik and his colleagues!!

11/03/2025

WHAT DO HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICES DO?

Resharing our SHPO counterpart (Dr. Allyson Brooks) from the State of Washington's LinkedIn post:

What do state historic preservation offices do? We coordinate with our counterparts in the Marshall Islands!! We are working with... on repatriating some human remains from the Marshall Islands that somehow ended up in Seattle. We want to be sure they get back home respectfully. And we greatly appreciated the beautiful gifts that our Marshall Island friends brought to us!!!

06/03/2025

STRENGTHENING RELATIONSHIP W/ U.S. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Strengthening relationship with the US National Park Service (NPS). Today, we spent time with the US NPS at the Department of Interior building in Washington DC. We learned about various grant opportunities such as battlefield, maritime, and disaster. We (Marshall Islands, Palau, Guam, CNMI, and American Samoa) each sovereign nation shared information about our current projects. There was a Q&A session. And, the US NPS assured us that the funds are available. We also had the opportunity to tour the building and take in the National Mall from the roof. Lessgoo!!!

25/02/2025

INEDREL PROPERTY

Site MI-EBN-TKA-CSS 003 preserves the story of Indrel. The swamp covers 5,898.26 square meters of area. It is roughly 65.04 meters to the closest shoreline, which is the west side of the swamp. According to legend, Inedrel hid underground in this area. “N̄a e!”, which translates “I am over here!” is what Inedrel would respond to his father calling for him (Inedrel). Inedrel’s father irrigated the area causing the water to come up to the surface. The swamp is unique in that the coconut trees standing in the swamp have disproportionate fronds. That is, the fronds are shorter than the normal length of coconut fronds. The flora was prominent, but the trees, plants have slowly died out over time. In the past decade, the local people reported that the swamp has dried up. The swamp used to be knee-deep. Today, it is ankle-deep.

Link is https://maps.app.goo.gl/6qHQz84fwKv1QL969 Happy to be putting Ebon on the global mapping platforms!

Explore a place through a 360° photo.

25/02/2025

LIWATINEEJ PROPERTY

Liwatineej (site # MI-EBN-ENE-CSS 010) is a sedimentary rock. It is a 287.73m strip of coral lump oriented north-south of Enekoiōn̄ islet on the east end of the islet. It is approximately 57 meters wide. The parent material is fossilized coral. The story of Liwatineej is about a reef that stretches along the eastern shore of Enekoiōn̄. The term "wati" means to “look out”. The main purpose of Liwatineej is to look out for outsiders on the east end. Enekoiōn̄ has plenty of coral and there was this woman who had sons (the reef) that when there were outsiders who would dare attack the island, the sons would announce to the mother. The mother would tell her sons to take the canoes and hide them and the outsiders too. No one knows where they hide them or disappear off to. The sons wouldn’t harm or kill the outsiders, but when outsiders do sail near the islet, it is said that they wouldn’t see it. On the opposite side of Enekoiōn̄, there is Liwatilik. Liwatiliik’s purpose is to protect the wildlife of the westward end: fish, sharks, and the abundant marine life.

Link is https://maps.app.goo.gl/muLw5TNcS9Z2rLqy8 Happy to be putting Ebon on the global mapping platforms!

Explore a place through a 360° photo.

15/02/2025

RUBE UCC NATIONAL HISTORIC CHURCH

In late 1857, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) settled in Ebon islet in Ebon atoll. Since then, Ebon has been considered the focal point for Christianity.

The mapping project for the Rube UCC (United Church of Christ) National Historic Church property in Ebon atoll is now available for viewing on Google Maps and Google Earth. More mapping details coming soon. Check out the link below.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/dkvUGfPaimFCMUbB8

Happy to be putting Ebon on the global mapping platform!

Explore a place through a 360° photo.

15/02/2025

L̗ŌBARL̗AP RENDERED IN GOOGLE MAPS / EARTH
The mapping project for the L̗ōbarl̗ap cultural site in Ebon atoll is now available for viewing on Google Maps and Google Earth. Check out the link below. Happy to be putting Ebon on the global mapping platform!

https://maps.app.goo.gl/aVfYN1toRHbZcxuV9

14/02/2025

CONSULTING THE EBON COMMUNITY

EBON - Sunday, February 8, 2025. Kom̗m̗ool tata, Ebon! The Cultural and Historic Preservation Office (CHPO) was invited to address the Ebon community regarding our mission, purpose, and the Rube UCC National Historic Church project.

SHPO Officer and CHPO Director, Wilbert Alik, thanked the community for attending the community consultation on the CHPO team’s purpose, mission, and activities; and provided an overview of the Rube UCC National Historic Church project. The group discussed the CHPO field survey team’s mission and purpose while in Ebon, and explained the team’s street mapping project, and how it relates to the establishment of the national property. Once completed, the project will enable physical access to visitors - both domestic and international. The 360-degree digital data will allow Ebon children and elders residing outside of the Marshall Islands to take virtual tours and allow access this culturally and historically significant property.

Director Alik also discussed the National Register of Knowledge Holders. The registry retains the names and skills of Marshallese cultural knowledge whose knowledge is our inheritance. People listed on the Registry are recognized experts in their areas of skill and are called upon to impart this knowledge to future generations. Every August, during Marshallese cultural seminar month, the community of cultural experts is brought together to provide free educational workshops in their areas of expertise to interested community members.

The presentation by Director Alik was followed by a question and answer session. Again, kom̗m̗ool tata, Ebon!