Film On Colonists To Be Shown At Bishop Museum

“When all else is stripped away, what makes us who we are?”

Honolulu, HI –  Due to the overwhelming response to a recent screening of the Hui Panalā ‘au documentary “Under a Jarvis Moon,” Bishop Museum will host a free screening of the film on Friday, January 29th at 6:30 p.m.  The 45- minute-film will be shown in the Museum’s Atherton Hālau, followed by a brief question and answer period.

 “This film is a treasure because it features interviews with colonists, many of whom have since passed on.  Yet it is also so very relevant today – because it is about what our nation asks of our young people and the sacrifices they and their families have made.  Even more importantly, it also asks – when all else is stripped away – on a desert island thousands of miles from home – what makes us who we are?” said Noelle Kahanu, Bishop Museum project manager.

“Under a Jarvis Moon” tells the story of 130 young men – many recent graduates of Kamehameha Schools – who were sent to occupy Howland, Baker, and Jarvis Islands from 1935 to 1942.  While on the Islands, the young men were expected to undertake various activities with few resources and in total isolation.  They collected specimens for Bishop Museum; mapped the islands; cultivated coconuts and vegetables; and prepared a landing field for Amelia Earhart, who was expected to make Howland Island one of her last stops on her round-the-world flight.  Through it all, they endured rats, sharks, and ultimately, enemy fire.  The film shares many of these stories in the colonists own words, through 2002 oral history interviews, as well as through photographs, log books entries, and government documents.

The film was recently screened before a packed audience at the Arts at Marks Garage.

 “Under a Jarvis Moon” was developed by Bishop Museum with support from Kamehameha Schools and the Education through Cultural and Historical Organizations (ECHO),  an initiative to provide educational enrichment to Native and non-Native children and lifelong learners.  ECHO is supported by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement.

For more information, call 847-3511 or visit www.bishopmuseum.org.

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