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Home>Service> Awardees of Fervent Global Love of Lives Award> 19th Fervent Global Love of Lives Award 2016> Pioneer of Marshall Aboriginals -- Alson J. Kelen
Pioneer of Marshall Aboriginals -- Alson J. Kelen
[Guard Culture ·Undertake Mission]
If in the coming days, someone mentions the canoe of Marshall Islands, I hope you can think of me ─ Alson Kelen rather than others! This is because leading the revitalization of canoes is my mission!
Alson J. Kelen

Guard Traditional Culture · Change Islanders' Fate
        The cities of Marshall Islands, a north Pacific island country located near the equator and known as the pearl of the Pacific island, are home to 53,000 citizens, accounting for 75% of the country's total population, with the unemployment rate of young people reaching 60%.
        Alson J. Kelen, as the chief executive of the WAM Program (The Waan Aelon in Majel Program), believes that the key lies in resolving the nationals' cultural identity and developing practical vocational skills.
        Hence, the center founded by him is designed to provide employment opportunities, utilize local cultural assets and attend canoe building courses and other related community learning programs. The objectives of WAM Center's promotion of these programs and plans are two-fold: one is to protect and promote the traditional canoe building craftsmanship and technology of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the other is to reduce the local high drop-out rate and high unemployment rate and to provide citizens with another way of living.
        As early as 23 years ago, Alson, who makes every endeavor to protect and promote the tradition of RMI – canoe building technology, started to promote WAM Program. At work, he found many people and children watch him. At that time, he noticed that some of the onlookers were school-age children. However, they did not attend school in school hours. Upon inquiry, he learned that these children could not continue their studies due to their family or failure to pass the entrance examination.
        Alson was hugely concerned about the future of the dropout children, so he began to teach these children a skill – canoe building.
        Additionally, since the vast majority of climate experts predicted that the rise in global sea level would render Marshall Islands inhospitable by the end of this century. Therefore, he began paying long-term attention to climate change and other related issues. Besides, Alson Kelen also attended the 2015 UNFCCC COP 21 and Kyoto Protocol CMP 11 with the government officials of RMI from November 30 to December 12, 2015 in Paris. Alson also stated that RMI had abundant rainfall in the first half of 2015, whereas the rainfall sharply reduced from the second half of 2015 and RMI suffered extremely serious drought in the first half of 2016. Thus, RMI was indeed one of the countries most seriously affected by climate change.
        For the Earth, climate, environment, culture and the future of the youth, including the advancement of canoes, Alson makes complete dedication. Presently, he is enthusiastically lobbying the legislature about the proposal of banning polystyrene foam tableware in RMI, hoping that perhaps he can make the last effort for the sustainable development of RMI. Therefore, he is worthy of the "Pioneer of Aborigines". Among the 2459 nominees for the medal, Alson J. Kelen has been award the 19th Global Fervent Love of Lives Medal by the Chou Ta-kuan Foundation.
Mentor of Canoes
        In 1968, Alson was born on the Ebeye Island of Kwajalein Atoll. Kwajalein Atoll boasts the world's largest atoll lagoon, where the U.S. deploys the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (RTS) on the Pacific.
        When Alson was two weeks old, he was adopted by his grandfather's sister, namely, the great-aunt. According to the customs of Marshall Islands, if a certain family member did not have a son, then in the big family, those members with sons must let their son to be adopted by the family member without a son.
        Locally, this way of adoption is referred to as "jokon" meaning "walking stick", making one associate the picture where the old man holds a walking stick to assist walking. This is because when an adopted child grows up, he will become the "walking stick" of his foster parents and take care of them to repay their care.
        In 1974, the family moved to Bikini Atoll, where residents had no TV. The only sounds were the waves' slapping against the wet sand, the breeze's ruffling the palm leaves and the coconut shells' crackling and rustling.
Therefore, when the night was deep, Alson's father would let Alson lie against his arm as a pillow and close his eyes, telling Alson various stories about canoes and sailing.
        The canoe building technology was like a family heirloom on Bikini Atoll and passed from generation to generation. But until the first half of the 20th century and after Marshall Islands were successively occupied by Germany, Japan and the United States, Bikini Atoll, originally a bastion of sailing culture, became the nuclear test center of the U.S. government. Besides, the canoe culture, like a family heirloom, gradually disappeared.
        Before Alson came to Bikini Atoll, never had he seen a canoe or a pig! Previously, he lived in the Wotto Atoll in the southwest of Bikini Atoll. When seeing a pig for the first time, he remembered the pig was very big. Ebeye Island did not have such a monster!
        Alson's grandfather would build a canoe personally. At the age of 6, he saw how his grandfather produced a canoe, which stimulated his interest in canoe. After the canoe was built, Alson always wanted to play truant to sail in the canoe and to embrace open sea and sky, since men should have high ambitions.
Marshall Wave Driving Replacing GPS Positioning
        Bikini Atoll is a traditional maritime hub on Marshall Islands. In the past, young men and women had to learn "wave driving". They would be blindfolded first, floated in the ocean and felt the waves beneath them. In this way, they could feel the swell and fall of ocean currents all the time.
        This traditional culture of wave driving in Marshall, instead of finding the location at sea by the stars in the sky, locates the direction through what the anthropologists call "wave pilot" system. In this way, if lost at sea, the islanders receiving wave pilot training could directly close their eyes, and determined the direction of the land by wave reflection and refraction and by feeling the direction of the ocean itself.
        Alson's childhood was filled with memories of fishing together with his father. It is also because of this experience that awakens his interest in canoeing. However, Alson's mother still banned him from going to sea alone by canoe.
        Fishing and sailing became the greatest things in his mind when he was little. When his father gave an account of the canoe experience at night, he always listened with great interest. Sometimes teachers would lead students to exercise islanders' fishing techniques as part of the curriculum of the day. He still remembers that everyone had a great fun back then! Unfortunately, all good things come to an end.
Fishing Life Changed into Terrestrial Life
        In the year of 1978, three ships arrived at the Bikini Atoll. The people on board were chief executives of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. They talked with Alson's grandfather and hoped that residents on the Bikini Atoll could migrate to other islands. Alson was only 10 years old then, and thought these people went fishing with his family, so he always expected that these ships could come to the island again.
        However, after some time, he and other islanders began packing clothes, and with their pet pigs, canoes and other valuables, moved to an isolated island named Kile. Nevertheless, Alson's biological grandfather and his brothers remained in the canoe, indicating that they would not disembark and ordered all women stay on the Kile Island and could leave until they found other livable places.
        Alson's canoe was also transported to Kile Island. Yet, the waves there were so great that his family could not safely send the canoe to water in rough reefs. As a result, the canoe gradually decayed and the family's traditional navigation technology also declined.
        In 1979, Alson and his family arrived on Ejit Island of Majuro Atoll. Then Ejit Island was a farm land where a wide range of crops grew. Hence, although there was a lagoon around Alson's residence, he had no canoe for sailing.
        At that time, there were few houses on Ejit Island. More trees were planted there than on Kile Island. The towns were small. Overnight, Alson's life changed from a self-sufficient fishing way of living into terrestrial life.
        He must attend primary school. He had a rowboat which was upgraded to be a bigger speedboat. Since Ejit Island was separated by a reef from the downtown of Majuro Atoll, he must use a speedboat as means of transportation. He applied himself to study in school, and after graduating from the primary school, he was admitted by a boarding school in Hawaii.
Proud Guide of Hawaiians
        In 1987, the world-famous catamaran Hokulea sailed from New Zealand arrived in Hawaii. 19-year-old Alson could personally see this canoe built by the Hawaiian sail to Honolulu due to his courses.
        He could feel the jubilation of the crowd, with uninterrupted screams. The cheers of "Hokulea! Hokulea!" could be heard everywhere.   
        Hokulea became a hot topic. Each child in Hawaii proudly discussed Hokulea in poor English. The cultural glory suddenly emerged. Thus Alson inwardly expected that "I want to be the next Nainoa Thompson."
        Nainoa Hawaii was a Hawaiian and he learned from the renowned sailing master Mau Pialug. Mau came from Satawal Atoll of Federated States of Micronesia, and in 1976 rode Hokulea to Tahiti with a voyage of more than 2,000 miles. Then between 1985 and 1987, he sailed to and fro from Europe to India, lasting for two years.
        Alson got on well with Hawaiians and chatted with his friend's families. They often went to church and he became a member of them. Alson in this period learned that Hawaiians were very proud of canoes in their culture.
Hometown Mission · Life Opportunity
        Alson was admitted to a high school in Oregon, the United States. One day, it appeared that he heard the call of his hometown. When living in Oregon, Marshall islanders always mentioned the Alele Museum of Majuro Atoll, where new cultural assets record programs were being carried out, such as fishing and weaving. He happened to have an uncle working in the Alele Museum, who told him that the Museum staff could visit the entire Marshall Islands.
        A few years later, Alson's foster mother was physically weak and he returned to Ejit Island. He planned to spend the Christmas holidays there, since after all he was married and had a son.
However, when he returned to Ejit Island, unimaginable things took place: Job opportunity arose unexpectedly, and what's more, it was concerned with the record program of canoes. The job was about recording the building of a large canoe for sailing. This canoe was manufactured for the Festival of Pacific Arts organized on the Cook Islands in 1992.
        After having read this recruitment notice in the newspaper, he decided to apply for this job, but never expected that he would get hired. After his father heard this news, he was terribly happy, since if Alson could land this job, he could continue stay on the Ejit Island and live with families.
        During the interview, when asked his work to support himself and his families, Alson did not hesitate to answer in a straightforward manner, "Fishing". The interviewer told him that he could start work on Monday.
        An American named Dennis Alessio, one of the interviewers, appreciated and believed Alson, because he showed off his work despite unemployment when asked the work to support himself and his families. Only he honestly answered this question. Although he did not go to work, he simply stated his work by using "fishing". Therefore, Dennis knew Alson was telling the truth and hence decided to hire him.
Canoe Program ─ Renovate Technology · Preserve Culture
        The preliminary programs undertaken by Alson were related to the record program of Dennis' sailing canoe. He worked with Dennis as a group and was responsible for selecting photos. Later, the Hawaiian painter Herb Kane painted the photos and printed them as America's postage stamp.
        To enable young people to acquire the relevant knowledge, Alson would also convert the original videos into documentaries. Besides, Dennis was initially assigned to build canoes, but he finally decided to document the canoes of Marshall Islands.
        At work, Dennis' interest in canoes was kindled. He was originally a professional ship builder in San Diego, California. He once designed the hull interior of a schooner for medical purpose, and sailed to Marshall Islands to recruit crew members. No sooner had Dennis seen the canoes of Marshall Islands than he threw himself into preserving canoes. As the partner of Dennis, Alson assisted Dennis to sort out all data and meanwhile, introduced the world's new shipbuilding technology.
        When the canoe recording program of Alson and Dennis was nearly concluded, Dennis asked Alson help coordinate the work on Ujae Atoll.
        This program was to build a sailing canoe. The recording program of Ujae Atoll's canoes commenced in 1994 and ended in 1996. After the canoe was built, they sailed from Ujae Atoll to Kwajalein Atoll, and from Kwajalein Atoll to Majuro Atoll, traveling hundreds of miles. Yet, at that time, they just built an Enewetak Atoll canoe and decided to sail. However, Enewetak Atoll was remote and the canoe design was relatively old, so they hoped they could have more modern design style.
Establish Canoe Center ─ Combine Education with Work
        When the program of Ujae Atoll canoe was undertaken, many young people came to the place where the canoe was built each day. At first, Alson did not know why there were so many young people. Later, these young people mentioned that they must pass the entrance examination to attend high school. Their schooling came to an end if they were not admitted by high school. Alson and Dennis knew that most teenagers could not pass the exam, so they came with a more ambitious plan.
        Hence, in 1989, Alson launched a six-month program named WaanAelõñ at Majel (a canoe of Marshall Islands), and imparted life and work skills to the young students through sailing canoe. Approximately 400 dropouts and thousands of young adults have graduated from the Canoe Center. At present, the canoe, which almost disappeared, becomes the priority of the life of islanders in dozens of outer islands.
        In the face of extremely high dropout rates, Alson started contemplating this serious social problem, and established the WAM Center. One of the objectives of this center was to enhance the employment rate, so that young people could acquire a skill and recognized the national culture, while upholding the unique traditions of RMI. So far, Alson has dedicated himself to this task for more than two decades. He plays a crucial role in helping the residents of Marshall Islands.
        Alson and Dennis began to educate young people. Even though the young people did not pass the entrance exam and attend high school, or complete their studies, at least here they could have the access to learn, and open up job opportunity for them.
Nonetheless, Alson must have more reliable plans and could not regard the plans as cultural performances, because the young people must get a job after completing training at the center. Therefore, Alson ran the canoe program as an independent course and provided it to other communities, while extending to the aquaculture of Ebeye Island.
        Many young people who finished the training program came from outlying islands and did not have a birth certificate. Alson not only assisted them to obtain a birth certificate, social security card and bank account, but enabled 80% of the trainees to find a job.
New Fund-raising Opportunities
        The sailing to Ujae Atoll opened up new opportunities. Thomas Bokin was one of the canoe builders, and he was also a navigator. As the canoe was almost built, Alson and the canoe builder started to discuss about the possibility of actual voyage. They shared their knowledge while the young people made efforts to manufacture the canoe.
        When they sailed Majuro Atoll by the canoe, their funds were exhausted and hence they could not implement other programs. Consequently, Alson voluntarily joined the Youth to Youth in Health program and hoped to include canoe into the program.
        After engaging in the volunteer service of canoes, Alson was finally recognized. A small sum of donations slowly accumulated, since he hoped that one day, all partners devoting to the canoe program can lead a carefree life in the future.
        Alson also hoped that he can be different. If in the coming days, someone mentions the canoe of Marshall Islands, he hoped we can think of him ─ Alson Kelen rather than others! He was convinced that leading the revitalization of canoes is his mission!
Help of Benefactor ─ Fulfill the Impossible Task
        On one occasion, the Australian Ambassador asked Alson to drive him to the strait in the north of Majuro Atoll by canoe. When they lay on the canoe, the ambassador asked the future plan of Alson. Alson determinedly replied that he wanted to undertake the plan of "dynamic database". In this way, the inhabitants of Marshall Islands no longer had to worry that the canoe building technology would be lost, and everyone could have a canoe and understand the special importance of canoes.
        The ambassador was so touched by the Alson's persistent and steadfast spirit that he immediately asked Alson to draw up a plan and directly gave him US$10,000. He accepted the US$10,000 and used the money to participate in a "Land Grant" program organized by the Marshall Institute. Subsequently, the money was approved and the fund could be used to construct a man-shaped building, which was considered to be the base for the canoe revitalization program.
        Next, Alson persuaded the Ministry of Transportation to let him use the empty space on a landing both on the Kiribati to build thatch roofs. Each visitor marveled that Alson fulfilled the impossible task. He stated that everything he did was not for the sake of himself, but for the young people on Marshall Islands.
Canoe Sailing · Brave Wind and Waves
        All trainees of the WAM Program not only understood their cultural knowledge, but learned the connotation of a country and attached importance to the future of the global environment -- especially the impact of climate change.
        The canoe program has been in stable development. The next action of Alson concentrates on sailing. Presently, he teams up with the trainees of the canoe program and an anthropologist to record relevant knowledge about the traditional navigation techniques.
        The young people who once joined the canoe program become trainers. Now, what they have to learn is how to apply the techniques to long-range navigation in the vast ocean, which is a never-ending journey of learning.
        His dream is that these young inhabitants of Marshall Islands, after receiving the guidance about canoes, can build large-scale sailing canoes one day. Furthermore, they can ride the canoes and sail on the ocean where the ancestors braved winds and waves.
        In order to fulfill this dream, he partnered with the canoe builder Thomas. By the traditional seamanship only, they sailed from Ujae Atoll and returned to Majuro Atoll. He spends twenty years to record and study this highly sensitive information.
        Besides, he cooperated with another elder -- Captain Korent Joel, who took Alson as an apprentice. Since recently Alson devoted himself to his sailing plan, he helped Captain Korent win the fine reputation of a navigator who started to impart his knowledge to Alson.
Impact of Climate Change
        Alson learns from the past. Aside from thinking about how to sail in the open sea, he also derives inspiration from the sea. Also, others, based on what Alson has seen and heard, are able to take seriously the reality problem of sea-level rise caused by climate change.
        The vast majority of climate experts predicted that the rise in global sea level would render Marshall Islands inhospitable by the end of this century.
        Due to the rising sea levels, life on the Marshall Islands is becoming increasingly unstable. Rising sea levels several times a year have flooded people's home, scoured the roads and destroyed more than one third of crops. Around 25,000 inhabitants on the Marshall Islands have emigrated to the United States, a figure which is likely to keep increasing in the future.
        Besides, the Bikini Atoll government has submitted a petition to the U.S. Congress to allow more islanders to use the nuclear test trust fund to buy land and move to the United States.
Reproduce Traditional Glory · Renovate Great Technology
        What AlsonKelen symbolizes is not only the canoe culture, but is the common dream of all residents on the Marshall Islands. To put it another way, they can again ride the canoes they build to sail in the vast sea to reproduce ancestors' glory.
        "Some people think the canoe is the thing of the past, but it has been a survival tool for local islanders for more than 2,000 years. In the coming days, the canoe will be presented in this world in the form of a survival tool." The reason is that continuing to maintain the livelihood of the islanders is also the start of upholding the traditional culture!
        If Marshall ancestors created such a great seamanship – wave driving, which is verified by so many great scientists who confirm that such seamanship can replace the navigation skills of GPS in the sea, perhaps climate change does not mean cultural genocide. And perhaps Marshall Islanders are navigators instead of victims, and continue using this skill to sail to the unknown and thrive.