Stopping the Bombing – 20th Anniversary
On October 22, 2010, the 20th anniversary of stopping the bombing of Kanaloa Kaho‘olawe, presents the opportunity to reflect on what has been accomplished over the last 20 years and what is planned for Kaho‘olawe’s future.
The Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana (‘Ohana) together with the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) worked to restore the island’s cultural and natural resources. More than 6,000 cultural practitioners, families, students, teachers and community groups were taken to Kaho‘olawe to experience the island and learn how be good stewards of the ‘āina. ‘Ohana members, volunteers and KIRC staff rededicated cultural sites, built new ones, and revived traditional cultural ceremonies. All this as a new generation steps forward to take responsibility to be kahu ‘āina and ‘ohana for Kaho‘olawe.
Kanaloa Kaho‘olawe is in transition at this time. Under Hawai‘i law, the state of Hawai‘i holds the island in trust for eventual transfer to the sovereign Hawaiian entity when it is reestablished and recognized by the federal and state governments. Passage of the Akaka Bill begins the process that realizes the transfer of Kaho`olawe.
The ‘Ohana will kick off the Year of Kanaloa Kaho‘olawe, from October 22, 2010 to October 22, 2011, with a celebration on Friday October 22nd at the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa Center for Hawaiian Studies Halau O Haumea from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm. The event is free and the public is invited.
The program will honor ‘Ohana members Geoge Helm and Kimo Mitchell, who gave their lives for the island, and all the members of the ‘Ohana who perservered for 14 long years after their disappearance to finally stop the bombing of the Kaho‘olawe. Organizers of the event plan to unveil a cultural plan that reestablishes Kanaloa Kaho‘olawe to its original sacred status as an center for learning indigenous Hawaiian knowledge – of the universe, the earth and all living things.
Would be nice if we all could meet once more to discuss the happenings of the past, present and the future, huh?
Replies
As I spoke to Kumu, I told her my views are first to stop the bombing, my second was Haloa and of course Mau Piailug --a sense of wave. We have not stopped the bombing, it is still an ongoing problem and our children in Waianae are in grave danger. The continuations of military contamination of our aina in Makua and through transfer (trucking) of isotopes contaminated soils from other military reserves are real. Trucking these contaminants through Waianae along Farrington Hwy is a serious problem ignored by the AEC, NRC and the Pentagon. Our children breath in these contaminates as they are entering and exiting their school buses each day.
Our Kumu is a practitioner and she's concern for the health of our children. I explained my views on Eddie Kaanana and our responsibility to Haloa. Haloa is still practiced by our family on my father's property. We water taro on the corner where our family iwi old and young are buried. Haloa or Kealaikahiki is a birthing place told to me by Sam Lono our Kahuna. The full realization of that responsibility escaped the 'minds' of the movie producers. In fact in 1979, on O Kanaloa Kohe Malamalma Kahoolawe, the state usurped the spirit of our ancestors for science measurability’s and its properties for observation. Data mining seemed more of what the state adhered to for their status and power over 'locals' and PKO. Not until 1992 did the Polynesian Voyage begin to understand the culture significance of Kealaikahiki through Sol Kahoohalahala of Lanai. A meeting of the minds in 2004 helped to pa'a the true sense and significance of Kealaikahiki. The question I would ask at this time, did the participants fully understand the culture values and significance of Haloa? And too, which is the next need to know is the origin or sense of wave? Birth, death and sense of wave are all parts of who we are. Floating around the Pacific Ocean is a 'haole' state sponsored endeavor, but to Na Kanaka it means more than visiting island that played a part in a movie.
A non Na Kanaka teacher in a classroom without any sense of what I am talking about can demand the use of a birth certificate for $10.00 and a death certificate for $10.00 and a lesson curriculum to teach students about waves for about $12.00, but is this real? To our children in a 'state' classroom it is far more real-- than Haloa, a sense of wave and a place of birth. For these youngsters it's about a voyage of discovery, a wa'a to ride on, and star gazing. Not any of those things that were mentioned in the film--such as stop the bombing, the gods, and a sense of waves are conscious in our Na Kanaka students and their counter parts.
As a person that had the opportunity to work under Sione Tuione Pulotu to build a wa'a from trees that was sent to Hawaii from Fiji, I really have to say that O Kanaloa Kohe Malamalama Kahoolawe is more than just a 'voyage'. We need to instill real values into our children such as a sense of nature, community, and inheritage knowledge of thousands of years. A state sponsored project, filed trip and a ten page constructive response are hardly the things that forms a child. A method that is factual can be dry and lack true human values, thus, posesing a problem for a child to understand. Grasping the very depth of values takes community memembers and a classroon teacher need to be opened to these type of resources to experience daily aquisition of knowledge. They're there for the asking and hiding behind a liability insurance and ones personal assets are just excuses that the state conjured up to maintain politcal control and a low level education in our state sponsorded schools.
David McTaggart was among the chief contributors to the creation of the environmentalist group Greenpeace. He was the organisation's chief spokesman and chairman of Greenpeace International from 1979 until 1991. The Canadian businessman had become involved with the issue of French atmospheric nuclear weapons testing in New Zealand in 1971, and his life was tied to environmental issues from then on.
McTaggart was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 24, 1932. As a youth he was an outstanding athlete whose interests included skiing, tennis, squash, and golf. He won the Canadian National Badminton championship in the singles division three years running.
McTaggart worked in the construction business for twenty years, moving to the United States in the 1960s where he became a successful contractor and developer. When an explosion destroyed a resort lodge built by his firm, seriously injuring an employee, the deeply affected McTaggart left the business and went into semi-retirement, sailing for pleasure in the Pacific. In 1972 he became outraged with the French Government's decision to cordon off a vast swath of international waters in order to conduct their nuclear testing program in the Pacific. He renamed his 12.6 meter sailing craft "Greenpeace III" and sailed to the zone surrounding Moruroa Atoll. McTaggart observed international law in establishing his anchor position, but ignored the French Government's unilateral declaration of the area as a forbidden zone. The presence of his boat, at a position downwind from the planned blast, forced the French government to halt its test. A French Navy vessel eventually rammed the boat to end the embarrassing situation. McTaggart repaired his boat and returned a year later. He was physically beaten by French military personnel, who denied the charge, claiming that McTaggart's ship had already left the area. One of McTaggart's crew had photographed the beating, however, and the film, which was smuggled out of French custody with the crewmember, proved the French had been lying. The photographs were widely published, and the story drew further criticism to the French nuclear testing program.
McTaggart entered into lengthy litigation against the French. In 1974 he won part of his case, a landmark decision in which the French courts sided against the French government. That same year, the French announced that they would end their atmospheric nuclear testing program.
In 1977 McTaggart began organising new support throughout Europe for Greenpeace, by then established in nine countries. In 1979 he forged an international alliance between separate factions of the organisation and united them under his chairmanship as Greenpeace International.
Between 1975 and 1991, McTaggart was a driving force behind Greenpeace campaigns to save the whales, stop the dumping of nuclear waste in the ocean, block the production of toxic wastes, end nuclear testing, and protect the Antarctic continent from oil and mineral exploitation. Over the length of his career he published numerous articles and two books. Awards for his contributions to environmentalism world-wide include the Onassis Award, The Kreisky Prize, and the United Nations Environmental Programme's Global 500 Award.
In September of 1991, McTaggart retired from active chairmanship of Greenpeace International to a farm in Italy, where he raised organic olive oil and continued to work on whaling and other issues through his own foundation.
Mr. McTaggart died in an auto accident on March 23, 2001 near his home in Italy.
Tonight my wounds were opened, but small kine I hope. Unless one understands the 'diversity movement' that sprang from the early 90s the essence would have be missed. I don't have twenty questions, but the sense of the future generation and their means of survival in an occupied Hawaiian Kingdom needs an investigation. To clear the air is most important, but how does one permit oneself to do just that. Our Na Kupuna back then always gave us the benefit of the doubt. Our kalohe energies were a bit too high and crazy, but we made it through together. We walked through passages without anyone's permission, at least that's how I want to look at the incident(s) from the 70s.
Did I ever want to hold on to my memories of the 70s and force it on to others, but that's not my intention. We started out thinking always the future generation. I just took time to get there. Was tonight about the younger generation most certainly, egos aside, we have a huge followign of new generations of people. That's what is important that waves of generations to come to carry the sound bearer of our Na Kupuna of the old.
That's truly what's important!
How funny, as we stood ina circle for the opening, I called Pono and he was looking at Kahoolawe at that moment. So I asked him if he was in the audience because the island of Kahoolawe was on a movie screen. Everyone around me thought too how funny.
I got to share things and open some wounds, but life goes on!
Absolutely beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing, and yes I so agree about the usurping. You were always brave and participated in such a way that you stepped further 'way out there' more than most of us.
Always have lot's of love for you and family.
Pono is on Maui filming and I hope he will be home by Friday. We sometimes share about our crazy days, I being out there (way out there) and he inturn shares his crazy years at concerts. How is use to climb the crater to get into the concerts.
The music stimulated a lot of memories.
At this time, we lived off of the ocean. The men caught fish, picked opihi while the women would look for limu and more opihi...in the evening we would cook and eat then talk story. That was the way my uncles would live on the beach of Makua, Waimanalo and Makapu'u, where we would camp every summer to learn about our culture; how to fish, swim, surf and cook on the outside make shift kitchen. It was fun. Looking back at Maui when we finally reached the island, it looked like a giant pyramid in all of it's beautiful splendor...it was like we were looking back at the future. We were dedicated to FREE Kaho'olawe with the help of good peoples from Waianae; (many have passed already), Puanani Burgess, her husband and children at the time, as well as others, (Skippy and Makanani are just a few) who coordinated with all of us to Stop The Bombin. We protested outside of the consulates of countries who were part of RimPac, we gave them a run for their money. Davianna the usurper came on board when she knew politically, she could take advantage of that and Emmett, who is a good guy but a little weak back then. Don't know how he is today. We dedicated two years to Kaho'olawe, we were the only military and we served very proudly as na kanaka maoli. It was on our wave that the island was brought to life. Ku Kahakalau handled the women's heiau and introduced us to her and her kuleana as it relates to Aloha Aina, she's the most advanced I know of in this movement, very humble and oluolu when she spoke Hawaiian. We learned alot from her as well. We, the 4th wave brought in ( by boat and swam it in on to the island) logs of 'ohia to build the first hale,(Eric and Gary Gill helped with that) and thatching that Mary Jardine and Hoku Padilla's halau helped with the blessings of the hula mound and later the Kanakaole's came in, who sacrificed their lives and culture to teach the 'ohana about protocols. At the same time, families and friends who didn't support the 'ohana included certain people sitting as trustees in the Kamehameha schools, Civic Clubs, OHA (in the beginning) Hawai'i Legislature and individuals who hid in the shadows of their own politics, are now supporting the efforts of the 'ohana---shmucks! In the early days, they called us radicals and openly said that they don't support what the 'ohana is doing, such as Fred Cachola and old man Lyman, so the rest followed suit. It was after these men left or passed on that the thinking and political opportunism was born---today, these same people have learned to surf on our movements and benefitted from our work to get to where they are today...TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUES they don't really support.
As an advocate of independence I was chosen to speak on behalf of the 'ohana during the RimPac protests and was followed by a particular "professor" of ethnic studies who trailed me all the way to New York to talk against independence at every event I spoke at. I swore then and swear now, that she was a US spy for the military to protect her career and job.
That is not to say that the 'ohana felt the same way as I but I understood way back when meeting George that independence would be the final step to Kaho'olawe's freedom and well as our freedom.
Without Aloha Keakua, our ancestors, na aumakua and immediate families' who helped us to be successful in stopping the bombing, we'd still be going back and forth to Kaho'olawe with our groups, who had to put up with the military's presence which is blasphemy to the island. We are a peaceful people, Hawai'i doesn't need any foreign military to malama our aina, THAT IS OUR KULEANA, given to us by our ancestors through the different forms of laws, grants and wills such as what Bernice did with our lands and money...to create Kamehameha schools, and what they did was making it harder for Hawaiian to get into school by making them take a test and pay outrageous tuitions. Shame on those trustees...we just have to look inside the prisons to know that Kamehameha schools have failed most Hawaiians while other Hawaiians who did go through Kamehameha schools became employees of; Hawaiian Telephone company, Hawaiian Electic company, Police, Social workers, Legislative aides and minial other jobs. I can say that this DOE system sucks! Kamehameha schools has to raise the levels of education for ALL Hawaiian children by dropping the testing and tuitions, to give our babies a chance to the kind of education they deserve to serve our country and government when we are restored and independence is realized. I can go on and on, but I will stop.
Those words are for na kupuna kahiko who are watching over all of us who continue to end the continual illegal US military occupation of our islands and to one day, form our own military where our people can serve proudly in a military that is pono, helpful and positive in it's purposes and uses.
Onward and forward until our country is restored, Hawaiian laws as our foundation and the return of Kaho'olawe be given to the native tenant nation-state of Ko Hawai'i Pae Aina. NOT THE FAKE STATE. Dedicate this island to George, Kimo, the 'ohana and all those who signed the KU'E Petition. THEIR OWN ISLAND! We can incorporate a community development plan that is dedicated to our peoples, and to be careful about the possible conflicts of interests that will try to infiltrate the businesses from the top down and send the money out of Hawai'i. If this planning is to happen, all the pit falls of society has to be anticipated, blocked and taken out...that is the conflicts.
It is time to stop the b.s. with the military funding. We must cut all fundings, take the military off the island and take it over because that is our kuleana. Not the military's kuleana.
As a 94th generation from Kumuhonua, my tutu, Mary Kaho'olawe Kanoholua lived on Kaho'olawe during the period of Kamehaeha III, she commuted back and forth to Moloka'i where her family lived as a Lawai'a
and limu picker. My tutu was Holoa'e whose daughter Pinea married Kekuhaupio and had Kailipakalua-I-Kanaka, who had Luahine who married twice; 1st to Kaoleioku who had Konia who married Abner Paki and had Bernice Pauahi Paki. Luahine's second marriage was to her uncle Awili
Hao and from them came my tutu Kaholi, his brother's Kananananale and Kuakini. What did Kamehameha schools do for us? Nothing! Did they even look for us? NO! The facts are that we are the great grand's of Bernice and our tutu Kaholi and his brothers were the 1/2 brothers of Bernice. (Nothing mentions them).
If you look at the prisons issues since after Bernice died, you will be shocked at how many people "made it" into prison, who didn't make it into Kamehameha schools is worthy of a thorough investigation into the prison issues to find the ratio. What about the homeless Hawaiians? Our people are in deep kaka because of ignorance, greed and political power on the part of those who followed the US's foot steps in the usurpation of our rights.
Today, OHA is talking about Prisons. My question is, did they do their own research? OHA spent over 11 millions of dollars to pass the Akaka bill and for 10 years, it failed and it failed again this year. At the same time, Keanu Sai is suing the US talking heads about the Cleveland-Liliuokalani executive agreement. The fact is, according to Amelia Gora's research President Cleveland did RESTORE our government, but the fakes took over and manipulated our documents, government and people through their educational system that has failed us and them because the facts show that this system was created to "brain wash" us into thinking that we are Americans but the truth is, we are not, never were we "made" Americans, it was ASSUMED and now we find ourselves undoing all the lies perpetrated by the UH Manoa and hope that these problems we are experiencing will be over come through education, aloha and more aloha because we are going to need it.
We call upon our ancestors to take out all of those who continue to block our restoration of our government and to bring Kaho'olawe back to those who have genealogy going back to our ancestors who lived there and all the life that surrounds that island.
I dedicate this writing to my ancestors and children, particularly my sons; Kane and Kanaloa to whom my life's work will turn over to when I am gone to continue where I will be leaving off.
Malama Keakua,
Kawehiokalaniniui-I-iamamao, Po'o
Hewahewanui 'Ohana Council
2-1.6.10 Kawehi & Guys.JPG
2-1.6.10 Kawehi & Momi.JPG
2-2.6.10 Auntie & family.JPG
"My tutu was Holoa'e whose daughter Pinea married Kekuhaupio and had Kailipakalua-I-Kanaka, who had Luahine who married twice; 1st to Kaoleioku who had Konia who married Abner Paki and had Bernice Pauahi Paki. Luahine's second marriage was to her uncle Awili
Hao and from them came my tutu Kaholi, his brother's Kananananale and Kuakini."
Kaoleioku (k) had four (4) children:
1) Pauahi (w) who had Ruth Keelikolani; stepson: Paalua (k); Kapena (k); Umiokalani (w); Ialua/ Kalua (k); and Nalua (w); et. als.
2) Hanuna (k) who had Kapule (k); Kini(w); Hookahe(w); and Poohina (w)
3) Keola (k) had son/stepson Alenoho (k)
4) Konia (w) who had Bernice Pauahi........the true Bernice Pauahi that is.
I have three (3) references showing that she was half white.
Konia (w) also married Nahuina (k) who had two sons Keliihue (k) and Kaluakini (k).
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The genealogy of Kailipakalua (w) can be seen in THE KING'S MAHELE by Dorothy Barrere.
Kailipakalua (w) daughter was Akahi (w) who married Kikau (k) and had Nahuina (k). Nahuina (k) married Kaili (w) and had Kaluakini (k) my great grandfather.
Kailipakalua (w) was the grandmother of the true Bernice Pauahi, which is why she called Akahi (w) her aunty.
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These are part of my lines too..............am a descendant of Kalaniulumoku (k) the brother of Abner Paki........his daughter was Kalola (w) the first cousin of Bernice Pauahi, et. als.
Our genealogies are interwoven with other descendants of Hanuna (k); Keola (k); Pauahi (w); and Konia (w)............there are many of us...........
There are many projects ahead.........keep in contact thru e-mail also............
aloha.
beautiful sounds............
I used to be really pissed about the military bombing Kahoolawe until my gramma scolded me and said it was a dirty island............and that is when I learned much of our oral history of our people.........she said that prisoners were kept there, farming later............she said to let that go, etc.
It was interesting to see how many activists moved together as the PKO/Protect Kahoolawe Ohana, and I had a difficult time respecting some of the members due to their heavy usage of MJ/weed/marijuana so I stepped away from them because many were loud, incoherent, and just not the kind of people to hang with..................am glad you found some of the genuine people who opposed the bombing.........
My sister had worked at OHA/Office of Hawaiian Affairs with Paglinawan, et. als. ........they visited Kahoolawe also, and they came back with face sized opihi.............they shared it with our families......I ate some and became sick as a dog.............(after that period of interacting with the rowdy, incoherent Hawaiians, I did work with the military---can't stand loud, incoherent, belligerent, bullying people and left the Waianae site and did soon after work for the ---Army, Navy, Air Force ) my military co-workers scolded me and said to 'never eat any kind of seafood from the area'...........they didn't say why..........I only found out many years later from
Leuren Moret................she said the island was
more the reasons for all kanaka maoli/aboriginal Hawaiians and citizens of other nations to file in the suit started by Keanu Sai.............
aloha.
p.s. btw I still can't stand loud, incoherent, belligerent, bullying people...........and I'll be the first to take a step away and exit............especially when they call for a meeting and they're intoxicated by drink or drugs and try to talk as if they're making sense..........when everything that comes out makes no sense, is nonsense, etc.............but am glad you had some good interactions, nice memories..........as for me, I moved towards my American Indian side and I continued school as well and got my degree through the American Indians........just sharing that.........the memories were somewhat nicer too....but both are oppressed people...........both are admired from a distance, till my relatives are around that is...... ;p
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