Posted by Free Hawai`i on April 20, 2008 at 7:00am
Mahalo nui loa to all who took time over the past few weeks to protest wrongdoings of both the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Superferry.You told us you contacted the legislature to express your outrage and it’s paid off big time.Auditor Marion Higa released a report on Thursday saying the state may have compromised its environmental policy under pressure from Hawai`i Superferry executives concerned about financing for the interisland ferry project.The auditor found an internal deadline by the Superferry for financing for ship construction "drove the process" and led the state Department of Transportation to bypass an environmental review.Big surprise, huh?Who did your elected representatives put first? People or profits?Whose future did they consider the most important – yours or their own?Consider this – people who love their land don’t do these kinds of things. People who love only money do.A Free Hawai`i based on Kanaka Maoli values would not allow this to occur.Citizens of a Free Hawai`i know the importance of putting the `aina first.So keep the pressure up. The Office Of Hawaiian Affairs is next and they’re hiding plenty.And be sure to check out Free Hawai`i TV this week for all the late breaking news.If you support our issues on the Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network, please email this to a friend and see below how you can help us continue our work.Want to know more how you can kokua a Free Hawai`i?Well, we’ve got three superb role models for you. See for yourself this week right here on Voices Of Truth – One-On-One With Hawai`i’s Future.MONDAY, April 21st At 7:00 PM & FRIDAY, April 25th At 5:30 PM – Hawai`i Island – Na Leo, Channel 53TUESDAY, April 22nd At 6:30 PM & WEDNESDAY, April 23rd At 6:30 AM – Maui – Akaku, Channel 53“Hale Halawai – Monument To Activists – A Visit With Soli Papakihei Niheu”People were concerned about longtime Hawaiian political activist Soli Papakihei Niheu.In poor health and living in an old one-room structure in Waimea, his friends knew he needed something better.So they decided to act. They collected contributions, both money and materials, and soon had enough resources to build him a new house.That’s when Soli stepped forward to let them know he didn’t want a house.Instead he wanted the one thing missing in Hawai`i that’s common throughout most other islands in the Pacific - a hale halawai.Similar to the Maori marae in Aotearoa, hale halawai is a formal meeting place to receive and host visitors from far and wide, through Hawaiian protocol and hospitality.Soli saw his hale halawai as a place to host sovereignty movement activists from all over Te Moana Nui – The Polynesian Triangle.Because Soli had dedicated his life to serving others, they knew they now had to do the same thing for him.So they built it for him.In our moving and highly inspirational visit with Soli, you’ll hear him tell his story and see the pictures for yourself of how his hale halawai became reality. Surviving two earthquakes and many other challenges, Soli persevered in his vision of having both a monument to his heroes, the early pioneers of the sovereignty movement, as well as a place for today to teach the young.THURSDAY, April 24th At 8:30 PM & FRIDAY, April 25th At 8:30 AM – Kaua`i – Ho`ike, Channel 52“Modern Konohiki – A Visit With Ke`eaumoku Kapu”“What is the destiny in your life?“What is the history of this place and is there a place suitable for me?”These are questions that drive the spirit of Ke`eaumoku Kapu, modern day warrior and protector of the `aina.A former construction worker building houses and highways, Ke`eaumoku’s first awakening came during the 1993 Onipa`a March in Honolulu.The second occurred when he found himself actually making concrete parts for the H-3 freeway, which eventually caused the desecration of ancient sites in Halawa Valley on O`ahu.Needing to earn money to feed his family, he kept asking himself, “Is what I’m doing pono, is it just? Is the knowledge I’m acquiring through the corporate system legitimate, based on my life as an island person and Kanaka Maoli?”Soon thereafter he walked in, quit his job and dedicated the rest of his life to answering the question, “Is there a way to create just with the unjust?”Today he and his wife run no less than five associations dedicated to serving those threatened with losing their family land to corporate development.Don’t miss Ke`eaumoku as he leads us through his own awakening that took him from someone whose life was run by US corporations to the warrior he is today who sits on the County of Maui Cultural Resources Commission and the Native Hawaiian Historic Preservation Council. See for yourself how he realized the “contemporary management system has nothing to do with our upbringing as Kanaka Maoli,” and the words he lives by – “we must do whatever we can because our land is at stake.”SATURDAY, April 26th At 8:00 PM – O`ahu - `Olelo, Channel 53“Carrier Of The Culture – A Visit With Sabra Kauka”Since Sabra lasted visited us on Voices Of Truth, she hasn’t stopped for a minute, doing what she does best – preserving the culture.She shares with us in telling and pictures about her participation in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, DC. as the leader of the Hawaiian weavers delegation for Carriers of Culture: Living Native Basket Traditions.Then Sabra gives us a tantalizing review and much background information on the phenomenal Ho`okahi Kapa - the contemporary kapa exhibit at Bishop Museum with more incredible photos.And finally if all that isn’t enough, she goes on to describe what very few have ever gotten to see firsthand on her own island - Nu`alolo Kai, an ancient Kaua`i valley left untouched for hundreds of years the way the people of old left it.Don’t miss this incredible segment as Sabra describes her involvement in the caretaking of this amazing site on the Na Pali Coast. The entire show is filled with stories and photos you’ll long remember of all three events.Voices Of Truth interviews those creating a better future for Hawai`i to discover what made them go from armchair observers to active participants in the hopes of inspiring viewers to do the same.Please consider a donation today to help further our work. Every single penny counts.You may donate via PayPal at VoicesOfTruthTV.com or by mail –The Koani FoundationPO Box 1878Lihu`e, Kaua`i 96766If you missed a show, want you see your favorites again or you don’t live in Hawai`i, here’s how to view our shows anytime – visit VoicesOfTruthTV.com and simply click on the episodes you wish to view.And for news on issues that affect you, watch FreeHawaiiTV.com.It’s all part of the Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network.
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