Forum

Dear Ohana Ho`opakele members and friends,

We can use your support this Tuesday, January 22^nd at 4 pm in the Aupuni Conference Room of the County of Hawaii.  It is a hearing on the Draft EA (Environmental Assessment) on the return of Kulani Correctional Facility.

Ohana Ho`opakele will present a written statement that it wants included in the Environmental Assessment.  If not, we will ask for an EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) which is a stricter research on the impacts.  Following is our outline on our paper that is in the process of being written.  Today, Palikapu Dedman, Hekili Lani and myself met at 2:30 pm and came up with this strategy.  Please come prepared to testify.  If you want a copy of the Draft Environmental Statement (DEA), please email me atronson2224@aol.com and I will email the 44-pages document to you.  We find the DEA to be lacking in any important content on whether the Kulani prison is adequate for the land and the prison planned is adequate for what should be done.  We believe that the 200-bed Kulani Correctional Facility SHOULD BE a Hawaiians Only Pu`uhonua!

Following is our outline on the written statement:

Introduction: An adequate Environmental Assessment for the Kulani Correctional Facility should deal with: 1) the Land, and 2) the Purpose of the project.  Thus, the DEA should begin with what was the original designation for this land.  In this case, under the Mahele it was designated “Crown Lands.”  What is the best use of these “Crown Lands.”  Second, the original Executive Order was to designate Kulani as an “Honor Camp.”  What is the best purpose for this land as an “Honor Camp”?

The Ohana Ho`opakele will provide data to show that the original land that was designated the Kulani Honor Camp was “Crown Lands” under the Mahele.  There will be a description of “Crown Lands.”  We will argue that the use of any Crown Lands should be held to the highest standards, which we feel is a Pu`uhonua and one that is for Hawaiians Only.  We will share our research on the Executive Orders that turned the Crown Lands of Waiakea Ahupuaa and Olaa Ahupuaa into Kulani Honor Camp of Kulani Prison Farm.  The Hawaii Constitution, Article XI, section 1 and Article XII, Section 7 will be quoted to show that the highest level of land use should be in effect, meaning a holistic management plan  We will quote Public Law 103-150 the Apology Bill and it’s implications for the use of “Crown Lands.”  The next law, Act 117 signed into law by Governor Abercrombie directs the Department of Public Safety to work with Ohana Ho`opakele and other restorative justice groups to plan for a Pu`uhonua or Wellness Center, preferably at Kulani, and bring this plan back to the legislature this year.  This report is already written and is on the governor’s desk, without first consulting with Ohana Ho`opakele.  As a result the DEA does not even mention “Pu`uhonua” at all in the report.  When Kulani prison was closed through and Executive Order by then governor Linda Lingle, there was not even a public hearing held prior to the closing.  The next important legislation was the passing of the Game Management Advisory Commission, first the Hawaii County Council and then voted through at the last election.  This change argues for a holistic management plan for the whole land originally designated “Crown Lands” and later through Executive Order turned into the Kulani Honor Camp.  It should allow the cooperation of hunters and native gatherers in maintaining a balance forest management plan for the whole area.  We will cite what was done in the past on the Kulani Correctional Facility and will argue that a Pu`uhonua that is run as close to self-sufficient as possible should be the goal.  We will cite the resolution passed by the Democratic Party of Hawaii at the 2012 convention on the need for Pu`uhonua argues for this implementation at Kulani.  Also, the unanimous vote at the Hawaiian Affairs Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii last Monday evening in favor of the concept of a Hawaiians Only Pu`uhonua supports this plan.  Finally, we will cite the Kahea that has 1119 signers all support the use of Kulani as a Hawaiians Only Pu`uhonua.  In the report submitted by the Department of Public Safety to the governor as directed by Act 117, they have included the quote by Palikapu Dedman,  “Alter the environment of the Hawaiian and you alter the Hawaiian.”  The environment of the Hawaiian has been altered drastically in the past to cause such a high rate of incarceration among the Hawaiians.  The environment that will help to heal our Pa`ahao is a Pu`uhonua which will also cut down on the high cost of incarceration.

We need your support!  Come to the hearings, on January 22^nd at 4 pm in the Aupuni Conference Room in Hilo and/or to the one on January 31^st at 5 pm in the Keaau Community Center and testify strongly to support the position of Ohana Ho`opakele.  Mahalo!  (Stay tuned for the full written statement!)