Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 6, 1 June 1997 — Molokaʻi Nui a Hina [ARTICLE]

Molokaʻi Nui a Hina

"Aloha 'Āina" is the motto whieh I live by. This phrase was coined by the late George Helm, leader of the Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana. It means literally, "love of the Iand," but on a deeper, spiritual level it connotes Hawaiians' profound, ancestral, and familial ties with the land. Aloha 'Aina conveys our inherent duty to mālama the 'aina as stewards and descendants of the land. As a former KIRC Commissioner, I have witnessed the evolution of our movement. Whereas in the past Hawaiian rights advocates had been considered "radical," today we are recognized as instrumental decision- ( makers in all arenas of government. As the representative of Moloka'i and Lāna'i, I am keenly aware of the needs of our people in the rural eommunities and neighboring islands. Understanding the community in this way allows me to understand both the intimate and broader needs of our Hawaiian people. Moloka'i is aptly known as the "friendly isle" as well as "Moloka'i pule o'o." Indeed, our people's mana comes from our strength in prayer and our unity. Moloka'i may be characterized as the ideal model of "sustainability," "community cohesiveness," and "environmentalism." It is a plaee whieh promotes the cultivation of the "taro roots" 'Ohana and links all generations, from kūpuna, to mākua, to nā kamali'i. Aloha 'Āina is the basis that reflects our love and respect for the land and eaeh other. In 1993 Governor Waihee's Subsistence Task Force Investigations revealed that subsistence is critical to the lifestyle and maintenance of 'ohana practices on Moloka'i. As the May 4th Honolulu Advertiser depicted, the maiority of

our residents use subsistence fishing, hunting, gathering, raising of livestock, and gardening as a substantial supplement to their ineome or as the major source for survival. Often ignored is the fact that subsistence is a valid part of the economy. To this end, residents have designated important sacred sites, nursery and fishing erounds. hunHne areas.

lands essential for gathering lā'au or medicinal plants, and areas where access to engage in traditional, subsistence practices are essential. We have further protected the northwestern shore of our island as a cultural marine preserve, where commercial fishing and certain abusive fishing practices are prohibited and only cultural subsistence fishing is permitted. In recent times, the integrity of the community process and unity of our people have been jeopardized. Moloka'i Ranch, owned by a New Zealand company, has proposed redevelopment of Maunaloa town and the "Great Moloka'i Ranch Trail," a Iow-rise luxury resort development on the west end of Moloka'i. With these developments eome sacrifice; sacrifice of water resources belonging to other ahupua'a that are critical for existing residential use, agriculture use, use by Hawaiian homesteaders, and maintenance of native biota. It also means sacrifice of our rural, subsistence lifestyle. In my support of preserving Moloka'i's natural and eultural resources, I have been criticized to have stifled eeonomie development. This is not true. I have always taken a conservative approach to land use on Moloka'i, careful to distinguish realistic eeonomie opportunity from enterprise requiring eultural and environmental exploitation. There is only one Moloka'i. It is enough for us to learn vicariously from other islands like O'ahu that too many negative side-effects and uncertainties stem from basing one's entire eeonomie security on the tourism industry. Sustainability is about Aloha 'Aina and achieving a result whieh is pono. Pono reflects right conduct and maintaining the highest degree of integrity in one's relationship to the 'āina and with the rest of humanity. It is loving and respecting the land, infusing the same ethic in the community, and furnishing alternatives wliieh do not sacrifice but build cultural identity and dignity. I intend to stand by this same motto in the Office of Hawaiian Affairs as your trustee.

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