Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 1, 1 Ianuali 1991 — Ua ma ke ea o ka ʻaina i ka pono [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Ua ma ke ea o ka ʻaina i ka pono

by Moanikeala Akaka Trustee, Hawai'i

Hauoli makahiki hou to you and your 'ohana. I hope the holidays have been pleasant for you and yours and that as we go forward into the New Year, we have the vision and foresight to aim toward a better

Hawai'i for all of our children. The election is over, we weleome our new trustees: Rowena Akana, Clayton Hee, Abe Aiona, Kamaki Kanahele, and the return of Frenchy DeSoto. I hope we as trustees remember the words of wisdom given us by our kupuna Elizabeth Ellis and Aha Opio kia 'aina (youth governor) Nohealani NihipaK at our investiture in early December. We were reminded "there is no room for dissention" and to "put" aside the ego." Trustees were reminded to "get into the community and to listen and respohd to our people" (whieh I always try to do.) Both are excellent advice. As we begin the new year, this last decade of the century, we as Hawaiians, other residents of this state and public officials should seriously evaluate the direction and extent of development on these islands and consider the physical and social impact that has occurred and could worsen as time goes on. Is that what we want for our future in these islands? A case in point is Miloli'i, our very last rural Hawaiian fishing village. I realize I've focused on Miloli'i several times in my previous columns; and I do so because I feel it necessary to keep you abreast of what happens in that special village so that it too does not slip into oblivion as has mueh of our culture and life style. We must not allow this to happen. In December, the Land Use Commission continued its hearing on the proposed Hawaiian Riviera Resort in Ka'u with its impact on tiny Miloli'i. Your Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Pm proud to say, retained Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation to represent Pa'a Pono and the Miloli'i fishermen. Attending that Commission meeting was Dr. Jon Matsuoka, professor of social work at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, who testified on behalf of the Miloli'i fishermen. He stated "Resort means Miloli'i will die," according to the headline of the Honolulu Aduertiser on November 30. Dr. Matsuoka, as with many of us, is very eoncerned about the social and environmental impact this resort will have on Miloli'i. We are concerned about the quality of life, effects on land and sea, mental health and eeonomie, as well as cultural and social impact on this community. This is not only an issue in Miloli'i. The Honolulu Aduertiser editorial on Nov. 26 pointed out the eoneem about the quality of life in the community throughout our islands. We are talking about aloha 'aina, fellow Hawaiians. Our three women mayors have just been elected (one re-elected) and they all wisely lean toward "slow growth" (leave it to the wahines!). 1 would prefer to eall this "appropriate" growth! Mayors Lorraine Inouye, Linda Lingle, and Jo Ann Yukimura should be congratulated for realizing that we've got to put the brakes on this reckless race toward development at any cost. Most development proposals laek infrastructure due to laek of funds. Also affordable housing is wanting, and too frequently projects cause environmental degradation without considering social impact. The Aduertiser editorial points out the eoneem about populahon growth, employment opportunities and social impact on people's lives.

Resort developments cause additional social problems. The mental health of our Hawaiian people especially in rural communities is most definitely affected by resort development, in part due to near minimum wage jobs and a laek of affordable housing. Loeal resort workers travel across the Big Island to and from work, endure stress of higher prices and laek of 'aina in their own homeland. Socially these islands become more a plaee of haves and have-nots, whieh is a very unhealthy social-political situation. Must one wonder why there may be resentment among different racialeeonomie groups? Social problems breed discontent and a search for scapegoats. As intelligent, responsible citizens we must face the negative aspects of inappropriate development. Dr. Matsuoka suggests the state legislature fund in its 1991 session a statewide study of social impact of resort developments including mental health. This is a fundamental issue that ean no longer be ignored. This state must not continue to operate in a vacuum. It is felt that before we approve any more resorts, we must ask ourseives how change will affect the community, and analyze the effects. Kailua-Kona may serve as an example. This onee peaceful village is now teeming with tourist and real estate hustlers and is very expensive. Many Kailua-born and raised Hawaiians cannot afford to live there and must work at several lowpaying hotel jobs to make ends meet. Meanwhile, you ean hardly see the oeean qlong Ali'i Drive for all the fancy houses and condos blocking the view. All along the Kona coastline, people are saying enough is enough! The potential negative impact of growth in a rural area ean be devastating to communities onee isolated and insulated from outside influence. Areas like Lana'i and Ka'u on Hawai'i island will be severely affected. The proposed 400-boat marina at the proposed Hawaiian Riviera will of course affect the Miloli'i fishermen and their fishing grounds. These boats will tamper with the primary eeonomie resource of this fishing subsistence community — the fish! As Dr. Matsuoka points out, we should already know how important it is to maintain cultural diversity of Hawai'i. He advised the state to create cultural sanctuaries, like national parks. Miloli'i, a rare Hawaiian fishing village should be on top of the list for sanctuary status. We have advocated for years that we protect what is unique and special about our island home. It is time to act! Emerging international feeling leans toward preserving existing situations and lifestyles.

Matsuoka surveyed the Miloli'i residents on their attitudes about the proposed resort development. According to the Aduertiser, he found the residents were "overwhelmingly opposed to the project, unconvinced of its eeonomie benefit, and certain it would disrupt their fishing and lead to a higher coast of living." The majority of the Miloli'i people felt the Hawaiian Riviera would harm, not help Miloli'i. Fishing is a major issue and is "vital" to the community. It is eommon sense (the academics eall it "human ecologicaI approach") to live in balance — aloha 'aina. The marina will destroy the fishing grounds — and fishing is the basis of this eommunity's lifestyle and culture. Take away fishing and the Miloli'i community lifestyle disintegrates. The purpose for this survey was to clarify the issues. It is imperative to begin immediately a social impact analysis! lf history is to be taken into eonsideration, mitigation measures as far as development is concerned are only a gesture. Accordingly, Dr. Matsuoka feels that no mitigation is based on reality. This is partly why this trustee has abhorred the mitigation process and the memorandums of understanding OHA's staff has pushed. This professor was absolutely right when he pointed out to the Land Use Commission that mitigation was "tokenism, superficial and artifieial!" It is destructive to the authenticity of the eulture and fishing lifestyle of Miloli'i. As we have stated before, if we develop we must do it responsibly. Some forms of development are more important than othersand people need to be able to find alternatives. Dr. Matsuoka has studied three Hawaiian communities in Wai'anae, Kona and Lahaina. He says we must truly analyze communities at various states of development. We would be foolish to do otherwise for our present and future generations deserve no less. The developers of the Hawaiian Riviera Resort challenged the accuracy of Matsuoka's Miioli'i survey. The few Miloli'i residents who favor the proposed resort development refused to fill out the survey forms and returned them blank. Dr. Matsuoka only counted those who responded. However, all of those responding said fishing was important to their lifestyle. It is important that the Office of State Planning (OSP) under Governor Waihe'e push now for this statewide study of social impact of development. Malama Pono. Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina ika pono.