| This website is a work of fiction, part of the collaborative constructed world of Ill Bethisad. It is not intended to reflect reality or the creator's opinions on current issues. |
| Spnsored by the Tourism Advisorate, Council of Te Pito O Te Henua, in cooperation with the Commission for Offshore Preservation, Ecotopic Republic of Oregon. |
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| Last updated 31 May 2008 by Ben Karnell |
| Motu Motiro Hiva |
| Motu Motiro Hiva is a tiny speck of land 260 miles to the east of Henua. Its name reflects the traditional worldview that divides the earth into Henua (the island) and Hiva (all other lands across the sea). Motu Motiro Hiva means "Island on the Way to Hiva"-- separate from Henua, but not quite as far as the Parts Unknown. Other than a few offshore islets, Motu Motiro Hiva is the only secondary island in the Henua kingdom's territory. It consists of two rocky lobes, altogether only 1,000 feet long at low tide, a mere 250 feet at high tide. It is much too small to support a permanent population, but it is an important hunting and fishing area for the Henua people. At certain times in the year, the island overflows with birds, whereas many bird species have avoided Henua proper since the human population rose in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Henua fishermen and hunters make several trips in motorized outrigger boats throughout the summer. In addition, the seven mata, or clans, race to the island evey year in late November or early December in traditional canoes. The race is a major event-- the king always sails with his clan, and the race's opening is one of the chief festivals of the summer. Motu Motiro Hiva is also used as a small penal colony for permanent or temporary exiles. Currently it is inhabited by two Henua and three Japanese men convicted of murder. The seasonal fishing parties bring the convicts supplies. The 1980 memoir Fifty Thousand Hours and the the 1884 film based on it describe the experiences of one Japanese convict's five-year sentence on the island. |
| Henua's Colony |
| Henua sailors have undoubtedly been hunting and fishing on Motu Motiro Hiva for centuries. In the 1100s-1200s, the islet became a necessary source of food for the Henua as their home island became more crowded. Castilian explorers Jose Salas Valdes and Jose Manuel Gomez charted the island in 1805. In 1876, Japan, New Granada, and Henua signed a treaty securing Henua's independence. The treaty also guaranteed Henua sovereignty over Motu Motiro Hiva. In 1878, as a sign of his rule over the island, the king led an expedition to build a moai statue and a symbolic stone royal house on Motiro Hiva. Japan built a lighthouse in 1890, maintained by convicts to this day. The moai, house, lighthouse, and barracks were refurbished in 1975 to observe the centenniel of the treaty. |
| History |
| Legal Status |
| The entire area of Motu Motiro Hiva is owned by the king; in practice this means it is government property. The government strictly controls fishing and hunting on the island. Under the terms of the 1919 treaty ending Japanese protection over Henua, Japan has substantial hunting, fishing, and whaling rights around Sala y Gomez. The Japanese must follow specific sustainability guidelines, however, and may not make use of the island during traditional Henua hunting and fishing seasons. Japan also has the right to send convicts to the island with Heua's permission. Japan, New Granada, Chile, and the other Pacific-coast South American nations have research rights on Motu Motiro Hiva, within certain limits. The Ecotopic Republic of Oregon has recenty been pressuring Henua to turn the entire island into a wildlife sancuary, but this would disrupt traditional Henua hunting and fishing patterns, as well as deprive the Henua of an important source of resources. |
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