The CSEPP Seal

CSEPP Seal
Turtle in harmony with the natural world and the Hokule’a, a Polynesian sailing vessel. ‎©2014 Center for Social Ecology and Public Policy. All right reserved.

CSEPP’s seal features a turtle in harmony with the human world. The turtle has strong origin myths about the world in both Eastern and Western cultures, and it represents the natural environment. The turtle floats below the name and rings so as not to be constrained by linear barriers. The Hokule’a is a Polynesian sailing vessel that was used to settle the Pacific Islands thousands of years ago. This outrigger canoe is a symbol of the human environment and the human desire to discover, grow and explore. In recent years, the Hokule’a has been the means of cultural restoration for indigenous Hawaiians, whose young people have learned from the old ones how to construct these vessels and complete voyages to Tahiti and Rapa Nui(Easter Island), key locations within Polynesian traditions. Most species of turtles are severely threatened or endangered. The turtle and the Hokule’a represent the human and natural environments, and the balance that is required if life is to continue.