Awards
Mau was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 1987 by the University of Hawaii. On May 9, 2000, he was honored by the Smithsonian Institution at the National Museum of Natural History. At the ceremony, then-secretary Lawrence Small said, "The rebirth of non-instrument navigation came about largely due to this man, Mau Piailug." The Bishop Museum presented Mau with the Robert J. Pfeiffer Medal on July 12, 2008, honoring him for "exceptional dedication to the advancement of maritime affairs and the perpetuation of maritime heritage in Hawaii and the Pacific." Mau also was honored for his "devotion and outstanding civic leadership" and for exemplifying "the spirit and purpose of the Museum's founder Charles Reed Bishop".
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