Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 12, 1 Kekemapa 1992 — Pai ʻohana at Kaloko Honokōhau and misappropriation of Hawaiian studies funds at UH Hilo [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Pai ʻohana at Kaloko Honokōhau and misappropriation of Hawaiian studies funds at UH Hilo

by Moanike'ala Akaka Trustee, Hawai'i

I would like to take this opportunity to say "Mahalo nui loa" for your vote of eonfidence whieh allows me to return

as your Hawai'i island trustee. I also say mahalo to my worthy opponents and all other OHA candidates who offered their energies to serve our people. Looking at the array of candidates in OHA's election issue, I saw some good ideas and would Iike to feel free to eall upon them in the future while we together eominue to serve the Hawaiian people. Among many important issues this month are two I must bring to your attention. One is the situation with the Pai 'ohana at what is now KalokoHonokōhau Nahonal Park, outside of Kailua-Kona. The second issue is the misappropriation, since 1987, of Hawaiian studies funds by the ehancellor of the University of Hawai'i, Hilo. These are just two more issues to add to the many, many transgressions against our Hawaiian nation and people as we end 1992 and enter into the 100th year of remembering the overthrow of our Hawaiian nation and the loss of Hawaiian sovereignty. Sovereignty will be an important issue as we go forward — but not the only issue, and we will need our best

brains and sincerest commitment to cure what ails our people today. Kaloko-Honokōhau The Pai family has been living in the area of Honokōhau for over eight generations. Mahealani Pai showed me the coconut tree under whieh his father was born. In the past few years the National Park Service has acquired Honokōhau from the Greenwell family, annexing it to the Kaloko Honokōhau National Historic Park. The Greenwells had an agreement with National Park Service that the Pai family would be allowed to reside where they were. In 1974, when historically and eulturally rich Kaloko was first acquired and designated a national park, a document was put together entitled the "Spirit of Kaloko Honokōhau" by Hawaiian community members, including Hawaiian treasures such as 'lolani Luahine, Homer Hayes, George Pineaka, Arthur Chun, Nani Bowman, Philippo Springer and Kenneth Emory, who are now deceased. This proposal called for establishing a nahonal cultural park at Kaloko-Honokohau, north Kona. (This area abuts Kohanaiki, also known as "Pine Trees." Nansay, a Japanese development firm, still wants to turn this into a resort and boat marina.) According to the group Nā Kōkua Kaloko-Honokohau, "After 18 years of patiently waiting for this 'Spirit of Kaloko-Honokōhau' proposal to become a reality, the National Park Service 1992 draft General

Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement has lost the spirit and betrayed the trust and confidence of those visionary planners of 1974." What had been proposed as a living cultural park and emphasized in testimony in public hearings in 1991 to the National Park Service, is now being shifted toward visitor recreation. Instead of the primary beneficiaries being native Hawaiians and locals, the beneficiaries in the new plan will be tourists and researchers. As late as 1991, the NPA draft called for a "living cultural entity." Yet, in public hearings held in October in Kona, Hilo and Honolulu, the NPS refers to eventually getting rid of all loeal, experienced and know!edgeab!e Hawaiians who live in the park. This obviously referrs to the Pai 'ohana, who have been living at Honokōhau and practicing their traditional Hawaiian fishing lifestyle as their kūpuna did before them. Mahealani Pai and his 'ohana have been sharing their knowledge of that area with those who eome to the park. They have made presentations throughout the community to Hawaiians, locals, and visitors at no cost to the national park — yet the National Park Service wants to kiek this Hawaiian 'ohana out of there. Hurricane 'Iniki destroyed the makai homes that Mahealani Pai and his 'ohana resided in; they now live in tents, refusing to leave the 'āina of their roots where they are the caretakers of an ancient heiau as well. Mueh testimony was given at these hearings, including that of Chairman

Clayton Hee on behalf of the BOT in Kona, and my own testimony on O'ahu, supporting the Pai family' s right to remain on national park land. This family is exercising its sovereign rights as Hawaiians to remain as a living part of our culture on this 'āina of their roots — and nothing should be done to deny them this act of traditional, cultural sovereignty. Community groups of Kailua-Kona who supported the Pai 'ohana include the Daughters of Hulihe'e Palaee and the Kona Hawaiian Civic Club. There is also congressional support for the Pai family as well as support from Big Island Rep. Virginia Isbell and Sen. Malama Solomon. If this family, whose roots go way back in this area, is not allowed to stay, no Hawaiian family is safe ffom displacement from the 'āina ho'opulapula anywhere in Hawai'i today. Please support them. I will stand behind them all the way in their righteous and peaceful efforts to selfdetermine their destiny and keep our culture alive. The National Park Service plan reveals an insensitivity toward Hawaiians by the federal government. Their desire is to see us stuffed and properly preserved in a museum rather than as living, chanting, fishing Hawaiians appreciating the 'āina of our ancestors. UH Hilo Last month, an interesting series of events surfaced at the Hawaiian studies department at UH Hilo. Il seems continued page 23

OHA Trustee's Views Ka mana'o o nū Kahu Waiwai pūkahi

(This eolumn is open to all OHA trustees to express their individual views and does not necessarily represent the official position of the OHA board of trustees.)

Trustee Akaka from page 21

that since 1987, monies meant for the Hawaiian studies program were directed away by Hilo College Chancellor Kormondy to other programs, even though line-itemed by the Legislature for Hawaiian studies. Hawaiian studies then had to take funding from the Hale Kuamo'o language immersion program (whieh translates textbooks from English to Hawaiian for language immersion students with the DOE) to pay for staff in the Hawaiian studies program. The Hawaiian studies department has been patiently expecting its funds to be reimbursed, but they finally drew the line and said, "enough is enough" when they were told they must pay another teacher's salary out of the Kuamo'o program.. Cancellation of classes has been avoided for now,

but the future is in question. More and more students are signing up for Hawaiian studies classes. Hundreds showed up at a rally to support an end to the administration's fund manipulation. These maneuvers show a laek of eoncern and sensitivity to things Hawaiian by a malihini who will be on his way back to the mainland at year's end. This situation deserves to be, and will be watched. There is a growing demand for Hawaiian programs, and the vitality of our university programs today will determine our cultural integrity tomorrow. No compromises ean be tolerated in saving our language and culture! A joyous holiday to you and your 'ohana! Mālama pono. Ua mau ke ea o ka 'āina i ka pono.