Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 8, 1 ʻAukake 1986 — Land Blessing Ceremony Climaxes Struggle for Waipa Valley Land by Hawaiian Farmers [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Land Blessing Ceremony Climaxes Struggle for Waipa Valley Land by Hawaiian Farmers

By Kenny Haina, Editor Ka Wai Ola O OHA "1 look at this struggle not as a climax but as the beginning of a successful venture. I've watched you work hard during the past four years and it makes me fee! good to see this day when you ean get together and beeome one big ohana to mark the happy occasion." These were statements made by Kauai County Councilman William Kaipo Asing in a brief address as guest speaker July 19 in the land blessing ceremony of Project Waipa located just down the road from Hanalei town. The occasion marked the culmination of a four-year struggle by the Hawaiian Farmers of Hanalei ine. to secure the lease to the l,600-acre Waipa Valley from Bishop Estate. The land had been leased for 50 years to the same Robinson family whieh owns Niihau. They had used it strictly for grazing cattle. When it was learned the land was going to be put to agricultural use, the Hawaiian Farmers of Hanalei became a reality. Meanwhile, a loeal hui was given an interim lease and the Farmers submitted their proposal to Bishop Estate as a third party. The Farmers did not give up their struggle and kept on top of the situation, holding several meetings and huddling with Bishop Estate trustees and attorneys. La France Kapaka-Arboleda, president of the Farmers, and Attorney Gene Lum were in the thick of the struggle with the full support of the board of directors and its membership.

1 he loeal hui, meanwhue, defaulted on its lease and finally the Farmers were given a "phased lease" in May, 1986. Kapaka explained that a phased lease means her organization must prove themselves in 10 years. But so enthused and cohesive is the group that they are cptimistic about meeting their deadline. "We'll be ready in three years," predicted David Sproat, secretary of the group and a Kauai County fireman. "We know we have a lot of work to do and we're going to do it. We'll make this land productive," Sproat confidently explained. It was this kind of enthusiasm, spirit and hard work that Asing referred to as he called on the crowd of around 200 to give the board of directors, officers and other volunteers a great big hand. In addition to Kapaka and Sproat, other officers are Charles Spencer, vice president; Samson Mahuiki, treasurer; and Warren Noe Ham Young, Allen Harada, George Kaona, William Puulei Sr. and Harry Ho, board of directors. Eaeh one represents a family line from Kalihiwai to Haena whieh is considered the boundary of Waipa Valley. For Ho, retired principal of Hanalei Elementary School, Project Waipa has been a 30-year dream — a battle, actually, of trying to get Hawaiians on this land. Rachei Mahuiki, 73, who until 1955 was a life!ong resident of Haena, recently got out of a Honolulu hospital and returned home to give a beautiful and touching blessing in Hawaiian, that she was asking the Lord to take away any curse that might be on the land and to return it with all His blessings to the "po'e o ka 'aina" so that they may make it productive and successful with bountiful crop. "We beg of you to give our po'e kanaka a fresh start on this land and we ask for thy blessing and protection upon them," she added in her flawless Hawaiian. Kapaka, Sproat and the rest of the Hawaiian Farmers of Hanalei announced ambitious p!ans for Project Waipa. One of their first immediate projects is to reeiaim a large section of the land whieh is actually under flood conditions because most of the auwai, whieh are still intact from the 1850s, has to be drained in order to put the !and back into production. Following the reclamation project, they want to put tne land into taro with the ultimate goal of establishing its own processing plant. Kapaka.estimates that 97 percent of the taro grown in the state comes from Hanalei. More lo'i kalo in Waipa will mean a better quality poi and cheaper to boot. Aquaculture and an indigenous plant nursery are other projects in the land's immediate plans. A master plan on Project Waipa by the Farmers must be submitted to Bishop Estate in November. Kapaka announced that the lease documents were received that day just before the blessing ceremony. She also explained that one of the first projects undertaken by her group was the renovation of an old shack on the premises. "This building," she explained, "is here to help serve as an outreach facility for Hawaiian organizations such as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Alu Like ine., Depart-

ment of Hawaiian Home Lands and Queen Lili'uokalani Childrens' Center. Its here and it is now available." Eventually, Sproat added, the Farmers hope to build its office building a little ways mauka of the present structure. Sproat noted, too, that there's a heiau and an old rice mill with a water wheel still intact. They hope to restore the rice mill and the water wheel so that it will run again. The Bishop Museum did an archaelogical study of the area.

OHA has been very mueh a part of Project Waipa. Trustee Moses Keale was asked to play an advocacy role by the group although he was kept abreast of all developments as they went along. So it was with more than passing interest that Keale was also singled out at the ceremony for his part in Project Waipa. Sylvester Keliipuleole of the Bishop Estate's land management division who worked closely with the group was also asked to say a few words and noted that "we hope this is a new beginning and that the young people will eome back to the land." Kapaka herself is an interesting individual. A full time

Kauai resident until slightly more than three years ago, she moved with her husband and children to Anchorage for a year and then to Point Barrow, Alaska, where they live and work among a large community of Eskimos. She is deeply involved in the native Alaskan indigenous program.

She said the Eskimos have virtually the same problems as the native Hawaiians with the exception of the reparations money they got some years back. She noted also that the Eskimos are a tightly knit group and you must live among them to understand their way of living. Kapaka, who says she tries to return home at least twice a month, and the other officers and board members planted coconut trees following the untying of a maile lei strung across the premises' entrance. One board member, Puulei, was unable to attend because of his job in Saudi Arabia but his son, William Jr., took his plaee. A luau followed the formal program.

B "V .-W* ■ I 1PII 1— II <■ ■%*> . * <■ ■■ ' M n, li 1 'nll 'M "ll'W 'H i li' I Board members and officers of the Hawaiian Farmers of Hanalei ine. plant coconut trees on Waipa land following blessing ceremony.

Rachel Mahuiki offers blessing in Hawaiian while son, Samson, a member of the board of directors, shields her from the broiling sun.

Untying maile lei to entrance of Waipa land are from left to right William Puulei Jr., David Sproat, Harry Ho and La France Kapaka-Arboleda, president of Hawaiian Farmers of Hanalei ine.

Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Moses K. Keale chats with William J. (Boy) Akana of Kalihiwai and his wife, Frances T. Akana, with Cecilia Marciel.

President La France Kapaka-Arboleda pauses a moment with her two daughters, Anela on the left and Selena. They returned the next day to Point Barrow, Alaska.