Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 11, Number 6, 1 Iune 1994 — OHA hears community input on 'Upolu Point [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA hears community input on 'Upolu Point

bv Patrick Johnston The Office of Hawaiian Affairs held a public meeting at Kohala Elementary School May 13 to gather community input on a proposal to turn the former 'Upolu Point Coast Guard LORAN station into a native Hawaiian cultural learning center. Thirty-eight acres of the federallyowned station has been leased free of charge to OHA. Community members would like to get OHA support in creating the learning center. The land has been occupied for over a year by several groups as part of an effort to return the land to Hawaiians.

Close to 100 people attended the meeting whieh heard input from community members, the Coast Guard, and representatives from two groups with plans for the center. Trustee Kīna'u Kamali'i said at the beginning of the meeting that it was important for all of the groups involved to work together and that OHA was prepared to discuss any concerns the community might have. The first to speak was George Cook, whose group Holo I Mua 'O Kohala was one of the first to occupy the site. He stressed the

importance of making a center that would promote the education, health, eulture and language of the Hawaiian people, and of working with existing agencies like OHA a n d Kamehameha

Schools in building the center. Also presenting a proposal was Katie Nawahina, a representative from the Kaname'e and Perez 'ohana, who a!so occupied the point. She stressed the importance of promoting education and culture in the center, but said she wanted to see these used to help bring about sov-

ereignty for Hawaiians. Other speakers at the meeting were noted members of the Hawaiian eommunity in Kohala including traditional healer Papa Henry Auwae, whose family roots are in Kohala. Auwae supported the community's efforts and said he would lend his extensive knowledge of

Hawaiian medicines to help enrich the center. Kamali'i said at the conclusion of the meeting that OHA would set no timetable as to when a decision would be made on 'Upolu Point and would wait for the eommunity to eome together on a proposal for trustees to consider.

'Upolu Point Coast Guard LORAN Station barracks in Kohala. Photo by Patrick Johnston