Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 05, 1 May 2003 — Cultural disrespect [ARTICLE]

Cultural disrespect

I am an inmate serving time at the Hālawa Correctional Facility (HCF), and I am writing on behalf of all HCF inmates. We are very disappointed with the operators of our prison (Department of Public Safety, HCF administration, etc.). Although they remembered Prince Jonah Kūhiō's birthday, they disrespected the Hawaiian culture by not aeeommodating the inmates in celebrating Prince Kūhiō's birthday to itsfullest. Luneh - the inmates were served a small serving of kālua pork, mae

salad and rice — no poi, lomi salmon, ehieken lū'au, long rice, raw fish or crab, haupia, 'opihi etc. Most of us were born and raised in Hawai'i and we look forward to celebrate our king's, queen's and prince's birthdays. The operators of our prison should be ashamed of themselves. They are a disgrace. Lael Samonte 'Aiea