Aloha Everyone,
I wanted to let you know that Representative Mele Carroll from Maui has introduced some significant Bills into the legislature this year. In my efforts to claim my ancestors Kuleana lands I learned that some of the lands were taken (escheated) into the State’s inventory, or were quiet titled by adverse possession because my family was not aware that we were heirs to these lands. Last year there was a pretty significant bill that was turned into Law called Act 55, giving DLNR the right to sell Kuleana lands that escheated into their inventory and/or do with it as they may without needing to file for permits, meet codes, just free reign. Since then the Developers are coming out of the wood work. Despite my efforts in Land Court and Contacting the State to notify them of my claim, they are ignoring the fact that I even have a claim and continues to do as they please and giving our lands to foreign developers. As a matter of fact I was told by the Head of DLNR William Ayla that if I go on my land I will be charged with Trespass!
Now I know I am not the only Kanaka having these obstacles thrown in front of me, many of you are too. Some of you just throw your hands up, just disgusted by the politics and cheating that keeps going on in the courts, and our State agencies, watching the United States breaking their own laws and giving preferential treatment to developers and foreign multi-national businesses.
In my frustration I asked Rep. Mele Carroll to help me draft a bill that would provide a person in an agency where Kuleana land owners can go to have their genealogies verified as the qualified claimants of the lands their Ancestor Awardees have made available to them. The bill that she wrote and is introducing is HB 2299 RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS; Requires OHA to establish 1 full-time equivalent permanent position for a genealogies manager & Appropriation.
It will be heard this coming Wed at 8:30am by the Hawaiian Affairs committee then later by the Finance Committee. This position in OHA is for someone specifically to verify our genealogies and land claims, without having to go to land court, then navigating the State’s system to get our lands back into our hands on our behalf. You can view the Bill below, click on the link to read the Bill in its entirety.
Could you please send it out to everyone you know that you think will support it and ask them to write in testimony, there’s a sample testimony below that can be used. Please forward to Hawaiian Civic Club, Royal Order members, and all the other Hawaiian clubs and people you know asking them to write in Testimony by 12noon Tues. Jan. 31, 2012. I asked Rep. Carroll to write this for all of us trying to retrieve our kuleana lands left to us through our ancestors, but running into obstacles despite laws HRS 172.11 that states our Ancestors lands inure to the Awardees heirs and assigns upon their deaths. This Bill is a vehicle for Hawaiians to get their Kuleana lands back without dealing with the nonsense the State keeps putting us through. Again it’s also in response to the bill signed into law last year called Act 55 as mention above.
Please write and email testimony in by Tues. morning Jan. 31, 2012, and come to testify on Wed. 8:30am in the Hawaiian Affair Committee and at a later date at the Finance Committee. I’m hoping this is what will get our lands back this year! Queen Liliuokalani said it was the Kuleana land owners that would get the Kingdom back, this is our chance to put into place a vehicle for that to happen. Even if you don’t know if you own Kuleana lands, please support this Bill; after the research I did on my genealogy over the last several months, I am convinced all of us are heirs to Kuleana lands, it’s just a matter of doing our genealogy to find out from whom we came and what lands they were awarded.
Please also testify for bill 2672 RELATING TO THE OVERTHROW OF THE HAWAIIAN KINGDOM.
Establishes a commission within the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to recognize and commemorate the native Hawaiians who signed the Petition Against Annexation. Specifies that funding for the operations of the petition against annexation memorial commission shall be provided by the office of Hawaiian affairs. Effective July 1, 2012.
This bill has very deep significance in that it can be the very vehicle that regains our Hawaiian Kingdom through a series of steps that will compel the United States to turn Hawaii back over to the Kanaka Maoli. I don’t think the way it is written actually reveals that, but the people in Rep. Carroll’s office and/ or Keanu Sai’s office can explain how this can happen simply be enforcing U.S. Law correctly according to the U.S. Constitution, Military procedure and International Law. We often feel helpless and powerless and ask what can we do as individuals to get our Nation back, well here’s your chance….writing testimony and going to testify for this bill is an important step that all of us can participate in. Please, Please, Please read the bill’s details found in the link under the bill’s number, call Rep. Carroll’s office to learn why this is so significant, then write a one page testimony & send in via email at the address below, Please also be prepared to testify sharing your personal story at the hearing, then simply show up for the hearing this Wed, at 8:30am Feb. 1, 2012, room 329 at the Capitol. We cannot let this slip out of our hands!!!! This is our chance, please take advantage of what Rep. Carroll is doing for us. Please Kokua!
See bills being introduced by Rep. Mele Carroll this year, and see sample format of testimony below. Lots of Prayers will help too!
Mahalo Plenty, and Malama Pono!!!
Routh Bolomet
