Amata Kabua

Who is Amata Kabua?

Amata Kabua was a Marshallese statesman and traditional paramount chief (Iroijlaplap) who became the first President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, an office he held from self-government in 1979 until his death in 1996, winning five consecutive terms. Born on Jabor Island in Jaluit Atoll, he was educated at Mauna Olu College in Hawaii and worked as a schoolteacher before entering politics. He was elected to the Congress of Micronesia in 1963 and later served as its president, building the political experience that made him the Marshall Islands' principal negotiator during the long process of separating from the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and gaining independence. As president, Kabua guided the drafting of the 1979 constitution and negotiated the Compact of Free Association with the United States, securing economic assistance and defense arrangements while confronting the unresolved legacy of decades of U.S. nuclear weapons testing on Bikini and Enewetak atolls. He also composed the words and music of the national anthem, "Forever Marshall Islands." He died in office in Honolulu in December 1996 and is widely regarded by Marshallese as the founding father of their modern nation.

Sources: Wikipedia, "Amata Kabua" · Compact of Free Association Act of 1985, Public Law 99-239 (U.S. Congress) · Constitution of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (1979)