Non-Violent Actions of ‘Ohana on Kaho‘olawe. Pavement to Hawaiian Sovereignty.
HISTORY OF HAWAI‘I
The Kingdom of Hawai‘i is just another story of colonists taking over a functioning society to expedite their power over another territory. As the fight for sovereignty ensues in the hearts of many Hawaiians today, the conflict has been happening for over a century and a half now. Hawaiian mothers and fathers tell the mo‘olelo (stories or histories) of their kupuna (ancestors) in the protest of annexation and the imprisonment of their Queen, Lili‘uokalani. The desire for independence reigns in the hearts of Hawaiians today through their nonviolent actions. Actions include active protests, petitioning (i.e., Kū‘ē: The Hui Aloha Anti-Annexation Petitions, 1897-1898), reoccupying stolen government land, and risking their own lives for sovereignty. Although the centuries-long fight is not over, the movement on the smallest Hawaiian island, Kaho‘olawe, is the impetus to having Hawaiian lands in Hawaiian hands.
It is important first to recognize the Kingdom of Hawai‘i’s history to understand the resentment towards the United States and its military. The Kingdom of Hawai'i was unified under King Kamehameha because of the fear of foreign invaders. As the Kingdom of Hawai‘i was unified under one kingdom, investors, colonialists, and missionaries soon consumed the islands, and hundreds of Hawaiians would quickly die due to illnesses and diseases. “ In the 1830s, the sugar industry was introduced to Hawaii and, by the mid-19th century, had become well established. American missionaries and planters brought about great changes in Hawaiian political, cultural, economic, and religious life, and in 1840 a constitutional monarchy was established, stripping the Hawaiian monarch of much of his authority.”[1] Hawaiians were losing their power rapidly, and white Americans would soon run their lives. The Bayonet Constitution, forcibly signed by former King Kalakaua, had given most of the monarchal powers to white plantation owners and stripped the people of the kingdom of their rights. King Kalakaua passed, his sister, Queen Lili‘uokalani, ratified a new constitution giving power back to the monarchy. But in a coup using the United States military, Sanford B. Dole took control of the government and imprisoned the Queen in ‘Iolani Palace. By 1897, Hawai‘i was a part of America as a territory. As a deposed queen to a kingdom, Kānaka Maoli (Native Person) and Kama‘āina ( a local person or resident to Hawai‘i) have expressed their opposition to its annexation to the U.S. and a multitude of issues that soon came after it.
The US Navy had an interest in making a harbor to fit their warships in Honolulu, Hawai‘i’s, Wai Momi. Wai Momi, or “ Water of Pearl,” is the aboriginal name of what is now Pearl Harbor. Wai Momi was given to the US Navy during the signing of the 1887 Bayonet Constitution. Pearl Harbor became well-known as the “Gateway to the Pacific” and was a key point for the US Navy as its proximity to the Asian Pacific. It is ironic as the bombing of Pearl Harbor was the beginning of the military occupation on the island of Kaho‘olawe.
The Bombings of Pearl Harbor
As WWII “World War II” was starting, Japan was on the side of the Germans and had bombed Pearl Harbor. On December 8th, 1941, the US Navy faced mass casualties and colossal damage to its ships. According to the Navy History, “ Approximately 2,403 military and civilians were killed, and 21 ships damaged and/or sunk in the attack…”3 With the bombing of Pearl Harbor triggered martial law to take effect across Hawai‘i. Anti-Japanese sentiment began to be seen across the United States, and a wave of immense anger toward the Japanese was also felt among Hawaiians. The attack was an attack on the ‘āina (land). But as the presence of the US Navy was not already environmentally damaging, fuel and oil from the sunken ships began to entirely pollute Wai Mamo. It was a battle that was fought between the United States and Japan in the Kingdom of Hawai‘i.
As a response to the attacks on Pearl Harbor, Kaho‘olawe became a target for the military to play its game of blitz. Executive Order 10436 was signed into law by President D. Eisenhower on February 20, 1953. Executive Order 10436 provided the right for the United States Navy to use Kaho‘olawe as a training ground for explosive ordinances. The land was given on a promise to return the land:
“ When there is no longer a need for the use of the area hereby reserved, or any portion thereof, for naval purposes of the United States, the Department of the Navy shall so notify the Territory of Hawaii, and shall, upon seasonable request of the Territory, render such area, or such portion thereof, reasonably safe for human habitation, without cost to the Territory.”[2]
As the United States Government has failed Hawaiians with their promises, the attacks on the ‘āina of Kaho‘olawe was an attack to Hawaiians.
KAHO‘OLAWE
Before the non-negotiated agreement to use Kaho‘olawe for target practice, Kaho‘olawe was already suffering from environmental issues. In the earlier years of Kaho‘olawe, the island was in dedication to the Hawaiian deity of the Ocean, Kanaloa.
The island is also historically referred to as Kohemalamalama O Kanaloa. Archeological evidence suggests that Hawaiians came to Kaho‘olawe as early as 400 A.D., settling in small fishing villages along the island’s coast. To date, nearly 3,000 archeological and historical sites and features—inventoried through 2004—paint a picture of Kaho‘olawe as a navigational center for voyaging, the site of an adze quarry, an agricultural center, and a site for religious and cultural ceremonies. Traditionally, the island has been revered as a wahi pana and a pu‘uhonua.[3]
But as time passed and foreign powers begin to influence the decisions of the kingdom, the use of Kaho‘olawe begin to change. By the years 1832-1852, Kaho‘olawe was used as a penal colony for a variety of offenses but was later repealed in 1853. But by the year 1858, land leases were given for ranches to be established to maintain the out-of-control grazing of cattle, sheep, and goats. With the massive amount of grazing occurring across the island, the vegetation on the land was depleting rapidly, causing rainwater to runoff into the ocean and causing damage to the land.[4] With the accelerated erosion already occurring, it was known that Kaho‘olawe was inherently depleting as the land was not fertile enough to raise cattle and grow crops. But once the attacks on Pearl Harbor occurred, the bombing of the rapidly dwindling island begins.
The Executive Order signed by President Eisenhower; it gave the US Navy provisions for the use of the island as a bombing range. Although humans did not inhabit the island, it was still occupied by goats and stray cats. Kaho‘olawe was seen as the navigational center for voyaging, the island was still in relative proximity to the neighboring islands of Lana‘i, Maui, and Molaka‘i. On clear sunny days, Hawai’i island could even be seen from Kaho‘olawe. Although there were no civilians on the island of Kaho‘olawe, the bombing heavily affected the public’s daily lives. Residents of neighboring islands were able to see and feel the effects of the ordinances continuously exploding on the island. Maui residents were able to see the missile fire at night with missiles going up in the air lighting up the night sky and crashing into the island; with those missiles slamming into the ground, the vibrations from the blast could be felt in homes across the archipelago. A series of the most enormous blasts that caused irreparable damage to the island was Operation Sailor Hat. The blast was seen from all of the surrounding islands and concerned many Kānaka Maoli and Kama‘āina.
Operation "Sailor Hat" -- the detonation of the 500-ton TNT explosive charge for test shot "Bravo," the first of a series of three test explosions on the southwestern tip of Kahoʻolawe Island. (Feb. 6, 1965)[5]
Operation “Sailor Hat” was the biggest ordinance and the principal cause for this atomic-like blast was to replicate a nuclear bombing. The military wanted to collect data to determine and improve the construction of warships to withstand nuclear gusts. On the day of the first explosion, the Navy exploded 500 tons of TNT (One million pounds of TNT) and causing a massive crater to be made. The crater revealed underground water that was now contaminated and created a basin for runoff rainwater that could not be collected due to no vegetation being able to grasp the water. The explosion created a mushroom-like cloud, similar to the atomic bombings on Japan’s Hiroshima and Nagasaki, that was seen across all neighboring islands. The Navy did this experiment at least two more times. Operation Sailor Hat was the actual start of the resistance against the United States military. Even after they created a massive crater, missile strikes continued every day on the island. Although the military promised to give the land back to Hawai‘i safely, kanaka (people) started to understand that promise was broken once the first missile strike hit the ‘āina.
THE CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF ‘ĀINA
In the native Hawaiian culture, every part of the islands holds an important entanglement to kupuna and mo‘olelo. A local Hawaiian non-profit, Trust for Public Land, encompasses ‘āina as, “ …the Hawaiian word for ‘land,’ means that which feeds. It encompasses the Hawaiian worldview of a reciprocal and familial relationship between people and land. Connection to ʻāina is essential to the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of Native Hawaiians. ʻĀina serves as the foundation of everything in Hawai‘i – culture and identity, traditional and customary practices, subsistence farming, fishing, hunting, gathering, healing arts, and religious rituals.”[6] To many Hawaiians land is more than just a place, it is considered a part of the ‘ohana. Kanaka (people) have a physical and ancestorial ties to the land. It is said that Hawaiians were created by the Akua (Gods/Goddesses/Supernatural), Wakea and Ho‘ohokulani who conceived the first Hawaiian and kalo (taro) from the first stillborn child of the akua.
Hawaiians have a natural land right to the islands with the burial of Haloa Naka (the stillborn child of the akua), who was the body of kalo. Many Hawaiians call themselves “keiki o ka ‘āina,” “Children of the land.” ‘Āina is the roots of Hawaiians, so any attack on the land is the attack of the people. ‘Āina is not just about the ground people walk on, but it is truly ‘ohana (family). Hawaiian culture has a great understanding that the land gives so much to people and must “E malama pono i ka ‘āina,” “ Take good care of the Earth.” So, when the ballistic missiles from the Japanese and United States militaries blew up the ‘āina, it was a serious attack to the Hawaiian people.
PROTESTS AND ACTIONS
The Early Fight
The goals of Kānaka maoli and kama‘āina were simple—stop the bombings on Kaho‘olawe and get Kaho‘olawe back to the people of Hawai‘i. Although there were military ordinances and constant bombings on the island, protestors’ main goal was to just get on the island. The occupation of Kaho‘olawe against the military started with nine civilians landing on the island on January 4th, 1987: George Helm, Kimo Aluli, Walter Ritte, Emmett Aluli, Ian Lind, Ellen Miles, Steve Morse, Gail Kawaipuna Prejean, and Karla Villalba.[7] A small group of civilians rode on boats to reach the island from Maui’s Maalaea Harbor. As they departed at dawn, they were met with a Coast Guard helicopter. The coast guard warned the riders, “Any boats approaching the island would be trespassing and could be confiscated.” As some boats turned back, one kept going. As the nine had landed ashore, six of them would spend most of the day on the island before getting detained by federal marshals on the account of trespassing. Emmett Aluli and Walter Ritte had remained on the island with a scarce amount of food and water. They were later found by authorities alive. Ian Lind wrote about his experience on Kaho‘olawe.
Six of us spent much of the day on Kahoolawe before being detained and escorted back to Maui by federal marshals who landed on the beach that afternoon under the direction of Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Eggers. Helm, a talented musician as well as a thoughtful and articulate activist, left before the posse arrived in order to make an evening performance. And two — Emmett and Walter — were exploring the island when the authorities arrived, and remained on the loose for several days before being caught and removed, making headlines in the process. (Lind, I.)
The Kaho‘olawe Nine started a movement. The targeted goal of occupying the island was to make headlines worldwide to share the destruction of Native Hawaiian land; they did just that. Many would soon follow behind leader George Helm. The movement would soon be called Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana (PKO) or the ‘Ohana. Lind believed it was important to recognize that 1976 was the United States Bicentennial year marking the two-hundredth anniversary of independence from Britain; it was also post-Vietnam war. The call to action came from Charley Maxwell on Maui to unify different communities across Hawai‘i to elevate Hawaiian issues. Lind remembers the night before the occupation of the island on January 4th as a night to remember as at least fifty people came to camp on the harbor. Those fifty people began to start discussing issues of homelessness, lack of education opportunities, poverty, adequate health care, and many issues harming Hawaiians. Lind thanks Maxwell as “ Kahoolawe became the shared symbol.” (Lind, I.)
In an interview with Gordon ‘Umi Kai, a master carver and teacher of the lua (Hawaiian martial art), reflects on the PKO and the early fight of the reclaiming of Kaho‘olawe.
Kaho’olawe is, for me, a starting point that everybody was starting to realize and grow their consciousness about being Hawaiian, about the value of the land. George was instrumental, but PKO was the one that really brought it out. And I think that started an awareness and people started to look into things. I would say that you're never too small or too weak to make big decisions or big moves. The Kahoʻolawe movement was something I believe the U.S. government and the state never thought it was going to be possible, never thought that a small organization was going to be able to move them off the island. And it did, so I think it set a guideline and a precedent for the Hawaiian community to stand up and fight for what you believe and don’t give up. (Gordan ‘Umi Kai)[8]
PKO knew the risks of trying to occupy the island. PKO members would try to access the island whenever they could and would eventually get arrested by military police. With civilians attempting to access the island via boat, the military halted all explosive ordinances. With the great tactic of the “sit-in” technique like factory protests, PKO members were starting to become highly recognizable across newspapers. PKO members were consistently risking their lives in trying to access the island by canoes and small boats and, even more importantly, trying not to die by these explosive ordinances. Consistently, groups of the ‘Ohana would go to the island and require the military to temporarily halt the bombings on the island. No violence would occur between the military and the PKO members.
By early 1977, PKO and community members would attempt to file court cases against the US Navy on environmental impact issues. After many investigations and discussions with committee hearings with community members and the military, by 1978, a federal court required the US Navy to conduct an environmental impact state of Kaho‘olawe As exciting as the results of the 1978 ruling; it was also a sad time for the movement. On March 9, 1977, a mission to find two other Hawaiians[9] on the way to the island, Leader George Helm with Kimo Mitchell, disappeared. Helm and Mitchell were automatically presumed dead. But with the disappearance of Helm, the fight was not ending; all PKO members became leaders in the attempt to take back Kaho‘olawe. The actions of George Helm remained in the hearts of many PKO members, as their fight would not have been the same without him.
After the federal ruling, the US Navy continued bombing the island. PKO members were growing, and as consistent as their occupation of the island continued, Hawaiian politics and presence became more prominent. In 1978 the constitutional convention established the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. “OHA was born of a collective and compassionate effort on the part of the delegates to the state Constitutional Convention of 1978. They spoke to a sense of justice, to the righting of wrongs suffered by the Indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands for exactly 200 years.”[10] The creation of OHA was the start to establishing a political future for ideals that PKO have of “Aloha ‘āina,” or “love of the land.” OHA began to establish its power as a semiautonomous office made to support all Hawaiians in the state of Hawai‘i and their ideals to fight for all the things Lind and the first occupiers brought up. OHA began a new generation of politics in Hawai‘i. As time passed on, Hawaiians and allies kept occupying the island. By 1981 the efforts of the PKO were working.
The Ten Days of Serenity
On March 18th, 1981, after another federal review, it was determined that an archeological survey must be conducted. It was concluded that Kaho‘olawe was indeed National Historical District that must be protected. But the military still went forward with obliterating the island. Although the island was identified as a National Historical District after 1981, the Navy used the island as a training ground still, but with requirements that were negotiated between the Navy and PKO members in an Olive Court Settlement. The consent decree allowed for ten days of no bombing on the island every month. The decree also required the military to only focus their expolsive ordinances on only one-third of the island. With the days of no bombing, the PKO were legally allowed to visit and bring guests to the island for educational, religious, and scientific activities. This opened talks between the military and Hawaiians. Soon it would be taped of discussions and talks between PKO and the military on the island.[11] Naval soldiers would be seen accompanying the tours, not just for precautionary reasons to guide people through the dangerous island, but for educational purposes. Although one-third of the central island was designated for being bombed, live ordinances were still on the entire island.
Although Naval soldiers would be around the tours to enlighten people about the importance of Kaho‘olawe, the Navy would still use Kaho‘olawe as target practice. With the opportunity of ten days of peace, PKO members began to establish Kānaka maoli culture and love back to the island. Those who were familiar with the traditional religion of Hawaiians would begin chanting to their gods and goddesses.[12] Scientist would begin to analyze the soil to understand the environmental impacts of the bombings. But the most important of the tours of the islands was understanding the destruction the military has created. As recognized in their 1992 film, PKO members would guide people through the destruction of Kaho‘olawe with the support of military because of how dangerous the island was. Nevertheless, no matter how dangerous this legal access to Kaho‘olawe was, Kānaka Maoli and those who wanted to participate celebrated the annual “Makahiki.”
The Makahiki is an annual celebration for Hawaiians starting at the end of October and early November.[13] The Makahiki is a celebration to celebrate the akua (God/Goddess) Lono. Lono is the akua that was associated with fertility, agriculture, rainfall, music, and peace. Hawaiians were able to recognize that it was the start of the Makahiki season ( the season usually lasted through Hawai‘i’s rainy season in October through March) by analyzing the stars and seeing the star cluster Makali‘i (also known as the star cluster Pleiades or Seven Sisters in western astronomy). Since irreparable damage, such as the damage from the Sailor Hat bombings, caused a lot of heartache, the reinstitution of the Makahiki was the solution for fulfillment for Hawaiians. The revitalization process began with the replanting of endemic plants and trying to have the water not runoff and polluting the ocean. But the cultural revitalization was the most impactful part for many Hawaiians and the biggest impact on the movement. The start of the movement was to reestablish being a Hawaiian. The first Makahiki on the island was held in 1980 as a promise to the late George Helm.
On Kaho`olawe, we petition Lono to raise the water table. We petition his presence as the gentle rain and the cloud cover to support our efforts to green Kaho`olawe in our lifetime… We began our Makahiki activities on Kaho`olawe in 1980, only through strong negotiations with the Navy for access to the island for religious and cultural purposes. Makahiki was a directive from George Helm, and in a sense, he is our Lono-i-ka-makahiki. Our ceremonies and rituals to Lono have been re-created and facilitated with the kokua of Aunty Edith Kanaka`ole and her daughters.[14]
Even after the months of the Makahiki, people would still participate in the activities of planting, analyzing the land, creating different types of ways to help capture the water and of course retaliate against the military. But the Makahiki became an important factor in the movement and was able to celebrate the biggest Makahiki on the island in 1987. Between the years of 1981-1987, PKO and community members were able to celebrate the Makahiki. As per usual, the Makahiki involved chanting, hula, rituals, offerings, celebrations, and unification of Hawaiians. By the year 1987, PKO had created a platform for the performance of hula and chant. The PKO had the biggest turnout that year. After the performance of hula and chant, the crowds of hundreds began a precession around the island, admiring their ‘ohana, Kaho‘olawe. The precession ended on the beach with PKO
MAIN LEADERS
PKO was a well-organized group that recognized that all the Hawaiians and people participating were leaders. But there were indeed those who were exceptionally vocal and true leaders of the movement. George Helm was one of those leaders. Helm was a highly motivated activist in the Aloha ‘Āina (love of the land) Movement. Helm could have been seen as an environmentalist with the ideologies of aloha, mālama, and kuleana—respect—for the ‘āina.
Although George Helm was the first leader of the PKO, Dr.Noa Emmett Aluli and Bo Kahui stepped up to the table. Kahui and Dr.Aluli talked about their experience in a podcast saying,
“ I became the Central Oʻahu Coordinator. We were all coordinators, but leaders in our own right. We did fundraising. I also started my own curriculum, flyers for people to attend meetings and so on. I would hand them out in school, at the university, wherever I can, I always had a batch of information. My role, in the end, was to recruit more of our people. By the time 1978 rolled around, we had enrolled about 18,000. That was statewide. Aloha ʻĀina I think was depicted early on and it just became our focal point. It was hard to argue against Aloha ʻĀina. We as a culture, as native people, ʻāina, I was always trying to tell people, what does that mean to you? Land, it's the land. It's that from which you eat, not just the land. So I think those things that came to the forefront, and Aloha ʻĀina, and the popular view to protect our islands against this kind of desecration made it almost nearly impossible for the military.”[15]
Dr. Noa: “Half the ʻohana left when we decided that we were going to sign off on the consent decree, but I think it was the wisdom of the kūpuna that made the difference. I know it was the wisdom of the kūpuna. The consent decree would give us all of this access, work with the Navy, become more involved, more legitimate because we had the agreement with the Navy that we were the stewards, that the state wasnʻt even involved. I mean the state should have been the ones to have brought that suit and not the grassroots organization with no money and no real expertise. George would always say, “You just got to come touch the island." More people to visit, more people going there legally, where people are doing the work, checking the sites, doing the planting, and going back and spreading the word, so we actually built a good movement around our accesses. But, you know, for me personally, Kaho’olawe has really brought to surface that the health of the land is really the health of our people moving forward.” [16]
GIVING BACK THE LAND
By October 22, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Hawaiian Islands Land Conveyance Act into law, officially returning the island of Kaho‘olawe to the state of Hawaii. The island of Kaho‘olawe in Hawaii was officially returned to the state after decades of being used as a bombing range by the United States Navy. After a long battle, the PKO was successful in its mission to reclaim the island and begin the process of healing and restoration. The day was celebrated with a traditional Hawaiian ceremony on the island, with members of the PKO, Hawaiian activists, government officials, and others in attendance.
Title X (1993) drafted by Hawai‘i Senators Inouye and Akaka, was signed into law to stop the bombing of Kaho‘olawe entirely. Congress establishes the Kaho’olawe Island Conveyance Commission (KICC) for the research and activities of returning the island to the people of Hawai‘i. Senator Inouye sponsored Title X on March 31, 1993. Title X authorizes the transfer of the island back to Hawai’i, ending military use. Title X allotted $400 million for the removal of all ordnances on the island thus established, the Kaho‘olawe UXO clearance project. The UXO clearance project established military operations on the island to clean any hazardous waste that remained on the island. The project also established that the military must protect and reestablish any historical and religious sites. The Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) was then established on May 7, 1994; it was also the day of the beginning of signing the KIRC creating bipartisanship in bringing life back to the island. [17] “The many years of hard work, along with the two who lost their lives, were thoughts that McGregor, Nahoopii, Aluli and others had during the sign-over ceremony May 7, 1994 ”(Cerizo).
The island was put into a State of Hawaii trust that holds the land for Native Hawaiian entities. The commission was made for the purpose of preserving the island until it can be transferred entirely to Native Hawaiian management. Some goals of the commission were to restore wildlife populations and preserve cultural heritage sites on the island. Dr.Aluli became president of the KIRC. In 1997, the U.S. military awarded the contract to the State of Hawai‘i for the removal of unexploded ordinances on Kaho‘olawe.
On November 11, 2003, 'Iolani Palace in Honolulu, Hawaii, hosted a special ceremony to commemorate the official return of the island of Kaho'olawe to the state of Hawaii. This act was the result of the long battle PKO to reclaim the island and begin the process of real healing and restoration. During the ceremony, Hawaiian activists and leaders spoke about the history of the Hawaiian Kingdom and the importance of Hawaiian sovereignty. It was also a commemoration of the centennial of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The day was marked with hula dancing, traditional chants and songs, and a procession of Hawaiian flags.
In 2004, The Navy officially ended the UXO project.
At its completion, approximately 75% of the island’s surface was cleared of unexploded ordnance. Of this area, 10% of the island/2,647 acres of the island were cleared to a depth of four feet. 25%/6,692 acres of the island were not cleared, and unescorted access to the areas remains unsafe.[18]
In 2004, it was also the start of Hawai’i DOH’s Polluted Runoff Control Program, which provided $1.9 million in CWA section 319 funding to KIRC. Volunteer restoration activities also matched the funds. The funds allowed the KIRC to make progress in its effort to begin restoring two targeted watersheds by implementing innovative methods to minimize erosion and reduce sediment loads moving from the land to the ocean and water on the island.
The Aloha Kaho‘olawe program was established in 2013 and is still active today. The program has been designed to create a sustainable funding plan through the State of Hawai’i as the federal trust fund recedes. Initial outcomes include a membership program, community-building events at the KIRC’s Kihei site, and Kaho‘olawe’s first appropriation of General Funds. As the funding has diminished for now, goals to eradicate feral cats, install a sustainable base camp and learning center, and restore dryland forests have been a top priority.
HAWAIIAN SOVEREIGNTY
The island of Kaho‘olawe to the Kingdom of Hawai‘i might be the smallest, but it is the biggest part of giving back to Kānaka Maoli. With the practical nonviolence of Kānaka maoli and the pragmatic nonviolence of kama‘āina, non-violent actions won against the mighty power of weaponry. Although two lives were lost, they were not lost in the use of violence. Hawaiians have respected the land as keiki o ka ‘āina, something that many of those who do not have ancestral or blood ties to the land can possibly understand. The movement began with a call to action by one of the great kupuna in contemporary Hawai'i, Charley Maxwell. The Kaho‘olawe Nine had brought the world into the issues of Hawai‘i. But unfortunately, in our contemporary Hawai‘i, Kānaka Maoli is still faced with many of the issues Ian Lind brings up: Homelessness, Poverty, Hawaiian Homes Commission, Lack Of Education Opportunities, Adequate Health Care, Destruction of Sacred Land, and more. The fund for the restorative project on Kaho‘olawe is starting to dwindle and will soon run out of funds in the coming years. But the century-long fight for Hawaiians and those who currently occupy it are not over. Those who are allies with Kānaka maoli must have stood at the protests, sit-ins, and government building to fight for Hawaiian sovereignty. The non-violent practices presented on Kaho‘olawe have been seen across the new generation of protesting in Hawai‘i (i.e. Mauna Kea and Red Hill). Hawaiian history is forever filled with nonviolence with foreigners over many generations, but violence has never been their answer.
[1] Editors, History.com. “Americans Overthrow Hawaiian Monarchy.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, February 9, 2010. [2] President Dwight D. Eisenhower, (1953, February 20), Executive Order 10436—Reserving Kahoolawe Island, Territory of Hawaii, for the Use of the United States for Naval Purposes and Placing it Under the Jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Navy | The American Presidency Project, Welcome to The American Presidency Project | The American Presidency Project; The White House The language “Territory” was used due to the fact that Hawai’i was still technically a territory. Hawai‘i did not receive statehood until August 21, 1959. [3] Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission, (n.d.), Kahoolawe History, Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission Home Page. Retrieved March 27, 2023[4] The Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, McGregor, D., Puhipau, & Lander, J. (1992). Kahoʻolawe Aloha ʻĀina, Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina.[5] Picture provided by Public Domain/U.S. Navy/Wikimedia Commons[6] Hong, Lea. “Aloha 'Āina: Love of the Land - Our Work In.” Trust for Public Land, February 9, 2023. https://www.tpl.org/our-work/aloha-aina-love-land#:~:text=Connection%20to%20%CA%BB%C4%81ina%20is%20essential,healing%20arts%2C%20and%20religious%20rituals. [7] Lind, I. (2015, December 30). Ian Lind: Kahoolawe 40 Years Later - Honolulu Civil Beat. Honolulu Civil Beat; https://www.facebook.com/civilbeat. https://www.civilbeat.org/2015/12/ian-lind-kahoolawe-40-years-later/ [8] Staff, H. N. (2022, October 5). Native Hawaiian activists stopped military bombing on Kahoʻolawe 32 years ago | Hawai’i Public Radio. Hawai’i Public Radio; Hawaii. https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2022-10-05/native-hawaiian-activists-stopped-military-bombing-on-kahoolawe-32-years [9] The Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, McGregor, D., Puhipau, & Lander, J. (1992). Kahoʻolawe Aloha ʻĀina, Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina. [10] Office of Hawaiian Affairs. “History.” The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), April 9, 2021. https://www.oha.org/about/abouthistory/.[11] The Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, McGregor, D., Puhipau, & Lander, J. (1992). Kahoʻolawe Aloha ʻĀina, Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina.[12] Hawaiians had a polytheistic religion. Like many parts of Polynesia and other colonized countries, the modern practice of Catholicism or Christianity has become a major part of the culture. Akua have been highly involved in the culture of Hawaiians. [13] National Park Service. “Makahiki.” National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, January 7, 2020. https://www.nps.gov/hale/learn/historyculture/makahiki.htm#:~:text=In%20Hawaiian%20culture%20there%20is,and%20lasts%20for%20four%20months. [14] The Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, McGregor, D., Puhipau, & Lander, J. (1992). Kahoʻolawe Aloha ʻĀina. Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina. (Film)[15] Hawaii Public Radio | By HPR News Staff, and HPR News Staff, “Voices from Protect Kaho’olawe ʻOhana, the Grassroots Movement for Native Hawaiian Rights,” Hawai'i Public Radio, Hawaii Public Radio, November 16, 2022.[16] Hawaii Public Radio | By HPR News Staff, and HPR News Staff. “Voices from Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, the Grassroots Movement for Native Hawaiian Rights.” Hawai'i Public Radio. Hawaii Public Radio, November 16, 2022. https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2022-10-10/protect-kahoolawe-ohana-grassroots-movement-for-native-hawaiian-rights. [17] Cerizo, K. (2019, May 5). 25 years hence, recovery work continues on the island of Kahoolawe | Anniversary of sign-over ceremony is a time for reflection and revision. Mauinews.Com; Maui News. https://www.mauinews.com/news/local-news/2019/05/25-years-hence-recovery-work-continues-on-the-island-of-kahoolawe/?fbclid=IwAR3HngQh_WhNd07tcmUfRc5JOakQq_GNpgUNZGjxPhXJpmbWVDCLflBQSmk [18] Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission. (n.d.). Kahoolawe History. Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission Home Page. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from http://kahoolawe.hawaii.gov/history.shtml
