hawaii indigenous names project

Hawaiian Place NamesPilot Project

HIGICC Data Discovery DayThursday, March 6, 2008

McCoy PavillionMcCoy PavillionLunch time

OutlineOutline1. Background

a. USGS Role in Geographic Names - USBGNb. GNIS

H iÿi B d G hi Nc. Hawaiÿi Board on Geographic Namesd. Hawaiian Place Name GNIS Diacritical Corrections

2 Introduce Hawaiian Place Names Pilot Project2. Introduce Hawaiian Place Names Pilot Projecta. Inspired by Coeur d`Alene’s Native Names Projectb. Scopeb. Scopec. Deliverablesd. Possible BONUS Featurese. Phases

Video clip from Kona Hema by Na Maka O Ka ÿAina

U.S. Board on Geographic Names (USBGN)

Administrative History Originally created in 1890 by Administrative HistoryReasons for creation

g y yExecutive Order of President Benjamin Harrison.

Purpose Established by Congress in Public Law 80-242 on 25 Jul 1947 in the Department of Interior as an interagency board.

U.S. Board on Geographic Names (USBGN)

Administrative HistoryAdministrative HistoryReasons for creationPurpose

Address inconsistencies and contradictions of domestic geographic feature names during the surge of exploration. Many names spellings and applications became a seriousMany names, spellings, and applications became a serious problem to surveyors, map makers, and scientists who required uniform, non-conflicting geographic nomenclature.

U.S. Board on Geographic Names (USBGN)

Administrative HistoryAdministrative HistoryReasons for creationPurpose Standardize and maintain geographic

name usage throughout the Federal Government by making decisions on nameGovernment by making decisions on name conflicts and on proposals for new names, in cooperation with State, local, and f i tforeign governments.Decisions of the Board were accepted as binding by all departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

U.S. Board on Geographic Names (USBGN)

CommitteesCommittees• Domestic Names Committee (DNC)• Foreign Names Committee (FNC)Foreign Names Committee (FNC)• Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (ACAN)• Advisory Committee on Undersea Features (ACUF)y ( )

International Networking• United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical

Names (UNGEGN)G hi l N B d f C d (GNBC)• Geographical Names Board of Canada (GNBC)

• International Congress on Onomastic Sciences (ICOS)

Geographic Names Information

Developed by USGS for the U.S.

System (GNIS)Origin p y

Board on Geographic Names as

a. official repository of domestic geographic names data

OriginWhat is it?What does this geographic names data

b. official vehicle for using geographic names in ALL departments of the Federal GovernmentS ( th it ) f l i

What does this mean for Hawaiÿi?

c. Source (authority) for applying geographic names to Federal electronic and printed products

Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)

OriginOriginWhat is it?What does thisWhat does this

mean for Hawaiÿi?It is a database that contains information about physical and

lt l hi f t f ll t i th U it d St tcultural geographic features of all types in the United States, associated areas, and Antarctica, current and historical, but not including roads and highways.

Originally composed of 5 separate databases1) The National Geographic Names Database (aka GNIS)2) The USGS Topographic Map Names Database3) G i D t b F t t (63)3) Generic Database – Feature types (63)4) National Atlas Database – Gazateer5) USBGN Database – GNIS associated information

Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)

OriginOriginWhat is it?What does this

Phase 1 • Initial Database compilation using

USGS topographic maps except theWhat does this mean for Hawaiÿi?

USGS topographic maps except the 1:24000.

• Completed in 1980.

Ph 2Phase 2• Data added from other Gov’t

sources – Honolulu C&C.• Completed in 1990’s by U_Illinois.

Phase 3 *Staff Process CorrectionsStaff Process Corrections

Hawaiÿi Board on Geographic Names (HBGN)

Origin Created by Act 50 (Chapter 4E, Hawaii Revised Statutes) OriginPurpose

y ( p , )of the 1974 Hawaii State Legislature.

MembershipResponsibilitiesp

Hawaiÿi Board on Geographic Names (HBGN)

OriginOriginPurpose To assure uniformity in the use and spelling of the names

of geographic features within the State.

MembershipResponsibilitiesp

Hawaiÿi Board on Geographic Names (HBGN)

OriginOriginPurpose

1. Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources

MembershipResponsibilities

pHolly McEldowney, representative

2. Chairperson of the Office of Hawaiian AffairsHaunani Apoliona

3 Ch i f th H ii H C i ip

3. Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes CommissionWilliam K. Mills, representative

4. Director of the Office of Planning Craig Tasaka, representative

5. President of the University of Hawai‘i Naomi Losch, representative

6. State Land Surveyor G ld G t tiGerald Goo, representative

7. Bernice P. Bishop MuseumBetty Kam, representative

Hawaiÿi Board on Geographic Names (HBGN)

OriginOriginPurposeMembershipResponsibilitiesp• New Names

Submission Process• GNIS correctionsGNIS corrections

Hawaiian Place Name GNIS Diacritical Corrections

Origin In 1999 the U S GeologicalOriginWhy is it important?

In 1999 the U.S. Geological Survey provided the HBGN and opportunity to add diacritical marks to those place names currently on the 1:24,000 topographic quadrangle maps.p g p q g p

Hawaiian Place Name GNIS Diacritical Corrections

OriginOriginWhy is it important?

• Diacritical marks are crucial to pronunciation and meaning of Hawaiian place names.S lli h l lid ii l l• Spelling the names correctly validates a Hawaiian cultural landscape repleat with cultural meaning

• Since GNIS is the place names “authority”, it ensures this cultural p y ,meaning will eventually be included on all maps published by the Federal government will reflect the Hawaiian meaning the.

Hawaiian Place N GNISName GNIS Diacritical C tiCorrections

ProcessProcess• Highlight• Transcribe• Order• Checking Place

Names of Hawaiÿi• HBGN Review• GNIS Input• GNIS Input

Hawaiian Place Name GNIS Diacritical Corrections

• 1999 – 7 meetings, 28 quads reviewed

Decision Lists To Date

q(Hawai‘i Island)

• 2000 – 7 meetings, 21 quads reviewed (15 O‘ h 2 Lā ‘i(15 O‘ahu, 2 Lāna‘i, 2 Ni‘ihau, 1 Kaho‘olawe, 1 Hawai‘i Island)

• 2001 – 6 meetings,2001 6 meetings,25 quads reviewed (19 Hawai‘i Island, 6 Maui) HAWAII ISLAND TOTALS 51 638 29 2,799

• 2002 – 6 meetings, 7 quads reviewed(5 Kaua‘i, 2 Moloka‘i)

• 2004 3 meetings

KAUAI TOTALS 5 73 12 558

KAHOOLAWE TOTALS 1 0 0 79

LANAI TOTALS 2 28 6 223

MAUI TOTALS 6 77 16 675

MOLOKAI TOTALS 2 68 10 687• 2004 – 3 meetings, 6 quads reviewed (Hawai‘i Island)

MOLOKAI TOTALS 2 68 10 687

NIIHAU TOTALS 2 10 10 91

OAHU TOTALS 15 85 16 1,746

OVERALL TOTALS (124) 72 979 99 6,858

Hawaiian Place Names Pilot Project

• Coeur d`AleneN ti N

Hawaiian Place Names Pilot Project

Native Names Project

• Scopeop• Deliverables• Possible

BONUS Features

• Phases• Phases

Hawaiian Place Names Pilot ProjectHawaiian Place Names Pilot Project

Hawaiian Place Names Pilot ProjectHawaiian Place Names Pilot Project

Hawaiian Place Names Pilot ProjectHawaiian Place Names Pilot Project

Hawaiian Place Names Pilot ProjectHawaiian Place Names Pilot Project

Hawaiian Place Names Pilot ProjectHawaiian Place Names Pilot Project

Hawaiian Place Names Pilot ProjectHawaiian Place Names Pilot Project

Hawaiian Place Names Pilot Project

Coeur d`AleneN ti N

Hawaiian Place Names Pilot Project

Native Names Project

ScopeopDeliverablesPossible

BONUS Features

PhasesPhases

• Associated genealogies • Associated songsAssociated genealogies• Associated gods/guardians/guides • Video animation

Associated songs• Associated chants• Associated hula

Hawaiian Place Names Pilot Project

• Background 1. Assessment

Hawaiian Place Names Pilot Project

• Scope• Deliverables• Possible

2. Methodological Development and Field Work

3 I ti St i d Pl• Possible BONUS Features

3. Incorporating Storied Place Names

4. Follow Through• Phases

g

Pilot project site Volcano National Park– Volcano National Park

Voices of the HBGN website audio clip for phonetic pronunciation

- Naomi Losch- Nathan Napoka

Mahalo