Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 8, 1 ʻAukake 2000 — In memory [ARTICLE]

In memory

Unele Joseph Kaihe said this was going to be a special year for kanaka maoli. It was for him because after his death he was taken home to Maui. Unele Joseph was a fellow indigenous Hawaiian, a devoted husband and father who dutifiilly served in the U.S. Army and as Ka Lāhui Po'o of Salt Lake City. He was a descendant of Kauauanui a Mahi of Hawai'i and of Iao Valley. In 1993, Unele Joseph helped create the resolution of recognition of Moku Honu Hawaiians in the Ka Lāhui legislature. He stood onipa'a with us in its initial rejection Unele Joseph's life taught us to recognize the living grapple with principles such as those that affect Hawaiian self-deter-mination. Those same principles were contemplated in Worcester vs. Georgia (1832) whieh provides the state cannot make laws affecting native nations

that are repugnant to the constitution, treatise and laws of the United States. With federal recognition comes recognition of the law of the land, and federal laws recognize native rights to self-deter-minahon. Aspo'o, Unele Joseph was one of many who worked toward making federally recognized self-determination a reality. Sharon Lum Ho Berkeley, Calif. OHA reserves the right to edit all lettersfor length, defamatory and libelous material, and other objectionable content, and reserves the right to print on a space available basis. Letters are authorizedfor publication on a one-letter, per subject, per year basis. The inclusion ofa letter author's title is a courtesy extended by Ka Wai Ola and does not constitute validation or recognition ofthe writer as such. All letters must be typed, signed and not exceed 200 words. Send letters to Ka Wai Ola o OHA, 711 Kapi'olani Blvd„ Suite 500, Honolulu, HI 96813. Readers ean also email their letters to oha@aloha.net. ■

LETTERS From page 2