Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 7, 1 July 1991 — Congress to receive Kahoʻolawe report [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Congress to receive Kahoʻolawe report

by Lehua PekeIo-Stearns Land Division Specialist The hearings are over, but the work has just begun. The Kaho'olawe Conveyance Study Commission and its staff have rolled up their sleeves and are preparing an interim report to present to Congress by July 31, with a final report to follow by Dec. 17, 1992. The outcome of the final report and Congress' reply will determine the future of the island of Kaho'olawe. Public hearings held in April and May in Hilo and Kona on the Big Island and on Maui, Kaua'i, and Lana'i have added to the commission's growing eolleehon of resources on historical, educational, cultural and spiritual traditions, as well as technical information on Kaho'olawe. On the Big Island, commissioners visited both Hilo and Kona to hear how residents there pictured the future of Kaho'olawe. A majority of those who testified wanted the island turned over to a Hawaiian group, preferably Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana. Their suggested future uses for the island and the surrounding waters included

turning it into a park or a land and marine sanctuary, so Native Hawaiians could worship and native plants and animals could flourish. Also, many strongly voiced their belief that the military should pay for the elean up of the island, ridding it of any unexploded bombs. A former U.S. Army engineer, Waimea resident Arthur Kepo'o suggested that the military should be able to have some use of the island for target practice, but only with conditions. Greenpeace Hawai'i, the Hawai'i Sierra Club and Hawai'i archaeologists talked about the importance of protecting native Hawaiian plants, animals, sea mammals, surrounding waters, and ancient artifacts. Still others recommended that a 15-person commission be created to overlook the progress of the Congressional report before it is delivered to Washington, D.C. In Wailuku, Maui, Congresswoman Patsy Mink's testimony was read before a crowded councilroom, strongly endorsing the Protect Kaho'olawe Ohana's stewardship of the island. The endorsement eame as a suggested prelude to the restoring of Hawaiian sovereignty over other

ceded lands. Mink said in her testimony, "Title to Kaho'olawe should be held in trust by the Protect Kaho'olawe Ohana until the sovereignty of the Hawaiian nation is recognized by the federal government. It should be banked along with the rest of Hawaii's ceded lands (Kaho'olawe is totally ceded land) to be nurtured and restored by the 'Ohana until the day self-determination is granted to Hawaiians through nahonal sovereignty." Meanwhile, Maui County officials were quick to point out in their testimonies that the county has had a community plan for the neighboring Kaho'olawe for the past 10 years and urged that jurisdiction over the island be given to Maui county. Maui Mayor Linda Crockett Lingle had her statement of support of county jurisdiction read before the commission, as did Maui Council Planning Chairman Vince Bagoyo. They cited the community plan's three-phase program for Kaho'olawe to end military use and restore the island. The county plans also eall for cultural and educational uses, while excluding any commercial uses on Kaho'olawe. Lingle stressed that the plan calls for "ultimate return of the island to Maui County," but added the county itself "may not have the financial capability to hold title and actually manage the island." Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee from Maui, Abe Aiona, presented his testimony not as a trustee, but as a Native Hawaiian. In his testimony Aiona said he is in full opposition to any continued joint federal or military use of Kaho'olawe. He went on further to point out that President Bush's presidential directive, given in October last year ordering the "discontinued use of Kaho'olawe as a weapons range effective immediately," had in reality placed the island in the favored position of no longer having to provide for naval purposes, continued page 3

Commission prepares draft

Residents urge return of Kaho olawe

/rom page ] ever again. Charles Maxwell, an early Kaho'olawe supporter, along with George Helm and Walter Ritte, said the island should be returned to the Hawaiians to practice Hawaiian culture and that a special commission should be set up by the federal government to coordinate: — eleanup of the island; — the different cultural uses of the island; — the reforestation of the land; — create educational progams so that all the people of Hawai'i ean experience the true value of what Kaho'olawe has to offer. There was also skepticism that the hearings and the commission's work may end up as a waste of time. Glenn Nanod, an archaeology student, said the commission was created as a result of the heated race last fall between Republican Rep. Fat Saiki and Sen. Daniel Akaka, a Democrat, for the Hawai'i U.S. Senate seat. He said now that the election is settled, "I don't believe the federal government will go along with the recommendations of this commission." By the end of the long evening the commissioners had heard from more than 200 Maui residents. More than 40 Kaua'i residents turned out for a public hearing that went on for five hours. T wentyeight were Native Hawaiians. Themes whieh dominated the Kaua'i hearing included: stop the use of Kaho'olawe by the military for bombing practice, return the island to Native Hawaiians, and let the Protect Kaho'olawe Ohana act as stewards for the island until Hawaiian Sovereignty is recognized. Sharon Pomroy told commissioners that the island ean become an effective rallying point for the growing

interest around the state in preserving it as a plaee of cultural rebirth. Hartwell Blake was annoyed at the thought of having "a lot of my Hawaiian homeland devoted to target practice." He and others agreed that the continuation of bombing the island would be a wasteful and environmentally unsound use of the land. Fifteen years ago, Ted Blake became involved with Kaho'olawe. He said his consciousness about being Hawaiian and getting involved with understanding Hawaiian issues was inspired by his then roommate George Helm. Blake said when he

was first approached by Helm to get involved with the Kaho'olawe, he was afraid that people would look at him as an activist and that anything he would say about the island would not be taken seriousIy. He told Helm he would talk when the time was right. In his testimony he told the commissioners, and those listening or testifying, "The time is now." Ed Kaiwi told commissioners his genealogy line ean be traced directly to the chief of Kaho'olawe. He recognizes Kaho'olawe as the birthplace of the Hawaiian nation.

Kaho'olawe Commissioners Emmett Aluli (left) and James Kelly, at O'ahu commission hearing.