Wake's orange flower and moon rocks

By Giff Johnson

EneaJdo. the Marshallese name for Wake Island, has great

significance in island legends,

for Enenkio, the most distant northern atoll in the Marshalls’ chain, kid a prize that led many ah islander to make the some 700- mile voyage in outrigger canoes.

The name translates literally as “island of the orange flower.” This flower, according to legend, had so special a fragrance that no man could ignore a woman wearing it.

Enenkio was at one time the only island where this flower grew, but now it is said to grow on a number of the northern atolls in the Marshalls.

But flowers and legends and feats of navigation don’t mean much to the US government, which claims the island.

The Marshall Islands Guidebook noted that “over the centuries, Marshallese navigators (who obviously discovered Wake before the date claimed by the British - 1796) used to ride up to Wake to pick the orange flowers and then return to the

various other islands here to tout their bravery in having gone to such extremes just for beauty.

“The girls loved it, stories were told about it, and it was just about as silly as going to the moon. Maybe not quite, since it does appear that orange flowers are more attractive than moon rocks.

“Well, the Marshallese of course do respect the fact that the Americans were the first to go to the moon, and from the general talk around town, are very happy to respect the claim the Americans may have regarding ownership of the lunar satellite.

They wish, though, that as much respect should be accorded them regarding Wake Island since, truth to tell, discovery was not a 17th century happening."

Commenting on the competitive claim of ownership, the Guidebook noted that the United States is advancing its claim “despite the fact that the United States has only been in existence just over 200 years and Wake Island was around much longer