Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 12, Number 9, 1 September 1995 — Da bad guys! [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Da bad guys!

bv Moanikea'ala Akaka Trustee, Hawai'i Regardless of whieh, if any, sovereignty group one identifies with — the arrest of Bumpy Kanahele at Honolulu Airport, August 2, should make all Hawaiians uneasy. Feds charge in 1994 that Bumpy

obstructed Hawaiian Nathan 1 Brown's incarceration for tax | protest. Also, on a State I level, 'Ohana Council has [ been using sovereignty | license plates, whieh has | caused arrests. Meanwhile no arrests have been made after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Nation in 1893 whieh was acknowledged illegal by President Clinton's

apology in 1993. In 1990 Nathan Brown and Raymond Kamaka were involved in a Federal tax

protest. Kamaka's 'ohana 'āina in Waikāne Valley was leased by the U.S. military for maneuvers with promises to elean it upon return to owner. Instead of cleaning up the land, the U.S. confiscated the land against the will of the legal owners. Frustrated at laek of altematives in seek-

ing justice — they did tax protest and were convicted; some like Kamaka served years in jail (political prison- | ers); Nathan Brown has been at large since his conviction. What kind of a system is this, that confiscates land because it refuses to live up to its agreement (to restore land for use), forces the owner to become tax protester "grasp-

ing for straws" as a last altemative in seeking justice? The victim, Raymond Kamaka has served two years in federal prison on

the mainland. As for harboring a tax evader, President Clinton — admitted and apologized for the long-outstanding theft of the Island from the Hawaiian Kingdom. One Hawaiian in half-jest, tongue-in-cheek sent to the 1RS his return, stating the U.S. government owed him $750,000. The IRS then sent him a eheek for three quarters of a million dollars! Now several of this Hawaiians Japanese-American friends got $20,000 from the U.S. for unlawful imprisonment during WWII. It could seem natural then that Hawaiians would be given something commensurate to the injury from the theft — loss of sovereignty, loss of language, loss of land base, and identity for over a century. $750,000 would be fair considering the AJA settlement. To spend the money sent by the govemment is the American thing to do if ever there was one. Ah, but now they want the money back and have convicted the

Hawaiian Nathan Brown of defrauding those who stole his Nation. Nathan was sentenced to 6-1/2 years. Bumpy is charged with obstmcting Nathan's arrest. The 'Ohana Council Hawaiian Natior (there are several including Ka Lāhui) has displayed a real necessary function ir Hawai'i today working with some citizens unable to make it in society at large. Yei there are those who are disturbed that the 'Ohana Council is on the 'āina ai Waimānalo — building homes with homeless families, reestablishing ancient tarc patches (that incidentally the FBI identifiec as fortified bunkers) and generally uplifting the lives of Waimānalo villagers. I suggest we all pull together and despite disagreements support Hawaiians using thc magic of aloha, hard work and our 'āina tc improve lives of our people as is happening at Waimānalo Village. Nuclear testing in the Pacific Everyone agrees that the resumption ol Nuclear Tests in South Pacific is a bac thing for Hawai'i, the Paeilīe and world — yet the U.S. government with its super muscle has executed no tangible pressurc on the French to alter their plans. Is ii because to the U.S. we are part of granc global plan — perhaps even a pawn in thc Great Chess Game? To people who live ir and love Hawai'i and Polynesia, we are thc main event and the resumption of Nueleai Tests in the Pacific by anyone is an invasion of the homeland by reckless, autocrat ie, neo-imperialistic barbarians. Why is the U.S. government not following the lead shown by all Pacific Nation; and Hawai'i in dissuading the French fron this nuclear reckless endangering? This i; the real issue — not the quasi-legal licensc plates and not even the specious charge ol harboring a felon — (who really are the bac guys here?) Mālama pono. Ua mau ke e; o ka 'āina i ka pono.