Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 5, 1 May 1997 — Hawaiian community comes together for 24-hour unity vigil [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hawaiian community comes together for 24-hour unity vigil

Hawaiian organizations, community groups and individuals joined in a statewide 24 hour spiritual vigil in a demonstration of unity and support for the ! preservation of Native Hawaiian rights whieh started April 18 at noon. The vigil, "Aloha ke Akua, Ho'olōkahi 1 me ke Aloha," was sponsored by a hui of • Hawaiian organizations and the Office of j Hawaiian Affairs. Mini vigils were held on the neighbor islands, and many churches I rang the OHA Trustee Rowena Akana called the I vigil "a demonstration of Hawaiians coming together as one people with one voice to tell I state leaders that our rights as the host peoI ple of these islands are not expendable." Repeatedly over the past century, eonK| tracts and agreements have been made to I Hawaiians for the return of ceded land and I just compensation for the use of it. And I repeatedly they have been broken. Actions by the Legislature and state administration onee again have threatened « to break more promises. Of particular eon- / cern has been House Bill 2207 whieh would 1 completely rewrite existing law on ceded

lands, break many existing agreements between the state and Hawaiians, and slash payments for ceded lands. The vigil's message is simple, "The power of the Hawaiian people speaking with one voice saying keep the promise. No more will our destiny be denied. Organizations participating in the vigil included the Royal Order of Kamehameha, the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, Independent Nation State of Hawai'i, Council of Hawaiian Orgranizations, Maunalaha Valley Association, Ahupua'a o Wai'anae, Waimānalo Homestead Association, Kaona, Hawaiian Homestead Association, the Kekahuna 'Ohana and many others.

M*? x w Ka Wal Ola o OHA (May) 97

/k 1 1 1 /k 1 Ho'olōkahi me ke Aloha ■ : : ■ ■ "■■■ ■-