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HEWA ALERT: Arrest at Kawaiahao!

Posted by Pomaikaiokalani on March 13, 2011 at 1:22pm in Politics
 
NEWS RELEASE:
Kauanohi Kaleikini and Kamuela Kalai Arrested at Kawaiahao Church

These two brave and passionate Hawaiian women were arrested this morning because they were protecting their iwi kupuna, their ancestors' bones buried at Kawaiahao Church. This show was videotaped last Wednesday for an Olelo Community Media series called "Is......sues That Matter."

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  • Kamatose March 14, 2011 at 9:04am
    I just watched some videos on this. How awful. You would think a church would have a little more respect for the community involved. It's all about the money. I mean, the church can argue all they want about the Christian beliefs, but they're really showing their own prejudice by not respecting other religious beliefs. It's quite sad. Anyway, I thought Christians worshiped God not Washington, Lincoln, and Franklins.
  • Pomaikaiokalani March 13, 2011 at 4:19pm
    2671085831?profile=original
    • Tane > Pomaikaiokalani March 14, 2011 at 11:54am
      We support Kaanohi and Kamuela and others of like-mind.  Here is Kamuela's open-letter to all concerned:
       
      Subject: Arrested for trespassing at Kawaiahao Church, Sunday March 13
      Aloha mai,
       
      Yesterday morning, Sunday, March 13, 2011, Kaanohi Kaleikini and I were handcuffed and arrested for trespassing at Kawaiahao Church.  We were treated like criminals, handcuffed, searched 2 times, fingerprinted multiple times, had mug shots taken, and put in a holding cell until family members showed up with $500.00 cash to bail us out from jail. 
       
      We were arrested for sitting on the steps of the church, for daring to walk on to the grounds of Kawaiahao Church, right past the sign that says, "Welcome and aloha to all", for daring to stand up for our kupuna who have been dug up, desecrated and continue to sit on shelves in the basement of the church for over one year. We were arrested for being vigilant and reminding the church of their responsibility to the iwi kupuna in their back yard. We will not be able to step on the grounds of Kawaiahao church for one year and will be arrrested for trespassing if we do. ONE YEAR. For defending our kupuna and holding the church accountable for their actions.  ONE YEAR.
       
      This is crazy.  We did not commit any crime.  We did not desecrate graves.  We did not leave our iwi kupuna in the basement of the church.  We did not lock up our iwi kupuna in a caged room behind chained doors. We did not insist that excavations must continue. We did not call the archaologists to continue the digging. We did not ignore the concerns and cries of the family members to stop the digging and desecration. We did not spend over ONE MILLION DOLLARS of beneficiary money from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs on things we did not agree to. We did not spend $120,000 of beneficiary money to pay Dawn Chang's PR Firm Kuiwalu to do outreach to the families. We did not violate the terms of the contract signed with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.  We did not sit on the Captial Campaign committee to raise money for a church building that would ultimately desecrate and disturb 69 or our iwi kupuna. We did not do any of these things.
       
      Someone did but WE did not.
       
      We have done NOTHING to deserve being arrested like common criminals and common thieves.
       
      What we did and continue to do is protect, defend, and educate everyone about the plight of our iwi kupuna because Kawaiahao church officials continue to remain silent, continue to exclude us from discussion and decision making, continue to make plans to finish their construction project, continue to refuse to hooponopono with the families. 
       
      We continue to hoomau and perservere with the hope that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees will step up to the plate and intervene on behalf of their beneficiaries, especially the beneficiaries who no longer have a voice and are in constant danger of being dug up and desecrated. 
       
      We continue to ask for help, ask for support, ask for kako'o, ask for intervention from YOU the chosen leaders, YOU the ones who have CHOSEN to lead, YOU the Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees, YOU who have the TRUST of the beneficiaries you were elected to represent, help and support.
       
      YOU the Office of Hawaiian Affairs TRUSTEES: Collette Machado, Boyd Mossman, Oswald Stender, Rowena Akana, Donald Cataluna, Peter Apo, Haunani Apoliona, John Waihee and Robert Lindsey - each and every one of you.
       
      We call on you to be the LEADERS to help us protect our iwi kupuna. I call on you to be leaders in this defining moment of history.
       
      NOW. NOT TOMORROW. NOW.
       
      What is it that prevents you from responding to my inquiries?  What is going on on the 12th floor of your building? Have you lost touch with the basic human concept of resting in peace FOREVER? Aloha kekahi i kekahi.  Isn't that what we are all striving for?
       
      Do you hear the cry of the people for help???  Do you hear my cry out for help????
       
      HEAR MY VOICE. I AM BEGGING FOR YOUR HELP.
       
      WE WERE ARRESTED FOR DEFENDING OUR IWI KUPUNA. 
       
      WE WERE ARRESTED AND TREATED LIKE COMMON CRIMINALS.
       
      WE ARE NOT THE CRIMINALS.  WE ARE THE EVIDENCE.
       
      WE ARE THE LINEAL DESCENDANTS OF THE KUPUNA WHO ARE VICTIMS OF DESECRATION PERPETRATED BY KAWAIAHAO CHURCH.
       
      THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS HELPED TO FUND THIS DESECRATION. Yes, you helped to fund it and you are now perpetuating the hewa by your silence.  How will you be judged by those who have entrusted you with their welfare?  How will we all be judged by this moment in time? What would your kupuna say about all of this?  What will your moopuna say when everything is said and done?  Did you do your best? Did you do anything besides wait and wait and wait some more.
       
      WHAT DO YOU NOT GET ABOUT THIS SITUATION THAT WILL GET YOU TO TAKE ACTION?
       
      WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO GET AN ANSWER? A RESPONSE? A SIMPLE YES, WE WILL HELP. OR NO WE WILL NOT. 
       
      Are you willing to take responsibility for further damage, hurt, arrests and more harm to the beneficiaries when we are called out to defend and protect our kupuna the next time this happens?
       
      We have been to your table time and time again. We have asked. We have pleaded. We have been patient.  You have kuleana here.  Take care of it. It's not that difficult.  Make a decision. Carry through.
       
      We want PEACEFUL resolution.  We want hooponopono.  We want openness and transparency.  We want the church to meet us halfway.  We want to be included in all decisions and planning that concern the iwi kupuna at Kawaiahao. We want to have a voice at the table.
       
      Set up a meeting for all of us to meet with the Office of Hawaian Affairs to come up with solutions.  Invite the church. If they don't show up, we proceed without them. 
       
      Just set it up. Time, date, place. Easy. DO it.
       
      Please do not let this situation get any worse than it already has.
       
      A response to this email will be GREATLY appreciated from each one of you. Ke kali nei au.
       
      Ola na iwi.
       
      Kamuela Kala'i
       
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