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Stop the spread of radiation on Hawaii island

Posted by Pono Kealoha on March 4, 2008 at 11:51pm

CLICK and LEARN

Aloha peace Ohana,Please call Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim 961-8211Hawaii County Council members 961-8225State legislators and Hawaii's Congresspeopleand urge action as called for in the open letter below. MahaloMalu `Aina Center for Non-violent Education & ActionP.O. Box AB Ola`a (Kurtistown), Hawaii 96760Phone 808-966-7622 email ja@interpac.net www.malu-aina.orgAN OPEN LETTER TO COUNTY OF HAWAII MAYOR HARRY KIMAloha Mayor Kim: March 3, 2008This is an urgent appeal for you to take immediate action to stop the spread of radiation contamination at the military's 133,000-acre Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) in the center of Hawaii Island. You are aware that on August 20, 2007, the Army confirmed the presence of radiation from weapons training at PTA. Presently, the full extent of the contamination is not known due to the massive size of the range, incomplete testing, and poor record-keeping by the military. Given the fact that all branches of the military have trained at PTA for more than 50 years, the history of the military lying on such things as secret nerve-gas testing in the Hilo watershed, and stonewalling other public concerns in Hawaii, it is reasonable to believe that the extent of radiation contamination at PTA is far more than we are being told.Currently, live-fire training by 2,000 Marines is taking place at PTA, including the use of big cannons. More live-fire training by the U.S. Army is planned following the Marines' training. Such actions risk spreading the radiation contamination at PTA.We urge you to speak out publicly and urge other elected officials and political candidates to join you in calling for the following action: All live-fire and aerial bombings of the entire Pohakuloa range should be immediately stopped until a thorough, objective and independent survey has been funded (via the military budget) and completed, in order to assure real public safety.Hawaii, is a rare jewel of the planet, a true paradise on earth, of unmatched natural beauty. And now it is being poisoned. Mayor Kim, this is your day in the sun. Please do the right thing for the people of Hawaii and for all the world. Speak out to stop this reckless endangering by the U.S. military. Some scientists say that radiation contamination is one of the major issues of our lifetime, one of the greatest challenges facing civilization today.We look forward to your positive actions. Mahalo and aloha..Jim Albertini, Daniel H.C. Li, Galen and L.V. Kelly, Paul W. Normannfor Malu `AinaKale Gumapacfor the Kanaka Councilcc: elected officials and political candidatesnews media

Jim Albertini
Malu `Aina Center For Non-violent Education & Action
P.O. Box AB
`Ola`a (Kurtistown), Hawaii 96760
Phone 808-966-7622
email ja@interpac.net
www.malu-aina.org

Mahaloz: KEALOHAMELEHaleakala TimesMay 08, 2007No peace in paradiseThe military presence in the Hawaiian IslandsKanaka Maoli activist Kaleikoa Kaeo described the U.S. military in hawai'i as a monstrous he'e (octopus), its head represented by the Pacific Command Headquarters, its eyes and ears the mountaintop telescopes, radar facilities, and underwater sensors, and its brain and nervous system the supercomputers and fiber optic networks that crisscross the islands. The tentacles of the he'e stretch from the west coast of North America to the East coast of Africa, from Alaska to Antarctica.Today the enormity of the U.S. military presence in Hawai'i is staggering: According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the combined military branches in 2004 have 161 military installations in Hawai'i. The military controls 236,303 acres in Hawai'i, or 5.7 percent of the total land area. On O'ahu, the most densely populated island, the military controls 85,718 acres out of 82,148 acres, or 22.4 percent of the island. The military also controls vast stretches of ocean, including Defensive Sea Areas in Kane'ohe Bay, from Pearl Harbor to Koko Head, and off the west shore of Kaua'i. The entire Hawaiian archipelago is surrounded by 210,000 square miles of ocean military operating areas and 58,599 square miles of military special use airspace.Combined with the 116,000 retired military personnel living in Hawai'i, the military-connected population totals 217,030, or 17 percent of Hawaii's total population. The 2000 U.S. Census found that Hawai'i has the largest percentage of its population in the military among the states.Taking LandThe military land grab is a major source of conflict in Hawai'i. In 1898, the U.S. seized nearly 1.8 million acres of government and crown lands of the Kingdom of Hawai'i. These so-called "ceded lands" are held in a quasi-trust status by the Federal government and the State. In 1959, when the U.S. incorporated Hawai'i as a state, the military retained control of approximately 180,000 acres of the "ceded lands", while the rest reverted to the State as trustee. Approximately 30,000 acres of the land returned to the State were simultaneously leased back to the military for 65 years. In most cases, the rent paid by the military was a token one dollar for the term of the lease. Today, more than 112,173 acres, or roughly 54 percent of military-controlled land in Hawai'i consists of the former government and crown lands of the Hawaiian nation. During World War II other private parcels of land were seized by the U.S. to further its war aims.Threats to Native Hawaiian Cultural SurvivalThe displacement of Kanaka Maoli from their ancestral lands has resulted in the loss of subsistence and cultural resources. The cultural conflict over 'aina (land) goes much deeper than a simple matter of property rights or land use. There is a fundamental contradiction between Kanaka Maoli and western world views about the environment itself. In the Kanaka Maoli cosmology, the 'aina is the ancestor of the people, the physical manifestation of the union between the gods Papahanaumoku (Papa who gives birth to islands), the earth-mother, and Wakea, the sky-father. As a living ancestor, the 'aina could not be owned, sold or defiled. By severing the genealogical ties between Kanaka Maoli and their 'aina and by disrupting their ability to practice and transmit their culture to future generations, the military seizure of land continues to have profound impacts on the cultural survival of Kanaka Maoli. Military destruction of land is a form of violence against the people themselves.Forced cultural assimilation of Kanaka Maoli has contributed to cultural disintegration. Statistics illustrate the legacy of this occupation: Kanaka Maoli have the highest rates of homelessness, poverty, disease and crime in Hawai'i. They have the lowest educational achievement and life expectancy in Hawai'i. Kanaka Maoli make up 36.5 percent of persons incarcerated for felony charges. In the century since the U.S. occupation began, the flood of settlers stripped Kanaka Maoli of their self-determination. The scenario resembles the population crises of other occupied nations like Tibet, East Timor, and Palestine. A combination of economic, cultural and political pressures has pushed nearly one third of Kanaka Maoli into diaspora.By generating population transfer of U.S. nationals to Hawai'i, the military has also had a profound impact on Hawaii's culture and political demographics. Between 1900 and 1950, migration to the Hawaiian Islands from the continental U.S. and its territories totaled 293,379.Environmental ContaminationThe U.S. military is arguably the largest industrial polluter in Hawai'i. The 2004 Defense Environmental Restoration Program report to Congress listed 798 military contamination sites at 108 installations in Hawai'i, 96 of which were contaminated with unexploded ordnance. Seven of the military contamination sites were considered "Superfund" sites. According to the Navy, the Pearl Harbor Naval Complex alone contains approximately 749 contaminated sites and is treated as a giant superfund site. numbers are low because they do not include contaminated sites that have not yet been listed for cleanup responses. Military installations made up five of the top ten polluters in Hawai'i responsible for releasing persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals, which include lead, dioxins mercury, and polycyclic aromatic compounds. Military contamination hazards include unexploded ordnance, various types of fuels and petroleum products; organic solvents such as perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene; dioxins and PCB; explosives and propellants such as RDX, TNT, HMX and Perchlorate; heavy metals such as Lead and Mercury; napalm, chemical weapons, and radioactive waste from nuclear powered ships.Cobalt-60, a radioactive waste product from nuclear-powered ships, has been found in sediment at Pearl Harbor. Between 1964 and 1978, 4,843,000 gallons of low level radioactive waste were discharged into Pearl Harbor. 2,189 steel drums containing radioactive waste were dumped in an ocean disposal area 55 miles from Hawai'i. The military recently disclosed that from 1941 to 1972 it had dumped more than 8,000 tons of chemical munitions, including blistering agents mustard gas and lewisite, in the shallow seas off O'ahu island.Fishermen have been burned when they accidentally raised this toxic catch. For many years, the military denied ever using depleted uranium in Hawai'i. However in January 2006, activists forced the Army to admit the presence of depleted uranium contamination on O'ahu. Military contamination sites are concentrated in and pose the greatest threat to Kanaka Maoli, immigrant Asian and Pacific Islanders and other low income communities. Many Asians and Pacific Islanders subsist on fish and shellfish from Pearl Harbor's contaminated waters. The Wai'anae district, where a third of the land is occupied by military installations, has the largest concentration of Kanaka Maoli and some of the worst health, economic and social statistics in Hawai'i. In the late 1980s, powerful Navy radio transmitters in Lualualei valley were suspected to be the cause of a childhood leukemia cluster in the nearby Hawaiian Homestead.ProstitutionAs with other military base towns, prostitution in Hawai'i is fueled by the large military presence. During World War II, the military regulated prostitution in designated red-light districts. In recent years, prostitution has become more decentralized. A proliferation of strip clubs, massage parlors, escort services, hostess bars as well as street prostitution caters to military, tourist and local customers. One former prostitute estimated that in the downtown area at least 60 percent of those seeking prostitutes were from the military, and in Wahiawa, near Schofield Barracks, she estimated that the percentage jumped to 70 to 80 percent. She recounted how she was strangled by a military client until she hit him and escaped. According to an agency that helps prostitutes to get out of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), Hawai'i is particularly susceptible to CSE and the trafficking of women and children due to the large tourism industry and military presence.Threats to Native Ecosystems and Endangered SpeciesHawai'i is considered the endangered species capital of the world. Because of its geographic isolation, unique species and ecosystems evolved in Hawai'i over millions of years. More than 1,100 species, which represents around 82 percent of all native species in Hawai'i, are endemic to the islands. Military training activities threaten native ecosystems with fires, erosion, the alteration of habitats and the introduction of alien species. Makua valley, for instance, where the military has conducted live fire training for more than 70 years, is home to over 40 endangered species. More than 270 military fires over the last 10 years have destroyed most of Makua's dryland forests except for the highest ridgelines.Militarization of YouthHawai'i has historically had a high rate of military recruitment. In 2006, Hawai'i ranked 13th among states in the number of Army recruits per 1,000 youth. Military recruiters have targeted low income communities of color who lack educational and career opportunities and are especially vulnerable to the economic enticements offered by recruiters. Military recruiters now have unprecedented access to students through the military recruiter access provisions and student personal information disclosure requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. Furthermore, the Pentagon has hired private data mining companies to compile a database on students. In Hawai'i, the militarization of youth through reserve officer training corps (ROTC) programs, theproliferation of military imagery in popular culture and aggressive recruitment practices have also functioned to accelerate the assimilation and Americanization of local populations. In the 1920s, Commanding General Summerall of the Army Hawaiian Department created Hawai'i's second Reserve Officers Training Corp (ROTC) unit at McKinley High School, which was nicknamed "Little Tokyo" for its predominantly Japanese student body. Summerall wrote, "There is no better way of securing the loyalty of such people than to incorporate them in our military forces."Economic DependencyHawai'i's extreme economic dependency on military spending has distorted the social, environmental and cultural priorities of policy makers, a condition some have likened to an addiction. Since September 11, 2001, U.S. military spending in Hawai'i has increased. As a result, in 2003, military expenditures, the second largest "industry" in Hawai'i behind tourism reached $4.5 billion, a 13 percent increase over 2002. "In 2003, Hawaii ranked second in the United States, with $2,566 in per-capita defense spending, behind only one other state, Virginia, home of the Pentagon, headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense." The high rate of federal spending in Hawai'i has boosted industries like construction which have been detrimental to the preservation of cultural sites and natural resources. Housing subsidies for military personnel are indexed to market values, which tends to inflate the cost of housing, exacerbating homelessness in recent years.Military personnel in Hawai'i do not pay state income taxes. So the costs of public services are subsidized by local residents. This adds particular strains on the public school system which depends on state general funds. Federal Impact Aid that is supposed to offset the cost of providing services for military families, only makes up one tenth of the actual cost of educating military children.Past Resistance to Militarization in Hawai'iKaho'olaweKaho'olawe measures approximately 128,800 acres and is the smallest of the eight major islands in the Hawaiian archipelago. The island is sacred to Kanaka Maoli as an embodiment of the sea god Kanaloa. Kaho'olawe was also key to Polynesian navigation and settlement of Hawai'i. Kaho'olawe contains some of the richest cultural sites in Hawai'i. Originally part of the government lands of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the Navy seized the entire island for target practice on December 8, 1941. In 1976, the Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana launched the first of several rescue landings on Kaho'olawe to protest the bombing. After years of direct action, demonstrations and lawsuits, President George H.W. Bush stopped the bombing in 1990. $400 million was appropriated for the clean up unexploded ordnance and restoration of the cultural sites and native ecosystems of theisland, but the Navy failed to clean up the island to its stated goals. Instead only one tenth of the island is now safe for human use.The movement to protect Kaho'olawe was seminal to the Hawaiian cultural renaissance, the emergence of the contemporary Hawaiian sovereignty movement, and other demilitarization struggles.Makua ValleyThe Kaho'olawe movement helped to inspire resistance to the Army in Makua valley on the west end of O'ahu. The name "Makua" means "parents." It is believed to be one of the places where Papa and Wakea came together to create life on Earth. Makua has been used as a military training area since 1929. In 1942, the remaining residents of Makua were forcibly evicted by the military. Their homes and a church were used as targets. All types of munitions have been fired and disposed of in Makua. As a result the valley is littered with unexploded ordnance and toxic chemicals. The rich cultural sites and nativeforest have been destroyed or seriously damaged. Since the 1970s Kanaka Maoli have fought for the clean up and return of Makua valley. The struggle continues today as the Army pushes for expanded training in Makua.Halawa Valley / H- FreewayThe H-3 Freeway project was conceived in 1963 as a defense highway to connect the Marine Corps Base in Kane'ohe with Pearl Harbor. Although activists successfully asserted cultural and historic preservation laws to block the freeway from passing through Moanalua Valley, the project was realigned to Halawa Valley instead. Despite initial successes at challenging the new route, activists were trumped by Senator Daniel Inouye who passed legislation that exempted the H-3 project from applicable environmental laws. The Halawa Coalition, which was led by Kanaka Maoli women, occupied the Hale-o-Papa heiau - a women's temple in the path of the freeway from April 1992 until their arrest in August of that year.Hale-o-Papa was saved but other sacred sites were destroyed. After a 37-year struggle, the H-3 was completed at a cost of $1.3 billion, or $80 million-a-mile, the most expensive roadway everbuilt.Nohili / Pacific Missile Range FacilityIn the early 1990s, a coalition of Native Hawaiian and environmental organizations mobilized to block the Army Strategic Target System (STARS) missile launches at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF). At issue were Kanaka Maoli burial sites in the sand dunes of Nohili, endangered species and contamination and accidents from the missiles. Thirty-five protesters were arrested for civil disobedience during the first two missile launches. Although the STARS program was de-funded by President Clinton in 1996, new threats emerged as PMRF's capabilities were expanded and as work on missiledefense programs later accelerated under George W. Bush. Post-September 11 security measures have blocked cultural, subsistence and recreational access to beaches at Nohili and have sparked new activism. The Navy is expanding ocean training maneuvers and intensifying its use of sonar, which would be extremely dangerous to marine mammals.Waikane ValleyWaikane in windward O'ahu contains many Kanaka Maoli sacred sites and traditional agricultural production. During World War II, the military leased 1,061 acres in Waikane and adjoining Wai'ahole for maneuver and live fire training until 1976. The Kamaka family, which owned 187 acres of the most heavily impacted areas, asked the Marines to clean up the unexploded ordnance as stipulated in the original lease. Instead, theMarine Corps condemned the parcel over the objections of the Kamaka family. In 2003, the Marine Corps announced plans to conduct "jungle warfare" training in Waikane as part of its war on terrorism in the southern Philippines. This triggered strong protest from the community. In a public meeting held in March 2003, the community demanded that the Marine Corps cleanup and return the Kamaka family lands in Waikane. Anotherimportant development was the solidarity from Filipinos/Kanaka Maoli youth protest against a Marine Corps amphibious landing at Bellows Air Force Base in Waimanalo. Many of those living in Hawai'i challenged U.S. intervention in the Philippines as well as the training in Waikane.The Marines eventually cancelled their plans for training in Waikane citing safety concerns, but they have not cleaned up the unexploded ordnance.PohakuloaPohakuloa on the island of Hawai'i is a vast plain of lava fields and native dryland forest located on the "saddle" between three sacred mountains - Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and Hualalai. Established in 1956, the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) encompasses 116,341 acres, of which 84,815 acres are "ceded lands."PTA is the largest U.S. military training area in Hawai'i and the largest outside of the continental United States. Although the range is used for all types of live fire training, thousands of cultural sites have been identified within the PTA. It is the home to 21 endangered species of plants and animals. With Army proposals to expand the training area by 23,000 acres, Pohakuloa has again become a focus of resistance.Current Military Expansion ThreatsThe U.S. strategic rivalry with China, its hostility toward North Korea, the "second front" war on terrorism in Southeast Asia and the realignment of U.S. military forces and bases in East Asia has created added pressures to militarize Hawai'i.Stryker BrigadeThe Army is proceeding with plans to station a Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) in Hawai'i that would bring 328 Stryker vehicles, 800 additional soldiers plus their dependents, and 28 construction projects to upgrade training, maintenance and housing facilities. One reporter called it "the biggest Army construction project in Hawai'i since World War II."Strykers are 20-ton light armored combat vehicles designed for rapid deployment and suppression of urban unrest. They will be stationed along with a new squadron of C-17 cargo aircraft and new high speed attack ships to provide transport for the brigade.The Army plans to seize an additional 25,000 acres of land - 1,400 acres in Central and Northern O'ahu and 23,000 acres adjacent to the Pohakuloa Training Area on Hawai'i Island. The extent of the Strykers' impacts would stretch the entire length of the North Shore of O'ahu. On Hawai'i Island, the Stryker trail would go from the port at Kawaihae on the western flank of Mauna Kea to the Pohakuloa Training Area.Despite the discovery of numerous hazardous chemicals from live fire training, proposed munitions use in Hawai'i would increase by 25 percent. The Army's own studies concluded that cultural sites will be destroyed and that there will be serious impacts due to fire, erosion and other environmental damage. Navy University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) The University of Hawai'i (UH) administration wants to establish a Navy University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) at UH.The proposed Navy UARC would conduct Navy weapons related research, including development and testing of various components of the "star wars" missile defense program and other advanced military research programs. This would haveharmful impacts to Mauna Kea and Haleakala where astronomy and astrophysics research is conducted, and the sand dunes of Nohili and the oceans off the north shore of Kaua'i, where missile launches and undersea warfare and sonar experiments are conducted. A coalition of students, faculty and community launched a series of actions to protest the UARC that culminated in a week-long occupation of the UH President's office demanding cancellation of the UARC. The UH Administration has continued to pursue the UARC, but contract negotiations have been delayed due to the continued protests."Star Wars" Missile DefenseHawai'i used to test a number of missile defense programs including the Groundbased Midcourse Defense, the Aegis Missile Defense, and Theater High Altitude Area Defense programs. U.S. officials have continuously demonized North Korea as an "axis of evil" country that poses a threat to Hawai'i in order to generate fear and justify the expansion of these missile defense programs.The 'star wars' facilities span the island chain: Pacific Missile Range Facility in Nohili, radar tracking stations at Koke'e, Makaha Ridge, and Ka'ena Point, the Air Force Optical Tracking Station on Haleakala mountain, and the supercomputer at Kihei, Maui. Lasers are tested on Haleakala. Target missiles are launched from Kaua'i.Aircraft Carrier Strike GroupOne of the largest militarization threats facing Hawai'i is the proposal to homeport an aircraft carrier strike group in Hawai'i or Guam. A carrier strike group would include a nuclear powered aircraft carrier, a cruiser, two destroyers, an attack submarine and a fast combat support ship and aircraft. In addition to the 3,000 officers and crew of the carrier, the air wing would bring 2,600 persons. Overall, the carrier strike group could increase the population by as many as 20,000 military personnel and their family members. Because Pearl Harbor is not large enough to homeport an aircraft carrier, major dredging and construction would be required, causing adverse environmental impacts. Due to the insufficient air base facilities to house the fighter air wing, politicians have offered to turn over the recently closed and transferred Barber's Point Naval Air Station back to the military. The final decision will be determined in the near future.Ku'e: Current Resistance to MilitarizationDMZ-Hawai'i / Aloha 'Aina is a network of organizations and individuals working to demilitarize and reverse the negative impacts of the enormous military presence in Hawai'i. The network was conceived at the Rethinking Militarism in Hawai'i Conference in 2000, organized by American Friends Service Committee that brought together activists representing various movements and communities in Hawai'i as well as international resource people. The DMZ-Hawai'i / Aloha 'Aina network unitedenvironmental, peace, anti-nuclear, womens', religious and Kanaka Maoli sovereignty and independence groups for the common purpose of demilitarization.The term "DMZ" stands for Demilitarized Zone, a term reclaimed from its usual military context. "Aloha 'Aina" expresses the core Kanaka Maoli value of "love for the land" and places Hawaiian cultural and political struggle at the center of this diverse grouping.The main campaigns of DMZ-Hawai'i / Aloha 'Aina are: opposing the Stryker Brigade, opposing the Navy UARC at the University of Hawai'i, and supporting the struggle for clean up and return of Makua valley. Actions have included pickets, marches, civil disobedience, lawsuits and Kanaka Maoli cultural forms of resistance.-Kyle Kajihiro

HEARING FOR BILL TO PROTECT TARO MARCH 19th

Posted by Pono Kealoha on March 4, 2008 at 4:49pm

HEARING FOR BILL TO PROTECT TARO MARCH 19th

2008

please FORWARD IMMEDIATELY to all ohana & hui...

To all who are concerned about the Taro plant species and all who have kuleana
for Haloa Na Ka Lau Kapalili:

Aia ke ola i ka hana. Life is in labor.

Mahalo pumehana for your efforts to malama Haloa and protect kalo. With a
showing of 800 people in support of taro at the Capitol on opening day of
legislature -and- clear determination to educate ourselves & our communities
-and- organized persistent communication with politicians... your actions made
this happen:

THERE WILL BE A HEARING FOR BILL SB958- the 10 Year Moratorium on Genetic
Modification of Taro! This is joyous & hopeful news!

The hearing will be MARCH 19th, in the morning- Kalo needs much solid support!
If can, try to take off work and bear witness at this historic hearing..

He keiki aloha na mea kanu. Beloved children are the plants.

NOW is the time to express your concern and aloha for kalo in writing!
If you ono for poi, make it official and demand protections for kalo and the
taro industry- which will be permanently impacted by the disrespectful &
irresponsible dangers of GMO kalo.

We all still have the hard work of convincing the politicians to PASS the bill
without inappropriate changes, so please...

SEND YOUR LETTER OF TESTIMONY NOW!
TESTIMONY LETTERS NEEDED BY Thursday, MARCH 6! To show your support & mana'o to
key politicians before the hearing is scheduled.
EMAIL TESTIMONY TO NaKahuOHaloa@gmail.com
If you miss the March 6th deadline please submit testimony to us no later than
March 15th. We will submit all testimony on time for the hearing at the Capitol
on March 19th.

* Write your own testimony if can, personal testimony has much more importance
when the politicians are reviewing all the letters. Or if way too busy, no
worries, just use the sample letter provided BELOW. Be sure to include your
name & contact information.
* Write testimony on professional/organization letterhead if can and attach to
email as a PDF or doc.
* EMAIL TESTIMONY TO NaKahuOHaloa@gmail.com
* Forward this email on and encourage others to write testimony NOW!
You can also print out attached testimony form to pass out for people to write
in their support. Completed forms can be mailed to:

KAHEA: The Hawaiian Environmental Alliance attn. KALO
PO Box 270112 Honolulu, HI 96827

When emailing your letter to NaKahuOHaloa@gmail.com please also CC as a letter
to the editor of the newspapers that have not yet fairly nor accurately
reported on this issue. Just copy these emails into the "CC" address line when
you send us your letter:
letters@honoluluadvertiser.com

letters@starbulletin.com

To Organizations/Businesses/Non-Profits: Please submit your testimony with your
letterhead. If you need further assistance or information for drafting or
submitting testimony please contact us- we can help!
Please be aware of your rights: Non-profits ARE legally allowed to endorse
legislation. Non-profits are NOT allowed to endorse political candidates or
spend more than a certain percentage of budget on lobbying efforts. Submitting
testimony on this legislation will NOT compromise your 501-c-3 status. Contact
KAHEA (kahea-alliance@hawaii.rr.com) for more information.

SEE ATTACHMENTS for more background information on the bill SB958, genetic
modification & kalo, and sample testimony form to print out.
Enjoy the 'artestimony' kindly provided by Solomon Enos, also a kalo farmer-
these inspiring images remind us of the 'big picture' of why we must protect
kalo in Hawaii! but no try sell em ah (;

CALL YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS-
Tell them to support SB958 for ALL Varieties of Taro in Hawaii!
In case some politicians try to weaken the purpose of the bill, please make it
clear that: This bill must protect ALL varieties of kalo in Hawaii. Not only
the Hawaiian varieties of kalo. Genetic modification of any variety of the taro
plant species is a danger to the entire species and a danger to the purity of
our Hawaiian varieties.

House Representatives Districts/phones/emails:

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/house/members/membersasp

Senators Districts/phones/emails:

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/senate/members/members.asp

CONTACT NaKahuOHaloa@gmail.com for educational materials & speakers, to
volunteer, or to make a tax deductible donation to this kaloroots movement.

Check www.KAHEA.org for more information- the Haloa page is continually
updated, and soon will feature inspiring examples of testimony from all over
Hawaii!
http://www.kahea.org/gmo/more.php?id=461_0_9_0_C

You can also easily submit your testimony online at KAHEA's Testimony Table:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2699/t/3040/campaignjsp?campaign_KEY=22208

Please review www.HawaiiSeed.org for more information on GMOs in Hawaii.

sample TESTIMONY
if can submit to NaKahuOHaloa@gmail.com by Thursday, March 6 please! final
deadline is March 15th.
_________________________________________________

Name:

Organizations:

Neighborhood:

Town, Zip Code:

Phone/Email:

TESTIMONY- IN SUPPORT
SB958- 10 Year Moratorium on the Genetic Modification of Taro

Aloha Legislators,
We write to ask that you support the 10 year moratorium on all forms of genetic
modification and patenting of the taro (kalo) plant species. For 1200 years
farmers in Hawai'i have cared for and protected the most varieties of taro on
the planet. In Hawai'i taro is the plant of the people- it is our living
culture and ancient history, native nutrition and ecological tradition. Taro
provides a beloved and unique hypoallergenic food, medicine, sustainable
agriculture and industry for Hawaii. Genetically modifying any variety of taro
is culturally disrespectful and also poses irreversible and irresponsible
dangers to our food, health, environment and economy.

I support sustainable farming & precautionary scientific research that does not
expose the taro species to the disrespect and risks of genetic engineering. I
ask that the legislators actively support farmers/scientists in publicly
accepted and safely advanced methods of protecting taro from land & water
issues and invasive pests & diseases.

Taro is an incomparably sacred and valuable part of our island community. We
join mahi'ai (farmers) of Hawai'i in calling on you and your fellow legislators
to protect all of us and Hawaii's unique culture and resources by passing a law
to provide a 10 year moratorium on the genetic modification and patenting of
all varieties of the taro plant species.

Malama Haloa! Malama Pono,

______________________________________________
Signature/Name

Email Testimony to:NaKahuOHaloa@gmail.com

Or send to: KAHEA: The Hawaiian Environmental Alliance, Attn. KALO

P.O. Box 270112
Honolulu, HI 96827-0112

MALAMA HALOA! MALAMA PONO!

Biopiracy Patents & Intellectual Imperialism

Posted by Pono Kealoha on March 4, 2008 at 4:13pm

Biopiracy Patents & Intellectual Imperialism

Demonstration vs the 3rd Biotech conference in Greece

BioTech Chemical Biological Pharmaceutical Weapons

CRASH'D: Anti-Biotech Protestors

The Health Dangers of Genetically Modified Foods

Biopiracy Patents & the Rise of Intellectual ImperialismBy: Mike Adams, www.Naturalnews.com, March 03, 2008It is a defining characteristic of Western civilization that power-hungry men seek to declare ownership over all things they discover. For most of human history, such ownership efforts were focused on usable land. Owning land that could grow food, after all, was a valuable strategy for staying alive. As mechanized farming methods spread, power-hungry white men sought to own and control a labor force -- and so human slavery was pursued.I don't just mean slavery in the U.S., by the way, and it wasn't pursued exclusively by rich white men. World history is rife with nations engaged in routine slavery, from the Roman Empire and ancient Egypt to the not-so-ancient Brazil, where nearly genetically-identical people enslaved each other to work the rich Brazilian soils and produce agricultural profits.From agriculture came the recognition of the value of seeds, and it wasn't long before power-hungry men began patenting the seeds they discovered in nature. Corporations like Monsanto even began performing dark experiments on those seeds, inserting "Terminator" genes that caused second-generation seeds to self-destruct, thereby ensuring their continued ownership and control over those seeds.Now, as the U.S. patent office has allowed corporations to patent life forms and human gene sequences, we are entering a new age where human beings no longer control their own genes. Corporations currently own 20 percent of the human genome, and in the near future, couples who wish to reproduce may be forced to pay intellectual property royalties to wealthy corporations in exchange for the "rights" to copy their own genes through sexual reproduction.His is not some distant dystopian future I'm describing, by the way: This is present-day reality. Corporations are attempting to exert control over everything of value that can possibly be patented, from natural botanical medicines invented by Mother Nature to the very seeds of life found in human DNA. The goal in all this? Complete ownership over the human race and everything of value on the planet.How corporations intend to enslave the human raceIn the future being created by these corporations, you will not only have to pay money to reproduce, you'll also have to pay to grow crops, to fertilize those crops, and to harvest those crops. And once that season is gone, you'll have to pay all over again to buy seeds and pesticides for the next season. Forget about saving seeds or self reliance. The wealthy corporations of the world want the entire population to be dependent on them for food, medicine and even human reproduction. There is no human action that cannot be exploited by corporations for intellectual property claims.The road to totalitarian enslavement is paved with patents...If we continue to allow corporations to claim ownership over our money, our medicines, our seeds, plants and genes, then make no mistake about the outcome: We will all end up as worker slaves in an elitist plutocracy run by corporations. Some say we're close to that already. Just look at how effectively corporate interests now control the U.S. Congress, for example. There's hardly a law passed today that doesn't have the backing of a profit-minded corporation.What's infuriating about the patents currently being awarded to corporations is that most of the things being patented were invented by Mother Nature! Arrogant Man, of course, comes along and claims that he "invented" these things by merely discovering them. It's like walking through a forest, finding a beautiful waterfall, and proclaiming, "I invented this waterfall!" That's what the U.S. patent office allows corporations to do right now with animals, genes, seeds and medicines. The human genome, for example, wasn't "invented" by scientists; it was merely mapped by scientists. It was invented by Mother Nature or God, depending on your particular spiritual or religious beliefs. By what arrogance should Man grant other men patents on the human genome?Stealing from the poor to pay the richDistorted in this way, the patent process followed in the United States is a system whereby the wealthy steal resources from the poor. Instead of a seed belonging to everyone (i.e. "community property"), ownership of that seed is now granted to one entity (a corporation) which can then charge the People for using it. This sort of patenting is nothing more than a fabricated system of ownership that funnels wealth from the hands of the many to the pockets of the few.No wonder U.S. corporations so strongly favor the U.S. patent system. It is the legal machine by which corporations can strong-arm the masses, stealing not only their present resources but also their future wealth, effectively criminalizing farmers and peasants for daring to plant the same seeds they've planted for generations.It is not surprising, then, that this system of patent protection was invented by power-hungry white men. It is the greedy white men who have invaded the world, committed genocide against the American Indians, wiped out ancient civilizations in South America, enslaved Southeast Asia, drugged the Chinese with Opium, colonized India, annexed Hawaii and subjugated defenseless populations all over the world. Can you guess where it all points back to? The British Empire, of course. No single empire has done more to decimate the cultures, religions and populations of this world than the British Empire. And today, the American Empire borrows its own brand of tyranny and imperialism from the historical actions of the British Empire. (America has created the very same tyranny and cruelty it sought to escape hundreds of years ago...)Today, these two English-speaking nations (the U.K. and America) continue to invade the world with their junk foods, pharmaceuticals, soda pop, medical systems and exploitive intellectual property laws. The pushing of patents and intellectual property law onto third world nations amounts to a kind of intellectual imperialism And every nation that embraces Western culture finds itself, usually within one generation, diseased, bankrupt and destitute. Its monies have been stolen and exchanged for endless debt to the International Monetary Fund. Its crops have been replaced with seeds patented by Monsanto. Its cultural foods have been replaced with Western processed junk foods, and its People have been feed lies and propaganda about the "superiority" of Western banking, Western medicine, Western capitalism and Western culture.This is how we wind up with doctors in China denouncing their own Chinese Medicine, or working people in South America giving up eating quinoa and starting to eat fast food hamburgers. The ultimate outcome for these people is not in doubt: Within a few years, they will find themselves diseased and bankrupt, with their natural resources exploited, their crops genetically contaminated and their futures mortgaged to corporations that rule the world.I'm not sure exactly how corporations and patents will play a role in the destruction of Western civilizations. It could be that genetic pollution of our primary food crops causes runaway genetic contamination of corn, wheat and soy, followed by a blight that collapses the food supply (wheat supplies are already down to a 10-week supply for the entire world). Or it could be that financial disaster strikes first, collapsing the fractional-reserve financial institutions and worthless paper currencies that somehow still manages to move the economic machinery of modern society. There are a hundred different reasons why our current systems of consumption, pollution and economics are simply not sustainable -- and it's anyone's guess which one is going to reach the point of implosion first.How we protect our futures and stop the tyranny of intellectual property claims over seeds, genes and medicinesAfter Western society collapses (which will happen in our lifetimes, most likely, given the food bubble, oil bubble, financial bubble, massive chemical contamination, etc.), we will all have an opportunity to rebuild a new society based on new rules. When this opportunity arises, it is crucial that we radically reform intellectual property laws that deny the corporation..s the ability to steal our futures by claiming ownership over genes, seeds and medicines. These things in particular must be protected as being non-patentable so that the People of the world are never driven into poverty by corporate claims over basic life necessities like food and medicine.Much of the Western capitalism model must be thrown out, actually. It is a model that only subsists on the non-stop exploitation of natural resources and human beings. It is a model where everything is disposable, where the next fiscal quarter is more important than the next generation, and where ethics and integrity have absolutely no role. Any nation that trains its future on this model of mass exploitation ultimately has no future.That's why I support the immediate cancellation of all patents on life forms, genes, seeds and medicines. Those who ask, "But what is the incentive for people to create new medicines?" That's an example of limited Western thinking. Greed is not the sole motivator for innovation. Individuals, universities and governments can create new medicines for the benefit of all people. Besides, Nature has already invented nearly all the medicines we really need. All we need to do is propagate those medicines through the mindful planting and harvesting of medicinal plants. And if you really think only drug companies can come up with new medicines that society needs, then ask yourself this question: Why are 80% of all the "new" medicines invented by Big Pharma just "me-too" drugs that work no better than the older drugs with patents that are about to expire? Clearly, the motivation in Big Pharma today is not to create medicines for the benefit of mankind, but to create medicines for the benefit of shareholders.It's time to end the "ownership" of genes, seeds and medicines. These belong to the People. I urge everyone reading this to take part in the movement to end greed-based intellectual property rights and help return our future to our children.-------------------------------------------------------------Related ArticlesBad Patents, Evil Corporations and the Rise of Intellectual ImperialismJunk patents to be revisited by U.S. Supreme Court; ripple effect may be profoundThailand challenges Big Pharma, threatens to further override patents to give Thai people more affordable generic medicineInfluenza virus samples, vaccine patents and corporate liesNovartis sues India over drug patents; seeks to block generic manufacturing by third world nationsThis site is part of the Natural News Network © 2008 All Rights Reserved. Privacy | Terms All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing International, LTD. has full ownership of and takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no health or nutritional products and earns no money from health product manufacturers or promoters. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published here. All trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.Disclaimer: Posting articles does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article. All articles that are posted are aimed at getting people to think & consider the various issues, ideas & factual research presented.Reprinted by permissionPresented by Bill Haymin, 2008mahalo:posted by , Nini'ane

Sometimes You Are Blind to the Truth

Posted by Kalani Kaanaana on March 4, 2008 at 12:03pm

3.3.08Sometimes in life you realize the things that were always right before your eyes but you refused to see. Sometimes people you love and try to help really don't care about you as much as you do for them. Its not their fault they can't see what you do for them, heck I couldn't see until now that they didn't care so how can i expect them to see what's right in front of their eyes? In life I am a generous person always trying to help others. I help until i get those nasty overdraft notices I am so tired my eyes are bloodshot and even until my brain hurts. I wish sometimes I could get a simple thank you and a hug, an "i appreciate it" or even just a how was your day do you need anything? Am I being to greedy? Well I guess this is one of those things you learn from it makes you a better person and I gotta say to the peeps helping me through all this I LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. Without people like you in my life I don't know where I would be.Me ka ha'aha'akalani

Mo'olelo Laua'e

Posted by ʻOhukaniʻōhiʻa on March 4, 2008 at 10:00am

Aia i ka wao akua o Wainiha, ma Kaua‘i o Manokalanipō, lawe mai ka ‘ohu i ka wai ho‘oulu i ka laua‘e maoli. Kaulana nō ‘o ua pala nei i ka ‘ōlelo no‘eau o Kaua‘i: "He laua‘e ‘a‘ala ko Makana." Me he maile nō ke kūpaoa hia‘ai o keia lei. No laila he meaulu i aloha nui ‘ia e ka Hawai‘i.There in the sacred uplands of Wainiha, on Kaua‘i, of the chief Manokalanipō, the mist brings the water that nurtures the native laua‘e fern. Famous indeed is this fern, as in the saying of Kaua‘i: "A fragrant laua‘e belongs to Makana." Like that of maile indeed [is] the intense desirable fragrance of this lei plant. Therefore it was a plant well-loved by Hawaiians.

‘O ke ‘ano o ka laua‘e maoli, me he lima paha ka nui, a me he peahi ka lau, no laila ‘o ia ka inoa ‘ē a‘e o ka laua‘e maoli: ‘o ka peahi no ho‘i.The form of this native laua‘e: about the size of a hand, and like a fan is the frond. So this is the other name of the native laua‘e: the peahi fern.

Ua hō ‘emi ka laua‘e maoli a kūka‘ikahi. ‘Oiai ‘ō‘ili ka laua‘e a mākou e ho‘okū ‘ike i keia mau lā, a ua ho‘olaha a‘e i nā moku ā pau.The native laua‘e has dwindled until it is rare. Meanwhile, a fern emerged that we recognize as laua‘e in these days, and it spread across all the islands.Ua like ke ‘ala o keia laua‘e hou me ka laua‘e maoli, no laila, hānai mākou iā ia, e hana i lei, a ua kapa ‘ia kū like loa: ‘o ka laua‘e.The scent of this new laua‘e is similar to that of the native, so, we adopted it to work into lei and it is called exactly the same: laua‘e fern.

He ‘iwakālua mau makahiki aku nei, ‘o Kumu John Keolamaka‘āinana Lake ka mea i puka ‘ūniki ai o ka Papa Laua‘e o Kumu Māiki Aiu Lake. I ka ‘ūniki ‘ana ā mākou, ua ho‘ohanohano nui ‘o Kumu Lake iā mākou i ka hea inoa o kā mākou papa ‘ūniki: ‘O mākou pū ka Papa Laua‘e.Twenty years ago, Kumu John Keolamaka‘āinana Lake was the one who was the graduate of the Laua‘e Class of Kumu Māiki Aiu Lake. In the 'ūniki process of ours, great honor Kumu Lake gave us by naming our ‘uniki class. We also are the "Laua‘e Class."Ha‘ina mai keia mo‘olelo pokole e pili ana o ka laua‘e. Me ka ha‘aha‘a, a me ka mahalo nui iā Kumu Lake. Aloha kākou!Told is this short tale about the laua‘e. With humbleness and great thanks to Kumu Lake.Aloha to us all!

GMO taro bill moves forward

Posted by Pono Kealoha on March 4, 2008 at 9:30am

GMO taro bill moves forwardby Rachel Gehrlein - THE GARDEN ISLAND, March 4, 2008Would put moratorium on developing GMO strainsSupporters of a Senate bill aimed to impose a 10-year moratorium on the developing, testing and raising of genetically modified taro are relieved, after waiting for more than a year, that the bill will be heard on March 19.After Senate Bill 958 was first introduced in January 2007 it failed but was carried over to the 2008 legislative session.“We were very stubborn telling them (lawmakers) the bill needs to be heard,” said Chris Kobayashi, a Kaua‘i taro farmer. “The 10-year moratorium is just a time out so things could be explored further.”Jeri DiPietro of GMO Free Kaua‘i agrees.“(The bill) asks for a temporary moratorium, a time out,” DiPietro said.“It is a moment to evaluate and use precaution in a new situation. If only a second look had been given before the Department of Agriculture allowed the importation of the apple snail and let it rage out of control into pest status.”Kobayashi said the idea of GMO taro is scary because on the genetic level, if the taro is modified from the original plant, “we can never bring it back.”“As farmers, we wouldn’t be able to see the difference,” Kobayashi said. “There is a lot of sharing of huli (the starts of taro) between farmers.”Rep. Mina Morita, D-Kapa‘a-North Kaua‘i, said taro is a food crop that has cultural implications that scientists need to be aware of.“The scientists should be responsible to the individual,” Morita said. “If individuals think GMO research is not necessary at this time, and the farmers don’t want to grow it and the consumers don’t want to eat it, who does it benefit?”Wayne Nishijima, associate dean with the University of Hawai‘i’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, said the university signed an agreement with the Royal Order of Kamehameha I a few years ago to not conduct GMO tests on known Hawaiian varieties of taro.But Nishijima said the Hawaiian taro’s susceptibility to various pests, such as Phytophthora colocasiae — a fungus-like organism that invaded American Samoa taro in 1993 — could be solved with genetic engineering.“The current GE project (at UH) is on Chinese taro to develop resistant varieties to Phytophthora blight,” Nishijima said. “No Hawaiian varieties have been genetically engineered, but we have researchers doing traditional breeding to develop Phytophthora resistant cultivars, but it takes time.”But because none of the Hawaiian varieties have Phytophthora resistance, taro from other locales must be used, Nishijima said.Nishijima feels that because UH has already signed a moratorium, there is no need for a law to be passed to create another moratorium.“In my opinion, extending the moratorium to include genetic engineering of non-Hawaiian taro varieties does not follow their argument of infringement of their cultural rights and heritage,” Nishijima said. “What it will do is significantly limit our ability to address current and future problems. If the bill passes, it will put taro in a position to make it vulnerable to the devastation by new invasive species.”In support of SB 958 imposing the moratorium, the Kaua‘i County Council has drafted Resolution 2008-04. The resolution is scheduled to be heard at the council meeting on March 12.“We need as many testimonies as is possible to support SB 958,” DiPietro said in an e-mail. “You need not be a farmer. Consumers have a right to a choice too.”GMO Free Kaua‘i will also hold a rally in support of the SB 958 today from 4 to 6 p.m. at the gateway at Lihu‘e Airport.• Rachel Gehrlein, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or rgehrlein@kauaipubco.com.

Mahalo, Posted by: Nini'ane

E pili ana nā hōʻailona aʻe

Posted by Kapalikuokalani Maile on March 4, 2008 at 9:30am

I recently had the good fortune to run across a post by ʻOhu Gon concerning the nature and form of hōʻailona. While I donʻt make much effort to go out looking for the signs in my everyday life, once in a while, they appear and I cannot help but acknowledge them.Recently, Iʻve been listening to Mark Kealiʻi Hoʻomaluʻs oli, and I always went back to Ke Kaua A Kūkauakahi. Initially, a friend had sent me the songs because I was looking for something ma ka ʻōlelo to fire me up. The paʻi on the ʻipu is perfect; the tone is powerful.Still, I didnʻt recognize what the oli described. I picked up things here and there, but the most important part, who Kūkauakahi was, escaped me.Later on, I came across ʻOhuʻs post, which was excellent reading. Another post he made caught my eye, sitting in the sidebar. It spoke of pueo who allowed themselves to be see and accompanied him in providing mana for his oli to Lono. A great story, definitely something that I would look forward to experiencing if ever possible.Still later on, I was reading through Beckwithʻs book on Hawaiian mythology, and I happened across the moʻolelo of Kūkauakahi, the ʻaumakua, who was a pueo. Iʻd come full circle! Suddenly, all these pieces seemed to fall into place. I had my answer.Perhaps Iʻm reading too much into these things, but to me, it seems like I was supposed to have the question and receive the answer that I did."Ke Kaua A Kaūakahi"‘Ahulu O’ahu i ka nui hulu manuKulokuloku maila i ke one kaulanaKe lele maila i ko KalapueoKuka’i i na pae pohaku o Makapu’uKe ihola i ko KanoniakapueoKuala i ka Malailua o Nu’uanuKe ho’ala a’ela i PueohulunuiHaele loa akula i KupaiahaEia ‘o Kapo’i la ua pa’aUa hopuhia e KakuhihewaKupukupu ka ualo e he’uhe’u eNa leo pa’epu i lohelohe ‘ia‘O ka pueo lele kaha i’o i ‘ane’iWawalu me ka ‘eheu a me ka miki ‘ao‘Auhe’e na koa a’o KakuhihewaUa puehu la me ke one kaulanaE ola ka inoa no Kapo’iKe o nei no keia inoa------------------Oʻahu appears feathered by feathersFalling forth on the famed sandsThere flew those of Kalapueo shrineRising from the stones of MakapuʻuThose of Kanoniakapueo shrine descendSomersaulting in the gusty Nuʻuanu windThe Pueohulunui flock is arousedAway they all go to Kupaiaha heiauHere is the caught KapoʻiCaptured by KakuhihewaThe hooting cry buildsThe deafening sound is heardThe owl that swoops here and thereClaws with wing and talonThe warriors of Kakuhihewa flee in fearScattered like the famous sandsLong lives the name KapoʻiThat name still survives

Ea, ka beauty o Pepe'opae

Posted by ʻOhukaniʻōhiʻa on March 4, 2008 at 8:47am

I kekahi manawa ua pi'i i ke alahele o Kamakou me Kauka ChuckOne time I went up the Kamakou trail with Dr. ChuckPe'ape'a Makawalu Burrows, a hiki i ka naele o Pepe'opae.Peapea Makawalu Burrows, until we got to the bog of Pepeopae.I laila makou i nana ai i ka nani o na pua lehua makanoe kaulana:There we gazed at the beauty of the blossoms of the fabled misty-faced lehua:E pau ana keia wahi pana kaulana laha 'ole i ka 'eko 'ino a kaThis unique, renowned place would be destroyed by the hurtful rooting of pigspua'a ina malama 'ole makou i keia me kela la. He hana ponowithout our continual care, day in day out. It is a righteous,pau ole no ka aina, ke kiai aloha o ia mau wahi.unending task for the aina, the guardianship of love for these places.

CHEMTRAILS

Posted by Pono Kealoha on March 4, 2008 at 12:00am

Hi! I'm a chemtrail!

If you don't know me already, just be observant and you'll see me in a sky near you!I have been persistent in the skys of beautiful new zealand for a few years now, as well as many other area's of the world.If you see me, don't be scared, you know the government wouldn't hurt you, or lie to youThese "tracks" in the skies, left by a combination of military and civilian aircraft drawn into the massive, multi-billion dollar program, are unlike regular high-flying aircraft's vapor trails. Instead of dissipating rapidly, these so-called "chemtrails" mesh together for hours and are often mistaken for natural clouds.Chemicals sprayed into the atmosphere are producing air and ground conditions that may be harmful to humans and animals, while stimulating the growth of molds and bacteria. Barium salts, an Earth metal, are toxins that absorb readily into the gastrointestinal tract which are deposited into muscles and other tissue. No case data is available on the long-term effects of barium in humans."The programs remain secret because the Environmental Protection Agency and state environmental agencies need 'not know' about the by-products of the metabolites of these biological, illegal and harmful agents," said one of the researchers. "It's for that reason the combined projects have been kept secret from the citizens."Since aluminum has been discussed in relationship to the possible components of chemtrails, I thought it was important to give you information about the side effects.HOW ALUMINUM AFFECTS HEALTH* Nervous System - in animal studies, aluminum blocks the action potential or ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE OF NERVE CELLS, REDUCING NERVOUS SYSTEM ACTIVITY.Aluminum also inhibits important enzymes in the brain (Na-K-ATPase and hexokinase). Aluminum may also inhibit uptake of important chemicals by nerve cells (dopamine, norepinephrine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine).* Behavioral Effects - dementia resulting from kidney dialysis related to aluminum toxicity causes memory loss, loss of coordination, confusion and disorientation.* Digestive System - aluminum reduces intestinal activity, and by doing so can cause colic.POSSIBLE CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH ALUMINUM TOXICITY* Early symptoms of aluminum toxicity include: flatulence, headaches, colic, dryness of skin and mucous membranes, tendency for colds, burning pain in head relieved by food, heartburn and an aversion to meat.* Later symptoms include paralytic muscular conditions, loss of memory and mental confusion.OTHER POSSIBLE CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH ALUMINUM TOXICITY* Alzheimer's disease, hypoparathyroidism, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, anemia, kidney dysfunction, liver dysfunction, hemolysis, Ceukocytosis, porphyria, colitis, neuromuscular disorders, osteomalacia, dental cavities, Parkinson's disease, dementia dialactica, and ulcers.If you are experiencing these disorders, contact a doctor familiar with tests for metals and DMPS IV (intravenous) chelation.I'd like to meet someone that can tell me the truth.Cellphone Towers??? ELF Towers!!! These ugly things have been popping up everywhere, and my phone reception was fine before they put any of them up. Have you been feeling tired? getting headaches? mild flu that won't go away? Cancer? Did you know that your 3G mobile operates at the same frequency as a microwave oven???

2 hours later

3 hours later

Towerz

RE: Chemtrail pics from OklahomaI live in Tahlequah, Oklahoma east of Tulsa about 70 miles. The area is rural and way off commercial or military flight patterns. We get this crap about 3 times a week. These picks were taken about 2 hours after the attack started over our University community of about 15,000 gentle and innocent souls trying their best to get along peacefully.

Some of these pictures were taken from the front porch of my state senator, The honorable James Wilson. He still doesn't have a clue as to what they are or why they are being dispersed. For the 4th time I made him witness this apocalyptic tableau in the skies above where his deeply compromised 4 year old grandson plays. As in every case, I pleaded with him to Google "chemtrails" for pages, articles and videos to help him identify the reason behind them and the imminent threat they present to all of us.

I drug several of my very highly educated and intelligent associates outside to see them and their universal response was to look up, scan the panorama and act as if they were seeing the same old sky as always...almost no impression that anything was wrong! Once again, not a single fucking clue! Friends, we are in a world of shit! I feel more and more like Chicken Little every day!

These very limited views were all taken from two yards next to each other, mine and his. They don't even begin to tell the story. These clouds of death extended across the entire county where I live....a huge area!

There were four separate planes going back and fourth continuously for over 2 hours as of the time these pics were taken between 5 and 5:20 PM today, 1/09/08. Anyone else got chemtrails today?

One Pissed Off American!!!

Puppy abuse video investigated by Hawaii Marine base

Posted by Pono Kealoha on March 3, 2008 at 7:40pm

THIS IS THE TYPE OF SCUM "USA IS ILLEGALLY OCCUPYING and RULING , {OUR SOVEREIGN NEUTRAL NATION WITH} " SPENDING MULTI MILLIONS TO BUILD THEM NEW HOMES ON MILITARY BASES THAT SIT ON OUR CEDED LANDS , WHILE THE TRUE KANAKA MAOLI THAT ARE HOMELESS & HUNGRY ARE KICKED FROM PLACE TO PLACE. THE MILITARY GRABED OVER 59 % OF OUR CEDED LANDS and ONLY PAY 1 DOLLAR a YEAR !! A GOOD % OF THE CEDED LAND ALSO BECOMES TOXIC WASTES SITES & ARE NEVER CLEANED UP, BUT JUST CONDEMED !

Puppy abuse video investigated by Hawaii Marine baseMarine Corps Base Hawaii is investigating a shocking video of a smiling Marine throwing a puppy off the top of a steep hillside in Iraq into a gully below.

The video today gained widespread attention and condemnation on the Internet.

"The video is shocking and deplorable and is contrary to the high standards we expect of every Marine," the Kane'ohe Bay base said in a release.

Base officials said the video came to their attention this morning. An investigation has been initiated. Maj. Chris Perrine, a Marine spokesman here, said "it's looking like" the Marine is based out of Hawai'i.

"We do not tolerate this type of behavior and will take appropriate action," the base said.

Two Marines are seen in combat gear smiling as one holds a white-and-black puppy by the scruff of its neck. The dog seems to be about 8 weeks old and is motionless as it is held.

"Cute little puppy, huh?" says one Marine as he smiles broadly.

"Oh so cute, so cute, little puppy," says another in a child-like voice.

The Marine holding the puppy is then seen throwing the animal overhand into a desert-like gully below. The animal yelps until it thuds to the ground at the bottom of the gully.

"That's mean," one Marine says afterward.

The 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment of about 1,000 Hawai'i Marines recently replaced a sister unit in Iraq, the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.

Marine Corps Base Hawai'i said the vast majority of Marines "conduct their duties in an honorable manner that brings great credit upon the Marine Corps and the United States."

There have been numerous stories of Marines adopting pets and bringing them home from Iraq or helping to arrange life-saving medical care for Iraqi children. Those are the stories that exemplify what we stand for and how most Marines behave."

The video was posted on YouTube. Caution, graphic content.

Mahalo:Vance...what a goddamned circusII

Carrollʻs IZ: Lumpy Poi Cocktail

Posted by Kihei de Silva on March 3, 2008 at 7:00pm

Carroll’s IZ: Lumpy Poi Cocktail.Rick Carroll, IZ: Voice of the Hawaiian People, Bess Press, 2006.A review by Kīhei de Silva.Rick Carroll wrote Iz: Voice of the Hawaiian People while battling cancer. He said he had to write fast, “just in case.” The book got finished and Carroll prevailed, but he and his editors did little afterwards to undo the effects of his haste. Nor did they curb his predilection for overstatement. The result is a lumpy poi cocktail. Tasty enough, in a tapioca pudding kind of way, but far from the ideal ‘uo‘uo a ka Hawai‘i.Carroll’s haste is evident in matters small and not so small. On the small side, his text is sprinkled with Hawaiian language errors and inconsistencies that have no business in a forty-buck publication. A more careful visit with Kawena Pukui mā would have yielded the correct orthography for Kawika, hanai, Makua, Alalakeiki, hene hene, aka, luau, panini, Pokai, keia la, himeni, and na ‘anela. Basic proof-reading by a Hawaiian language speaker would have undone the painfully howlee strains of hula hālau and a hui hou aku nou. And an equally basic review of song titles would have set right the Kau Ohu of Lena Machado’s “Kauoha Mai.”Larger inaccuracies undermine Carroll’s credibility as an analyst of Hawaiian music and culture. He identifies Kalākaua as the author of “Kāwika” and describes the Sunday Mānoa version of the mele as opening with the “rustling beat of the Hawaiian ipu.”[1] He glosses “No ke Ano Ahiahi” as an “imaginary trip around America by a Hawaiian man who knew land only as an island.”[2] He explains that lei ‘ilima are “reserved for royalty.”[3] He classifies the people of Ni‘ihau as “patriarchal” and “descended from the highest bloodlines of the original Hawaiian settlers.”[4] He describes the Kamakawiwo‘ole residence in Kaimukī as a “clapboard plantation house.”[5] He speaks of Eddie Kamae’s contribution to the renaissance of Hawaiian music as “collecting songs from country folks in Waimānalo, Ka‘a‘awa, and Ka‘ū.”[6] And he says that the Mākaha Sons of Ni‘ihau were such in-your-face-Hawaiians that they never bothered to introduce themselves in Sons of Hawai‘i fashion: “We are the Sons of Hawai‘i, and we are Hawaiian.”[7]Carroll is a journalist, an old newspaper man for whom the practice of information-checking should be second nature. His publisher, Bess Press, prides itself in releasing high-quality Hawaiian language resource and cultural materials. But neither passes muster in IZ. What was the big deal here? What kept Carroll and Bess from giving the manuscript to a couple of careful and knowledgeable readers?But there is an even bigger deal to address: that of Carroll’s penchant for overstatement. When he wants to make a big point – usually about the history of Hawaiian music and Israel’s place at its apex as the “voice of the people” – Carroll tends to deliver his arguments in inflate-and-ignore fashion. Inflate the importance; ignore the pesky details. Honolulu Star Bulletin critic John Berger observes, for example, that Carroll overstuffs Iz’s resume by identifying him as a pioneer in the Hawaiian sovereignty movement and calling him “the Hawaiian Bob Marley”:"It’s true that the Mākaha Sons of Ni‘ihau’s recording of “Hawaii ‘78,” written by Mickey Ioane, was one of the first modern songs with a Hawaiian nationalist message, but neither the Sons nor IZ personally stepped forward for the cause in the way that other artists did. . . None of that diminishes the sincerity or impact of his work – IZ did so much as a member of the Mākaha Sons of Ni‘ihau and then as a solo artist that it isn't necessary to inflate his resumé – but he wasn’t the “Bob Marley of Hawaii” any more than Bob Marley was the IZ of Jamaica. Each man was a unique artist, and the world is the better for it." (“IZ What It Is,” Star Bulletin, August 15, 2006.)This pattern of inflate and ignore is evident in Carroll’s assessment of George Helm as “one of the first to sing old Hawaiian songs in a new way.” Never mind Ernest Ka‘ai, Lena Machado, Al Kealoha Perry, Richard Kauhi, or Pua Almeida.[8] It is present in Carroll’s extraordinary redefinition of traditional Hawaiian mele as “place songs that celebrated waterfalls and volcanoes and the sea.” Never mind mele inoa, mele pai ali‘i, mele ho‘oipo, mele ma‘i, kanikau, and the substantial collection of mele ‘ai pōhaku in Buke Mele Lāhui.[9] It infects his appraisal of Sunday Mānoa’s Guava Jam as ground-breaking: “until then, no song had addressed issues of Hawaiian independence, ethnic displacement, and environmental degradation.” Never mind “Ulei Pahu,” “‘Au‘a ‘Ia,” “Kaulana nā Pua,” “‘O ‘Oe nō Paha Ia e ka Lau o ke Aloha,” “Lai Toodle,” and “Kēlā Mea Whiffa.”[10] It characterizes his oversimplified description of Hawaiians prior to the 1975 Kaho‘olawe and Mākua Valley movements as caught in a “century old, three generation colonial slumber.” Never mind J. Kaulia, the Nāwahïs, and the 21,269 Kānaka Maoli who signed the anti-annexation petition of 1897; never mind the ‘a‘ali’i kū makani who followed – the Pukuis, Pakis, Brandts, Mitchells, Holts, Pi‘ianaias, Kauahipaulas, and Ka‘ananas.[11] It resurfaces in his review of “Hawai‘i ‘78” as “the signature anthem for…a whole generation of Hawaiian activists.” Never mind “Kaulana nā Pua,” “Aloha Kaho‘olawe,” or “All Hawai‘i Stand Together.”[12] It puts what John Berger calls a “very odd spin” on Carroll’s last words on the the break-up of the Mākaha Sons of Ni‘ihau: “Israel didn’t leave the Mākaha Sons. They left him behind, trapped in his skin in the hospital with pneumonia, and packed their bags for Carnegie Hall.” Never mind . . . everything else.[13] And – finally – it undercuts the already impressive nature of Iz’s funeral by elevating it to the status of “public mourning unseen since the death of Hawaiian kings and queens more than a century ago.” Never mind Lili‘u’s funeral in 1917, Kūhiō’s in 1922, Iolani Luahine’s in 1978, and Maiki Aiu Lake’s in 1984.This is more serious than lumpy poi. It reminds me of my 8th grade teacher, Mr. Chuck Granger, who could only eat poi if he doctored it up first with cream, sugar, and nutmeg; “poi cocktail” is what he called it, and he ate it like pudding, with a spoon. Carroll seems intent on serving up an Iz cocktail. Israel’s story, plainly told, is somehow not big enough to fill the gut with minamina and the eyes with tears – not heroic enough, not marketable enough for pop tastes and eBay consumption. Condiments are necessary: overstate and ignore. Aloha ‘ino.I read Iz on a flight home from the continent. At one point near the end, my wife nudged me and asked, “If you don’t like the book, why do you keep crying?”“Because Israel is still in here.”He is not my voice, Mr. Carroll. But he is one of our voices, one that I love. Your book, when I knead the lumps and drain off the topping, helps me to remember something that Pierre Bowman wrote about another of our voices: Gabby’s. “Over the years, it remained in tune with the cliffs rising behind his home, with the wind blowing briskly from the nearby sea, with a world that can sing even as it mourns.”[14] That can sing even as it mourns. I say, I say.Notes:1. “Kāwika” was composed for, not by, Kalākaua. The Sunday Mānoa version of the mele opens with pahu beats to which ipu slaps and ‘ulili rustles are subsequently added.2. “No ke Ano Ahiahi” uses the imagery of an ocean voyage to describe a loversʻ tryst between William Charles Lunalilo and a woman whose name is given in the original chant as Pua Rose.3. “We have been hearing recently that ‘ilima leis were reserved exclusively for royalty, but I doubt that very much. . . Probably the story stemmed…from the fondness that Princess Abigail Kawānanakoa had for these blossoms.” Mary Kawena Pukui, “Aspects of the Word Lei,” Bishop Museum transcript, Feb. 24, 1964.4. Both statements are debatable at best. Anyone who has spent time with the senior women of Ni‘ihau is unlikely to share Carroll’s opinion of a male-dominant society. As for claims to high rank, the elders of all our islands would be quick to remind us: “Mai kaula‘i i ka lā.” Genealogical status is not for an outsider to hear or share.5. The Kamakawiwo‘ole home, as pictured on p. 12, is a subdivision home, a “Hicks” home, not clapboard or plantation style at all.6. Among the most memorable of Kamae’s collected songs are “Mauna Kea” (verse 1) from Puna, Hawai‘i; “Lā ‘Elima” from Miloli‘i, Hawai‘i; “Huelo,” “Moe Kokolo,” “Mauna ‘Olu,” and “Kēlā Mea Whiffa” from various Maui locations, and “Waipahe‘e,” from Keālia, Kaua‘i. I know of none from Waimānalo, Ka‘a‘awa, or Ka‘ū. Kamae did, of course, compose the music for “Ke Ala a ka Jeep,” Kawena Pukuiʻs celebration of their visit to her Ka‘ū homeland.7. Carroll’s claim is contradicted by the first track of Live at Hank’s Place. “Aloha ladies and gentleman, welcome to Hank’s Place in Kaimukī. We’re a group called the Mākaha Sons of Ni‘ihau, and . . . Ladies and gentlemen, we are Hawaiian.”8. Each generation of Hawaiian musicians has its innovators, assimilators, and synthesizers. George Helm belongs to a long line of these old-but-new geniuses.9. Traditional Hawaiian music was not limited to place songs. Carroll is also incorrect in assuming that such “waterfall and volcano” songs are void of political content. Amy Stillman has argued convincingly, for quite some time now, that place songs are highly political: they cling defiantly to threatened names, landscapes, and relationships; they resist, in subtle aloha ‘āina fashion, those responsible for threat, displacement, and change.10. Although Carroll implies that Guava Jam was filled with new songs of Hawaiian pride and sovereignty, only Ron Rocha’s “He Hawai‘i Au” meets those criteria.11. “One of the most persistent and pernicious myths of Hawaiian history is that the Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) passively accepted the erosion of their culture and the loss of their nation. . . This book refutes the myth of passivity through documentation and study of the many forms of resistance by the Kanaka Maoli to political, economic, linguistic, and cultural oppression…” Noenoe Silva, Aloha Betrayed: Native Hawaiian Resistance to American Colonialism, 1.12. At least a few of us would argue that an English language song can never qualify as the signature anthem of the Hawaiian resistance.13. “Carroll’s account of IZ’s abrupt departure from the Mākaha Sons of Ni‘ihau in 1993, less than a week before their big Mākaha Bash 6 concert, is less than complete. It is a matter of public record that…IZ’s allegations of financial wrongdoing were without merit. Carroll doesn't mention this. It might well be true, as Carroll states, that the other members of the group… wanted to play more shows outside Hawaii and that IZ’s failing health limited their ability to do so. But the fact that Kauakahi and the two Koko brothers all worked full-time day jobs was also a limiting factor. Carroll’s statement that the group "left (IZ) behind," when it was IZ who quit the group a few days before their biggest show of the year, puts a very odd spin on an unfortunate event.” John Berger, “IZ What It Is,” Honolulu Star Bulletin, August 15, 2006. I should note that Berger’s critique takes up a small part of his otherwise very positive review of Carroll’s book.14. This is actually a short version of a paraphrase offered by Jay Hartwell in the “Louis Robert ‘Moon’ Kauakahi” chapter of Hartwell’s book Nā Mamo: Hawaiian People Today. Hartwell’s essay on Moon and the Mākaha Sons of Ni‘ihau provides a model of accurate, understated, very moving writing that Carroll would have done well to follow.

Ceded Lands Are Stolen Lands On "Voices Of Truth - One-On-On

Posted by Pono Kealoha on March 3, 2008 at 11:44am

Aloha `aina,

The ceded lands bill controversy continued for another week with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs trying their best to convince Hawaiians it’s a good deal.

But people are not that easily fooled.

It’s never a good deal when you’re talking about stolen property to begin with.

As one testifier stated, “The proposed changes to the law and transfer of certain land and money assets keeps the status quo of State control of the “ceded lands” (through the state agency, OHA), while pretending to have made compensation for the stolen lands.

The State’s solution for stealing a Kingdom is to generously give it to itself!”

Well, there’s still plenty of opportunity to let your legislators know how you feel about this ridiculous proposal.

Be sure and watch Free Hawai`i TV this Wednesday to find out how you can make you voice heard.

This bill can be defeated, but it’s up to you to use your influence now.

And 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.

We debut a brand new show this week with Aunty Pele Hanoa of Punalu`u on Hawai`i island.

She’s a true inspiration, caring for her ancestral lands and protecting them from those whose only desire is to make money and lots of it from Hawaiian lands.

We’re honored to bring you Aunty Pele’s story - an example of people who love their land this week on Voices Of Truth – One-On-One With Hawai`i’s Future.

MONDAY, March 3rd At 7:00 PM & FRIDAY, March 7th At 5:30 PM – Hawai`i Island – Na Leo, Channel 53
TUESDAY, March 4th At 6:30 PM & WEDNESDAY, March 5th At 6:30 AM – Maui – Akaku, Channel 53
THURSDAY, March 6th At 8:30 PM & FRIDAY, March 7th At 8:30 AM – Kaua`i – Ho`ike, Channel 52
“Hidden In The Forest – A Visit With Dr. Baron Kaho`ola Ching”

Deep in a rain forest in Nu`uanu Valley sits one of the most remarkable sites in all Hawai`i.

Imagine a place lost in time and space to the modern world – Kaniakapupu.

A palatial summer residence for Kauikeaoli, Kamehameha III, Kaniakapupu was built over one hundred seventy years ago spanning twenty thousand acres.

Ka La Ho`i Ho`i Ea, Sovereignty Restoration Day, was celebrated on the site in 1843 with over ten thousand guests attending.

Several key documents in Hawaiian history were drafted there and many of Hawai`i’s future rulers visited the residence as children.

Then time swallowed up and forgot Kaniakapupu until one day a few years back Baron cut through thick bamboo forests to rediscover it for himself.

What he saw stopped him in his tracks.

Since then, Baron has overseen the caretaking of this astounding place that time forgot.

Whatever you do, don’t miss our visit with Baron to Kaniakapupu. One of the most unique places in all of Hawai`i, you’ll go with us hiking through dense rain forest as we come face to face ourselves with the ancient residence and artifacts left untouched for almost two centuries in this incredible voyage of rediscovery that is sure to take your breath away.

SATURDAY, March 8th At 8:00 PM – O`ahu - `Olelo, Channel 53
“Eyes Of The Kupuna – A Visit With Aunty Pele Hanoa”

Imagine living next to a beautiful black sands beach, a place you’ve lived your entire life.

Nature is at your door. The ocean, the beach, endangered turtles use the area coming ashore to breed.

Now also imagine tour buses pulling up next to your home and brining one thousand tourists a day. That’s right, one thousand tourists every single day.

Tourists who harass the turtles, steal the sand for souvenirs, leave litter, and behave obnoxiously.

How would you like to put up with that every day of your life?

Aunty Pele does.

Born and raised in Punalu`u, she’s a prime example of old Hawai`i - staying on the land where you were born, because you were taught from an early age to malama the `aina – care for your ancestral land.

All around her things are changing – and not for the better. Multi-national corporations building developments on the shore and then stealing the water from agricultural lands for their projects.

Yet none of this stops her.

Be sure and catch our visit with Aunty Pele. You’ll be as inspired as we were by this remarkable kupuna who stops at nothing and whose message is one you’ll long remember – “We accepted everyone who came to Hawai`i. Now they should reciprocate by protecting and caring for what we have.”

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 –
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If 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.

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Ho`oku`oko`a,

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The Koani Foundation
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Tangaroa- He oli kaua mai Aotearoa mai na Tiki Taane

Posted by Kapalikuokalani Maile on March 3, 2008 at 11:43am

Ko Papatuanuku me Ranginui nga matua o te aoI puta mai nga tamariki, he atua o te aoHe atua o te moana, ko Tangaroa he atua o te moanaTu mai te ihi, tu mai te wehiwehi, tu mai te wanawana, eTu mai te ihi, tu mai te wehiwehi, tu mai te wanawana, eTu mai te ihi, tu mai te wehiwehi, tu mai te wanawana, eHi, ha, aue!-----I really love na 'olelo Pakipika, especially the correlations between 'olelo Hawai'i and korero Maori. There's something about the tones and the consonants in Maori that sets off a fire in me, especially in chant. Not to say that there isn't the same with oli, because I love hearing oli kahiko, but I feel drawn to both.

Mauliola: The Holy Trinity of "Maoli Art"

Posted by Eo Lono! on March 3, 2008 at 11:30am

Mauliola: The Holy Trinity of "Maoli Art"As seen in discussion group "Maoli Artists and Creative Masterpieces"http://maoliworld.ning.com/group/maoliartistsBy Hale MawaeI first want to mahalo Ikaika, for bringing up such an intuitive topic to the table, and agree with him on his definition of what really is maoli art. I think the term "maoli art" goes far deeper and is a much broader spectrum of creative artists in our kanaka maoli community. Maoli art is something clearly defined as being kanaka maoli artists or Native Hawaiian artists taking the creative mediums that are available to them in today's society, and incorporating it into a creative art form that is definitively kanaka maoli.Meaning, that the manner of inspiration derives from cultural and spiritual essences that divide ourselves apart from traditional Western styles of art and art forms. Then taking that cultural and spiritual inspiration to drive your creation into a style that represents your own manner of art/life as a kanaka maoli, and your own maoli passion for the type of artistic expression you create. Whether that creation is pencil sketching or a digital creation on Adobe Illustrator. An oli kahea or a slam poetry spoken word poem. A traditional style hula or modern contemporary dance. Whether it's a lauhala mat or an oil on canvas. A mo'olelo, or a dramatic stage or film presentation with a whole cast of actors.But to define it more personally for myself in my creative process as a maoli artist, when I create a piece of maoli art, I first start with the many akua. The akua, who give me the foresight, inspiration, and vision for my work. They guide my inspiration and imagination into form and craft. They obliterate the many borders and obstacles that creativity encounters. They create a limitless canvas of immense proportion. The akua giving value to your vision. Spiritual sustenance to your craving artistic mind. Our akua carrying our thoughts and imagination into the heavens and asking it for permission before sending it colliding back down to our honua.They take us on our spiritual journeys beyond the horizon to the many sacred places of our own vast mind. Akua are the driving force for our imagination. They drive our spirit and give it gifts for fruition in our physical creative world. They are a reminder of inspiration of our great romances through life, our art only being an imitation of that life. The creation of both light and dark. The creation of life itself. The greatest tales of love and of tragedy; of mischief and great victory. These are the lives of our many great Akua that give us guidance for our work, and we thank them gratefully. Mahalo e na akua o keia 'aina.Second, I find inspiration from our aumakua. They open all the doors and windows to our piko and keep an open the path to our connection to our many akua. They show us the road around the obstacles. But they also show us the many riches along the path in encountering those obstacles. The kaona to what you are really seeing in your creative mind when you journey along the path of creation. Giving us clues to the hidden meaning to why the inspiration is coming to you when it does, translating the language of akua into a form that is literate and meaningful to us as kanaka. The aumakua watching your work closely with careful guidance and rich precision.While akua give you the vision and passion to create, the aumakua is the energy moving between your artistic eye and the canvas of life The aumakua is the the dip of the brush into the amalgam of color on the pallet to each fluid stroke across the empty page. Aumakua is same kind of calming patience the Ni'ihau people use to pick and clean every kahelelani shell, which then moves on to the same patient string and needle. Mahalo e na aumakua.I believe the third defining element of maoli art is our kupuna. Our kupuna both past and present. They are the physical aspect of our art. They are the reason to create. We all become kupuna, such as our work as artists. Our art is a reflection of ourselves, and so our creations become kupuna and ultimately a reflection of ourselves when we cease to exist in this physical world. Our kupuna remind us of this and to stay humble and regard your work with some reproach. They remind us of why we create. They ask us "what is it's necessity and purpose? How does this represent you, and why should this represent us and serve us a people of kanaka maoli descent?" Our kupuna ask these questions while we create but they never expect an answer. Just so they know that you know the questions and that you deeply reflect on them and your culture. Because they know that the answer is ongoing and fluid. It is like the many hula halau with many distinct styles of hula. 'A'ohe pau ka 'ike i ka halau ho'okahi. In this we find clarity of thought from our kupuna. we find definitive direction, purpose, and cultural integrity to create. Kupuna giving us the direction to the many aumakua and our physical connection to that sacred source. Our kupuna leaving us with the desire, passion, and kuleana to continue on our path to artistically express and create. Mahalo e na kupuna.Haina ia mai ana ka puana la i ka hana no'eau la. Tell the refrain of my creative process to maoli art. I hope that by giving examples of my process as a creative artist it will help to expand the frame of mind and consciousness for other maoli artists. Art is a deeply engaging process for me. This is my way of expanding into the universe and grabbing at those connections to make my art meaningful to me and more importantly to our fellow kanaka i ka wa ma hope, i ka wa ma luna.Hale MawaeEo Lono!

R.I.P. Our Kupuna Out of the Ground! A Repatriation in Progress: Part I

Posted by Eo Lono! on March 3, 2008 at 9:58am

R.I.P Our Kupuna Out of the Ground! A Repatriation in Progress.By Hale MawaeDoes anybody remember what went wrong at Waipouli? I know I do. I helped repatriate close to 50 kupuna iwi(ancestral bones) who were locked in a metal storage container for almost two years.I remember making quite a lot of noise about those kupuna being locked up, and digging my nose around in burial council notes back to almost two years prior to the Waipouli development actually starting groundwork to see what kind of repatriation they had in mind. When I asked to see records and minutes from burial council meetings concerning a burial treatment plan for Waipouli at the State building they were not where I thought they’d be.I thought they'd be housed professionally at the state building for public access, but all the records and minutes were said to be kept with Nancy McMahon at her personal home office in Po'ipu. Nancy McMahon was the current on staff archaeologist for the County of Kaua'i SHPD department and burial council at the time.Almost 6 months after I started digging for answers to why the bones were still not repatriated, I got a phone call from Kamahalo Ka’uhane who had heard word from another that they were going to finally repatriate the bones at Waipouli that same afternoon. I quickly readied myself to go down to Waipouli to help with the burial of those kupuna who had been dug up almost two years before at the Waipouli Resort, across from the Safeway shopping center.The repatriation process had been so quickly thrown together that many members of the community, who I knew to be active on the Waipouli kupuna iwi issue were not able make it because it happened on such short notice. The decision to repatriate apparently had come down from the council only a day before under direction of the developer, and they acted hurriedly to get the kupuna iwi back in the ground because there were more people asking questions than me. And apparently the management of the resort wanted to put this matter behind them so people would stop asking. Go figure!My assumption was Nancy McMahon and the burial council wanted to put an end to anyone questioning what happened with the process that dealt with the kupuna 'iwi at Waipouli. The burial council following up with a speedy repatriation process that lacked regard for Hawaiian protocol, and a correct repatriation burial process.When we arrived to pay our respects and perform protocol that we had been trained in for burials, Nancy said they had already done a pule(prayer) and the machines were ready to fill in the hole.Kamahalo Ka'uhane disagreed and said we would be following through with correct burial protocol he and others had been trained, and that no machines would be needed in burying the iwi.Kamahalo, myself, and almost 20 other men helped to bury the iwi on the back lot of Waipouli by shovel and hand after entering the site with extreme measures of spiritual and cultural protocol to protect ourselves and protect our kupuna as we put them back to rest.We followed with various groups taking turns of Hawaiian protocol vigils in the evening for almost 3 months after. Vigils that followed through to the end of the Makahiki season to make sure that the kupuna had really been laid to rest after almost 2 years of being in a storage container during development.The county planning commission even with working in cooperation with what should be an operating SHPD burial council should be making better, well informed decisions regarding the remains of large scale burials. Especially after what went wrong at Waipouli.Now that some 30 remains of native Hawaiian's on a site in Wainiha are to be dug up and repatriated, I wonder if the burial council is ready to come under scrutiny again for their shallow repatriation process after notorious mistakes in their large scale repatriations.Here we are again with another situation of moral and ethical regard to Native Hawaiian remains, almost a year and a half after the Waipouli kupuna were repatriated after being dug up by the developer, and still it seems that people are running around like chickens with their heads cut off.Native Hawaiian human remains that have been on the land for centuries, now being removed because of the land owner's wish to continue building on his lot in Wainiha after only 6 years of trying to get an OK from Burial Council and Kaua'i's planning commission. My question is: Who sold him the lease to the land in the first place and why didn’t the previous leaseholder explain to him that he didn’t really own it to begin with? Why isn’t that owner going after whoever sold him the land and get repatriation with the money he purchased it with?Because digging up the dead, especially the Native Hawaiian dead is a really touchy issue for a lot of people. In fact I think digging up dead people in general is a pretty touchy issue. And even more so when the owner wants to build because it’s a “nice piece of property and has a beautiful view of Haena”The overworked burial council has had over 6 large cases of found remains and large archaeological sites this year. All of which have been pushed to the side, or fast tracked to make it easier for the developer to move ahead with their various building projects. The Kealia bike path was one. Kealanani which is another Kealia development planned adjacent to the beach is another. The large development that almost went in at Waipouli. Coco Palms. Most major developments on the South side. One site on the south side which included the possible destruction of heiau walls and the removal of the structure. All of these separate cases on our island unanimously decided by the burial council to dig them up now, ask questions, and bury them later.When a developer discovers any remains on a project site, the burial council must publish an ad in the newspaper for lineal and cultural descendants to come forward. The lineal descendants then have 30 days from that publishing in the newspaper to contact the burial council. They must prove by direct genealogy to be a lineal descendant as well as be able to generally say who is buried where at a site in question.Lineal descendants are often not able to prove direct lineage with exact persons buried, but have a general perception that their relatives were buried there years and sometimes centuries prior. Often lineal descendants don't have enough time to make their claims, or aren't aware of the issue because they don't carry knowledge of buried relatives prior to a hundred years. Often exact knowledge of buried persons is lost or not kept within families, and those related persons even if they know they are related to the kupuna iwi in question can not prove it through written genealogy and are deemed as cultural descendants.Cultural descendants being any of those who are related because they share Hawaiian cultural ties, not necessarily in direct relation to the kupuna iwi. Cultural descendants do not really have a say in the decision making process of interment and repatriation, but they are allowed to give testimony which may or may not be used with the repatriation process and the burial treatment plan that the burial council decides on.For those of you who are in strongly in support of encouraging development on sites with Native Hawaiian remains buried I often pose this question to them:If someone wanted beach front property on the side of Kealia Hill, where the Catholic cemetery is because it had a nice view, and had money to put down, would they dig up all the dead people and plop down a million dollar mansion. I know that people would be up in arms if they were told their family or loved one had to be moved and repatriated because someone else paid for the property and has the right to build a home.After all, it is a nice view and whoever paid for it, paid for it fair and square, and went through the more than fair due process at the planning commission. And everybody knows the planning commission always makes the right decisions, all the time, 100% guaranteed. Right?The archaeologist they are using yet again is, Nancy McMahon, who has been caught up in a law suit regarding her work with the State Historic Provision Division and the Burial Council.Nancy McMahon who was running a website advertising a 4x4 tour of ancient cultural sites as a side business, charging passengers of her excursion $150. On the website it says "Turn the clock back a thousand years on our Hummer expedition into Kauai's ancient rain forests. You will see historical sites; experience the unforgettable feel of a rain forest, view spectacular waterfalls and secluded pools. See the lush tropical jungles the way ancient Hawaiians did." (http://kauaihummersafari.com/)Some of these sites she gives tours on can only be accessed with use of 4x4 Hummer, off road vehicle. Her business venture was exposed through a series of online blogs that began criticizing her work with the burial council and SHPD. Other allegations arose with other defendants including state workers, which the plaintiff says had pushed through reports to speed developments in getting past through the burial council and into the planning commission.I wonder if the planning commission is aware of Nancy McMahon being implicated in this case as a defendant, and if they have contacted any off island burial council's where there are other archaeologists who can take up the work in this Wainiha case.It seems with Nancy and SHPD caught up in this suit that someone at the planning department might see her interest in any cases regarding SHPD and the burial council as a conflict of interest being a defendant in a current case regarding her moral work ethic as a state archaeologist.The burial council does not have notes of their public meetings posted online since October 2007, a clear representation that posting their minutes to keep their public informed have not been a top priority in this case of the Wainiha residential lot.They have obviously worked speedily in resolving the issue to let the planning commission ok the project. I’d like to know where the minutes from November and December are with this decision to OK the project and move forward.The meeting's minutes read from Oct. 4th 2007 concerning Wainiha residential lot:Informational update and presentation by Scientific Consultant Services regarding the burial treatment plan. Council discussion and recommendation on the measures proposed in the burial treatment plan. Council determination to preserve in place or relocate the previously identified Native Hawaiian burials located on this residential lot.Where is the public access to the Scientific Consultant Services findings and their idea for a burial treatment plan in their minutes? Where are the lineal and cultural descendants that should be having the say before any SCS findings make a final decision regarding what be done with the kupuna iwi and the respective site in Wainiha? And who's really showing concern about such a huge burial site in Wainiha?Concerned not only for the kupuna iwi at rest, but more so the process that should be in place to help protect those iwi at all cost from being disturbed. And let’s not forget Waipouli and use it as an example for how the process and concern those kupuna should have had.NEXT WEEK: Part II of R.I.P Our Kupuna Out of the Ground

Reading Ho'ailona

Posted by ʻOhukaniʻōhiʻa on March 2, 2008 at 8:16pm

rainbow.jpg?g2_GALLERYSID=4e88e71b874adb7e8f4f90ebb932ea8a

The other morning on the way to work the morning sun created a brilliant rainbow fragment low in the western sky over the plains of Ewa. Such a low-lying rainbow is called punohu, and is ho'ailona (sign) of Kane. This is no surprise, nor is it overtly supernatural when you think about it. One of the main manifestations of Kane is the 'onohi-o-ka-la, (the eyeball of the sun), and as it rises, its effect on the world, including early morning, low-lying rainbows of course would be associated.I think on the empiricism of the po'e kahiko (ancient people), and how every moment of day or night, every pattern of the changing moon and its effects on tides, and life of sea and land, and the progression of the seasons (much more subtle than the "wet season - dry season" simplification you hear about) is recorded for us as traditional knowledge woven into oli (chant) and hula (dance), as well as the details shared in the multitude of mo'olelo (stories). Through these media the world was described. So the punohu 'ula is ho'ailona of Kane, and that is to say, the rays of the rising sun, sent through the thick atmosphere and refracted, produces red-shifted low-lying rainbows.

So are the new shoots of the endemic Hawaiian fern Schizaea robusta, called oali'i-makali'i, the kinolau (physical manifestation) and ho'ailona of Lono, and as it is true that these new shoots are produced on the onset of the winter rains, themselves a sign of the approach of the Makahiki, then so much stronger is the connection between the fern and the Lono, god of the Makahiki. I had known of this fern for years before the name's connection to the constellation that marks the start of the Makahiki suddenly became apparent to me. I knew the Makalii as the Pleiades, until the time of Hokule'a and rebuilding awareness of Hawaiian star names reacquainted me with its proper inoa Hawai'i. It probably didn't help that the person who first showed me the fern described the name "makalii" as "small face" and used it as a mnemonic to help me link the tiny fern frond to the name. But not only a "small faced fern" was this, but also, the oali'i fern associated with the Makali'i constellation and the start of the Makahiki season. Such a tiny obscure and subtle thing to link to such an important season in Hawaiian life!But large or small, we are surrounded by ho'ailona, and when they involve those elements that we share with the generations of ancestors that have trod the trails of these islands, they are the same now as when they presented themselves to our ancestors hundreds and thousands of years ago. That is one of the reasons I chose to explore the art of oli, chant, and why I most enjoy the ancient chants. It is because the phenomena that were chosen by the po'e kahiko to put into chant were no doubt the ones most prominent and known, so that they could invoke the intended response via the kaona they embodied.That is another good reason for us of ke ao nei (these modern times) not to contribute to the destruction of the native ecosystems of these islands, but to know them, cherish them, and actively protect them. When we let the oali'i makali'i disappear physically from the uplands, chewed up by introduced animals, or let it disappear from our knowledge and awareness, we lose yet another link in the net that the kupuna of these islands wove for us pulapula (descendants).

So now you too know of the oali'i makali'i, and that it is kinolau of Lono. Now you should take a long hike up to the summit crest of the Ko'olau, where the oali'i makali'i sends it little fronds out from the tops of the cliffs, hidden in the clouds.pipi holo ka'ao'Ohu

Welina mai kākou!

Posted by leonemalia on March 2, 2008 at 7:00pm

Aloha!

Ua Hala, Ua Lele, Ua Puka Mai Ana O Mahinekura i Ka Lani

Posted by AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA on March 2, 2008 at 4:24pm

Aloha I Ka Ohana Reinfelds,Kaumaha maua i ka hala ana o Mahinekura. Ha'o akula maua i kona Aloha a me i kona uhane. Ho'olohe maua e pili ana i kona hala ana mai Anake Rose Lenchanko, no laila ninau akula maua iaia no ka leka uila no Mahinekura no ke kakau ana i ka leka ia oukou.Mahalo ia oukou no oukou Aloha no Anela a me a'u oi'a ho'i Analu no ko maua ho'okaawale ana i ka wa kahiko a no ko maua noho ana ma ko oukou hale ma Pungarehu a me ka ho'okipa ana ma ka marae oia ho'i Te Niho O Te Atiawa ma Parihaka ma ka moku o Taranaki. Ho'omana'o maua e pili ana i ko maua helewawae i luna o ke kuahiwi o Taranaki me Mahinekura a me na Kanaka Maori mai hele mai i ke kai a hiki i wahi kaulani ka wailele O Mahoe.Mahalo ia Mahinekura no ka malama ana i ko maua kino ma kana keena o Karangaora. Mahalo i na Wahine Toa e malama i ke kino o ka'u wahine O Anela. Mahalo ia Mahinekura no kana hui pu ana me na wahine o Tanya Edwards a me na Tanya a pau no ka ho'ohana i na haku a me na me lauwili a me ka hana kanu. Mahalo ia Mahinekura no kana hui pu ana me ka Ohana Wairerepuru oia ho'i Huarangi ma wahi Oakua. Mahalo ia Mahinekura no ka hui pu me ka wahine e malama ko maua kino no ka lomilomi ana oia ho'i Koumana.Hui pu akula makou me Mahinekura i ka makahiki 2002 ma ka Halau Ike Hawai'i oia ho'i Kamakakuokalani me Anake Rose Lenchanko. Ha'awi akula O Mahinekura ia Anela i ka pohaku kapu no na wahine koa a ha'i iaia, "E Hele Mai I Aotearoa", a mahalo iaia no kona Alohanui.Eia ke kanikau ma lalo o keia leka uila mai loko mai ko maua na'au;"He Kanikau No Mahinekura"He Wahine Toa Oia mai AotearoaMai loko mai ka honua o PapahanaumotuO Papahanaumotu oia ho'i PapatuanukuNoho O Papatuanuku me RanginuiO Na Tupuna no na Kanaka MaoriHe Wahine Kilo Oia mai TaranakiMai loko mai ka rangi OTawhakiO Tawhaki ke Kupuna no na Kanaka Hawai'iNo ko makou mau Kupuna oia ho'i Kaha'iO Mahinekura ka hoku i ka rangi e e eHo'i mai ana o na kama o ka ainaHo'i mai ana o na keiki o ka lepoHo'i mai ana o na poki'i i ka hulihonuaa lele a lele a lele atu i ta rangiTa rangi o ta makani o OmaomaoHele atula o na pua i wahi a na KupunaNa wahi a NuumealaniNa wahi a KaumealaniNa wahi a Keaomelemelea lele a lele a lele atu i Papa a WakeaHo'i o Ta Wahine toa mai Urenui maiHo'i mai ana i te waka o te KupunaMai ta waka koa O PAKI O MATITIMai ta waka o na KupunaTa waka oia ho'i TokomaruAloha No Aloha No Aloha NoNa: Mr. Analu Kameeiamoku KeikikaneoKahekili Josephides a me Mrs. Anela Alohalani Josephides

Uncle Frank Butchie Gobo Cruze Passes

Posted by AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA on March 2, 2008 at 3:44pm

Last saturday my Uncle Butchie passed away at the age of 63. He passed from a heart attack, but during his sleep. I am not sure if it was sudden or not, but when we saw his body it seemed at peace. My uncle was a hard working man and really never had time for games, but as hard as he worked is as hard as he could party. He was a Journey Man in Tile Setting and amongst his many projects were the Makai Market at Ala Moana Shoping Center, Jim Neighbors House, and of course the famous Hawaiian "Larry Mehau's" hale in Hawaii. My Uncle loved his motor cycles especially his Harley Davidsons. I think he even had three bikes of his own. Once I find the picture I will share one of his bikes that I was sitting on as a child.Uncle Butchie is a nick name and so is Gobo, so when you hear these names you will know from where these people come from or who they are to Uncle. Uncle loved being Hawaiian and would alwyas greet me and Anela in Hawaiian when we came to visit at his home in Pearl City. He would always from his porch steps say, "Hui...Hui...Mai...Komo Mai...", and as we got near to him...near to the porch he would Aloha us with, "Pehea Oe?", and I would well up inside and be so proud of my Uncle for his efforts in learning the language. He would always say that he wished that he gave more time to really listening to his mother, my Tutu Nani because he said that if he did the whole family would have had the Hawaiian language used more in our every day speach, but thats ok Uncle because Anela and I will help the the others in our ohana know the importance in perpetuating the Hawaiian Language.My Uncle was born on March 2, 1944. Today he would have turned 64 years old. He passed on Saturday February 23, 2008. HIs Oahu funeral will be this Tuesday at Borthwics Honolulu and then we shall scatter him on Saturday March 8, 2008 at Makalawena, North Kona, Hawaii at 9am.A Hui Hou Hawaiian and Malama Pono...

reflections of standing strong

Posted by Kealoha'anolani on March 2, 2008 at 3:30pm

years ago now - i wrote this brief poem of grief lamenting the removal of three stately niu on our property. despite time - i can still see them silhouetted against the sky on a moonlit night in my memory. it reminds me that if we as a people - stand strong - set down firm roots and live our purpose - even time - even our passing cannot erase us from those whose lives we may have touched. here I share ....ue ue ‘ekolu niunuinui niuonly to be seen in memorysilhouetted in the night skythe moon lighting your leaves....oh your true valueso foolishly cut downin your prime your twilightue ue ‘ekolu niunuinui niuThursday, June 17, 200410:25 PM ynf

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Welina mai kākou!

Ua Hala, Ua Lele, Ua Puka Mai Ana O Mahinekura i Ka Lani

Uncle Frank Butchie Gobo Cruze Passes

reflections of standing strong

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