Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 10, 1 October 2003 — Mākua misperception [ARTICLE]

Mākua misperception

Sterling Kini Wong's report (Nū Hou, September KWO) on the burning in Mākua Military ■Reservation should have included observations and comments from the many community supporters

who were there. The fire didn't destroy the valley. The plants, whieh ean be found in other areas, will be back with the next rainfall. A plus side is, it will now be made possible to safely access more land than previously planned. Criticism of the military's knowledge of Hawaiian culture by Christians who chant prayers and make altar offerings to a Polynesian god is not justified. Incidentally, how does fire destroy a supernatural or divine power (mana), and since when is the MMR the property (kuleana) of Hui Mālama o Mākua? Regarding stewardship, look at the 'ōpala on Mākua's roadsides, beaches, and the rubbish dumped on land adjacent to Yokohama heaeh, and it'll be clear as to who is better at caring for the land. It should be known that Hawai'i's sons and daughters also train on the MMR, and since all training is designed to accomplish missions with minimum casualties, doesn't it make

more sense to malama "life" rather than a damn plant or snail? 6/7/ Prescott VFW member Wai'anae