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Officials made a bold call that could rewrite maps

IT might just be one word but it could change everything from maps to mail, road signs to official records 

One of the smallest states in the US is getting ready to make a big change that would give a well-known paradise a new name.

A vote has just cleared the way for the Island of Hawaii to have its name changed. Supporters of the measure say it’s about respect and consistency, but critics are calling it a pointless decision that’s already making waves.

At a Dec. 10 meeting, the Hawaii Board on Geographic Names voted to change the official name of the “Island of Hawaii” to “Hawaii,” putting it in line with every other island in the state.

Advocates said the switch clears up a naming  inconsistency, pointing out no other island in the chain had “island” in its official name.

“I think we all know Hawaii is the state and also the name of an island, and there’s no distinction between the two, and we want to honor the history of the island itself and give it its proper name,” HBGN Chair Marques Marzan told KHON2 earlier this year.

If finalized, the change would roll out across federal and state maps, official documents, and signage. The familiar names locals and visitors use every day including the ‘Big Island’ would still stick around.

Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda raised no objections.

“It always has, historically, been named after Hawaii Loa the Navigator. So Hawaii makes sense,” Alameda said to KHON2. “Could it be confusing because of the state? Sure. But Hawaii, that sounds good to me.”

Not everyone is sold.

Some residents argue the update creates more confusion than clarity and doesn’t solve a real problem.

“It is the Island of Hawaii, Hawaii Island, Moku o Keawe and now this,” Waimea resident Isaac Paka Harp told Island News. “It doesn’t make any sense. It’s a waste of time.”

The decision now heads to the federal board for review, a process expected to take about a year meaning the final word, and the debate, are still to come.