The people of Pohnpei and the wider Federated States of Micronesia should be informed of a recent resolution adopted by the Council of Mwoalen Wahu Ileile en Pohnpei, representing the traditional leadership of the island kingdoms of Pohnpei.
The resolution reaffirms the Council’s position that traditional lands within the five island kingdoms of Pohnpei belong inherently to the traditional leadership as recognized through centuries of custom, tradition, and the Pohnpeian way of life. The resolution further states that periods of foreign colonial administration did not extinguish or transfer these traditional rights and that such rights remain inalienable.
In the resolution, the Council declares to governments, international embassies, and the world community that traditional lands should be returned to what it identifies as their rightful owners, the traditional leaders of Pohnpei. The Council also calls for the closure of the Pohnpei State Board of Land Trustees and any affiliated entities that, in the Council’s view, operate outside the constitutional and traditional framework of the Pohnpeian kingdoms.
Additionally, the resolution affirms that all land ownership in Pohnpei is held in trust by the rightful traditional leaders for the benefit of current and future generations of Pohnpeians.
This resolution addresses issues of profound cultural, historical, and political significance. Regardless of individual perspectives, it represents an important statement from Pohnpei’s traditional leadership regarding land stewardship, ancestral heritage, and the continuing role of customary authority in the governance of traditional lands. Public awareness and respectful dialogue on these matters are essential as our communities consider the relationship between traditional institutions and modern governmental structures.
Respectfully submitted,
H.E. Herculano Kohler
Editor’s note
The Council of Mwolen Wahu Ilieile en Pohnpei adopted a Resolution Regarding Traditional Land Ownership on August 12, 2026. The document bears signatures under the titles of the Nahnmwarkis of Madolenihmw, Uh, Kitti, Nett, and Sokehs.
In an August 19, 2026, transmittal letter addressed to Pohnpei Governor Joseph A. Stevenson and Legislature Speaker Marvin Yamaguchi, Herculano Kohler, Nahnmwarki of Sokehs, forwarded the resolution on the Council’s behalf. He wrote that all five Nahnmwarkis had reviewed and signed it. The letter requests that the Governor transmit the resolution to the FSM Department of Foreign Affairs and relevant United Nations agencies to formally inform the international community of the Council’s position.
The resolution asserts that tribal lands within Pohnpei’s five island kingdoms belong inherently and exclusively to their respective traditional leaders through custom and tradition. It maintains that foreign colonial occupation did not transfer, diminish, or extinguish those rights and declares the Council the legitimate and paramount authority over the management and stewardship of Pohnpei’s natural resources and ancestral domains.
The Council calls for the immediate return of all traditional lands to the traditional leaders and the immediate closure of the Pohnpei State Board of Land Trustees and any affiliated entities it describes as operating outside the constitutional and traditional framework of the Pohnpeian kingdoms. It also affirms its position that all land ownership in Pohnpei is held in trust by the rightful traditional leaders for present and future generations.
These statements set out the Council’s position and requested actions. The accompanying documents do not include a response from the Governor, the Legislature, or the Board of Land Trustees, or indicate that the requested actions have been taken.
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