Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 4, 1 April 1990 — Protector of Hawaiian rights dead at 42 [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Protector of Hawaiian rights dead at 42

Ka'olelo Lambert John Ulaleo 1948-1990 Ka'olelo Lambert John Ulaleo was a Native Hawaiian who was raised in Kalapana, Hawai'i. Ulaleo actively engaged in traditionaI Hawaiian cultural and spiritual practices whieh were taught to him by his grandmother. He fought to protect sacred sites in the volcano areas and access to them. He challenged the state's exchange of ceded trust lands at Wao Kele 'O Puna for Campbell Estate lands at Kahauale'a in a lawsuit in whieh he was represented by the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation and the Native American Rights Fund. Ulaleo believed that the exchange, and the resulting geothermal development in Wao Kele 'O Puna, would destroy the native forest and traditional gathering areas, and that the exchange was a clear breach of the state's trust responsibility to Native Hawaiians. On behalf of Ulaleo, the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation worked with the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park administration to develop a policy statement regarding Native Hawaiian use of the park for cultural, religious and spiritual purposes. The policy statement recognizes the right of Hawaiians, their family members and guests, to enter this park for traditional cultural, religious or spiritual purposes without the payment of entrance fees. The statement implements the American Indian Religious Freedom Act along with Nahonal Park Service management policies on use of nahonal parks by Native Americans. TTie Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation is publishing the full policy statement in honor of Ka'olelo Lambert John Ulaleo. It is one of the gifts given to the Hawaiian community by this courageous and caring man. United State Department of the Interior National Park Service HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK Policy Statement On Native Hawaiian Use Of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park This policy statement provides guidelines within whieh Hawaii Volcanoes National Park implements the Native American Relationship Management Policy as it relates to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (P.L. 95-341). National Park Service Management Policies Regarding Native American Use of Parks. One of the overall policies of the National Park Service is to manage, develop and execute its programs in a manner that respects the culture, and religious traditions of Native Amenean tribes or groups. The term "Native American" encompasses American Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, native Hawaiians, and other native American peoples of the Pacific Islands. Specifically, the Nahonal Park Service has pledged to ensure the following: 1. That regulations on access to and use of natural and culture resources in the parks will not unreasonably interfere with native American use of traditional areas or sacred resources. 2. That the park superintendents will establish and maintain effective consultant relationships with potentially affected native Amenean tribes, groups or individuals. 3. That all management decisions will reflect a knowledge and understanding of potentially affected native American cultures. The above policies are subject to change or modification when necessary to ensure the safety of participant, visitors and employees in the Park or to protect the resources of the Park as mandated by the Congress of the United States. In addition, the Amenean Indian Religious Freedom Act (42 USC 1996) states that it is a policy of the United States to protect and preserve native American rights to believe, express, and exercise their traditional religion. Consequently, it is a policy of the Nahonal Park Service to be as

unrestrictive as possible in permitting native Americans access to and use of religious or spiritual sites and sacred resources for traditional ceremonies. Thus, the policy of the Nahonal Park Service is to permit members of native American tribes or groups to enter parks and eamp overnight in approved areas for traditional cultural and religious purposes without paying entrance fees. The Nahonal Park Service is also committed to protecting sacred resources to the extent practicable and will not disclose the loeahon and nature of such sacred sites and resources of the general public. Native Hawaiian use of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Pursuant to the above Nahonal Park Service policies, and the direction and constraints of Congress, it is the policy of the Hawaii Volcanoes Nahonal Park administration to maintain the park and develop their programs in a manner that respects, allows and encourages the perpetuation of the cultural, and religious traditions of nahve Hawaiians. This is implemented by the following specific policies. 1. Hawaiians may enter the park and/or eamp overnight in approved sites for traditional cultural, and religious or spiritua! proposes without paying an entrance fee. Any Hawaiian entering the park for these purposes will have entrance fees waived upon stating to the park entrance station employees that he or she is Hawaiian and has eome for traditional Hawaiian cultural purposes. As an alternative, Hawaiians who do not want to identify themselves at the entr anee station at eaeh visit to the park, may instead obtain an annual pass without charge at the park headquarters. In filling out the applieahon for the annual pass, one must indicate he or she is Hawaiian and is applying for an annual pass to use the park for traditional Hawaiian cultural or religious practices, and an annual pass will be issued without charge. It is understood upon receiving this pass that it will not be used to gain entrance for recreational or nontraditional proposes.

2. Hawaiians who are residents of the Kalapana area in the Puna District on the Island of Hawaii and who qualify under 36 CFR 7.25 (a)(3) to fish and gather sea life in the Kalapana Extension of the park, may also enter without payment of an entrance fee upon stating their intentions. 3. Hawaiians who wish to collect protected native plants for religious or medical purposes may do so by first obtaining a permit from park headquarters. The types and amounts of protected native plants that have been designated as available for eolleehon under special permits have been developed through close consultation with those in the Hawaiian community know!edgeable in this field. This consultation between the park and the Hawaiian community will ensure access to the plant material for traditional non-commercial uses while preserving the plants for all hme to eome. 4. Hawaiians who wish to have special access to closed eruption areas may do so by identifying themselves as Hawaiians who wish access for traditional cultural or religious purposes. The Park Service will make every effort to ensure that Hawaiians entering understand the inherent hazards ofsuchentry and that their activity must not result in creating a hazardous situation for themselves, park visitors or park employees. 5. The park administration also wishes to develop an ongoing consultation relationship with the Hawaiian community so that there ean be systematic input into the development of park policies. Specifically, such consultants could aid in developing accurate historical and cultural information for interpretive programs, accurate use of Hawaiian language in exhibits and signs, guidelines in carrying out new projects to insure that they have minimal effects on Hawaiian traditional uses and values and review of the protected native plant listings. If anyone of Hawaiian ancestry wishes to become a consultant, please contact the Chief Ranger or Park Superintendent at (808) 967-7311 or at park headquarters. The above policies regarding native Hawaiian use of Hawaii Volcanoes Nahonal Park also apply to non-Hawaiian family members and friends who accompany Hawaiians to the park for traditional cultural and religious purposes. Thus the following specific policy will be imp!emented: 1. Non-Hawaiian family members and friends who accompany Hawaiians for the purposes of engaging in traditional Hawaiian religious and cultural practices may enter the park and/or eamp overnight in approved areas without paying an entrance fee. Any nonHawaiian entering the park under these conditions will have the entrance fees waived upon: the Hawaiian person stating that he or she is Hawaiian and is here for traditional cultural reasons and that the non-Hawaiian is entering with them to share this purpose.

Kaolelo L. J. Ulaleo

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