Talk:Navassa Island

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Can anyone provide more information about the Haitian claim? --Daniel C. Boyer 17:34, 27 Jul 2004 (UTC)

From what I have read, the Haitian claim starts when Columbus discovered Hispanola in the 1500's. He included Navassa Island/La Navase as part of the claim for Spain. Later in the 1600's, Hispanola was split between the French and the Spanish. According to the Haitians, Navassa Island became a part of Haiti in 1804 and has been Haitian since then. The US claims that the Island was up for grabs until 1859, when Peter Duncan and friends made a claim under the Guano Islands Act. It remains unresolved.

There is a private claim on the island. California businessman Bill Warren expressed an interest in the island in 1996 intending to find treasure, but later found out about the Guano. He made a claim on the Island under the Guano Islands Act. Warren has brought Navassa/La Navase from the heirs of the people who owned the island in the 1850's. He has even sued to have his claim enforced. He has been unsuccessful in his suits so far. In 1998, an environmental survey was done on the island and this could upset any claim that Warren has. I am unsure if this impacts the Haitian claim. - iHoshie 18:00, 12 Sep 2004 (UTC)

The island is also claimed by Haiti via the Haitian Constitution (1987 revised version). See article 8. Some reports I've heard stated that there's actually "one" maybe more Haitian families living on Navassa("La Navase") island. -- Constitution of Haiti - OAS link

Contents 1 Map 2 Wikipedia:Caribbean Wikipedians' notice board 2.1 Incorrect Supreme Court Info 3 Confusion re light

[edit] Map

Wouldn't it be nice if someone provided a larger scale map, so that one could get a better idea where exactly the island is?

[edit] Wikipedia:Caribbean Wikipedians' notice board

I would like to announce the establishment of the Wikipedia:Caribbean Wikipedians' notice board. Anyone with an interest in the Caribbean is welcome to join in. Guettarda 1 July 2005 13:37 (UTC)

[edit] Incorrect Supreme Court Info

In regard to this statement in the article: "The U.S. Supreme Court can properly rule only on the constitutionality of a proposed law. The Guano Act went beyond the boundaries of the U.S. and was therefore beyond the Court's jurisdiction. "

It is incorrect, pov and weirdly placed. First of all, the Supreme Court cannot rule on proposed legislation. It can only rule after the law has been enacted and then only when someone has suffered actual harm from the law. For example, the Wikipedia Article on the Supreme Court puts it: "The Supreme Court may only hear actual cases and controversies. It does not hear moot cases or issue advisory opinions."

Secondly, even if you agree with the second sentence, which I tend to, it is out of place in an encyclopedic article.

I'm going to delete these sentences.

206.253.219.50 19:52, 22 March 2006 (UTC)Allen

[edit] Confusion re light

The article says, "On August 29, 1996, the U.S. Coast Guard dismantled the light on Navassa." However, the caption of the picture of the lighthouse claims the photo was taken in 1999. Which was it? Montréalais 15:11, 16 July 2006 (UTC)

• Yeah I saw that too. The article gives a specific date, while the dates on photos can sometimes get mucked up, so I removed the date from the photo caption. Herostratus 07:45, 20 September 2006 (UTC)

I'm the Wikipedian who found the photo. The light was switched off by the Coast Guard in 1996. It appears the photo was taken by FWS staffers in 1999 or thereabouts. - Thanks, Hoshie 03:34, 21 September 2006 (UTC)