Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 11, Number 2, 1 ʻAukake 1994 — Makapuʻu arrests; Spaceport: make, die, dead! [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Makapuʻu arrests; Spaceport: make, die, dead!

by Moanike'ala Akaka Trustee, Hawai'i The state \visely will not prosecute the 23 people (19 women) arrested at Makapu'u Junel5. Attorney General Robert Marks stated, "We've got a lot of serious crimes out there to prosecute. ... doesn't make sense to spend a lot of energy on this case." Negotiations between the "Ohana Council and the state led to peaceful arrests and the state's offer of 69 acres of Waimānalo (ceded) 'āina for oeeupation by our people. While a few are

concemed that this precedent could open a Pandora's box of Hawaiians occupying ceded lands, this trustee feels the more land oeeu- I pations the better! It encourages the state to deal with long-festering problems and directs the disenfranchised Hawaiians

towards tne basis ror their identity — "āina — from whieh are born culture, language, spirituality and a sense of "ohana. Unlike the American foreigners who stole our 'āina all at onee, we are advancing toward sovereignty step by step, building upon positive peaeeful accomplishments like Kaho'olawe. Unfortunately, it takes land oeeupations to help focus on the plight of our people. In my April eolumn I named many land struggles of the past 25 years. Certainly, occupations will eontinue to happen until the state starts setting aside huge acreages of ceded land, hundreds of thousands of acres throughout the islands, for Hawaiian use and habitation, preservation and eeonomie development. With 68 percent of the homeless being Hawaiians, living on beaches, hiding on back roads living in cars, under highways as did the 'ohana I wrote about, something must be done! Attorney General Robert Marks stated (Honolulu Advertiscr June 20) he "didn't want to evict and arrest people who were homeless because they had nowhere to go. I think that would be

inhumane. ... the appropriate response is to give them a plaee." Keith Ahue of DLNR in the same article stated, "The state legitimately wants to deal with broader social questions such as homelessness." This is an excellent opportunity for OHA to participate with other agencies, working with the state as well as the community in this process of healing our naiion. We are witnessing an inspiring Aloha Rcvolution whose result may well be positive, long-last-ine and from a slobal Der-

spective, nothing short of miraculous. Spaceport It seems as though J.W. "Doc" Buyers, C. Brewer head, refuses to aeknowledge that Ka'ū spaceport is make, die, dead! Speaking to Hawai'i Island Chamber of Commerce June 18,

Buyers stated that he believes "the opposition will quick!y erode." He and his company have been pushing the spaceport for over a decade and from this proposal's ineepīion, opposition has been strong and gaining more and more support, including the present and past mayors of Hawai'i County and a unanimous county eouneil resolution. Lt. Gov. Ben Cayetano has eome out against this proposal and Hawai'i residents want to know the other gubernatorial candidates' position on the spaceporl. While Buyers spoke of the potential growth of astronomy on Hawai'i, astronomers from Mauna Kea several years ago testified to Hawai'i County Council that the spaceport launches would tarnish the elean atmosphere needed to observe the heavens. A Honolulu Advertiser editorial on June 27 concerning Spaceport and Buyers' enthusiasm said that "right now, he sounds like the Lone Ranger." Mālama pono. Ua mau ke ea o ka 'āina i ka pono.