Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 10, 1 ʻOkakopa 2006 — Palace showdown [ARTICLE]

Palace showdown

Having lived in Hawai'i 44 years, I am very "Hawaiian at heart" and have been to demonstrations in support of Hawaiians. It amazes me how the federal and state governments continually wrong native rights. I read with dismay the incursion of state Sen. Slom and state Rep. Barbara Marumoto upon Hawaiians. It is a drastic insult, and there are those who cannot understand the furor among Hawaiians. 'Iolani Palaee is a sacred area of history, especially for Hawaiians. To invade that honor brings shame on Slom and Marumoto. They should have known better, being representatives of state government. We, as non-Hawaiians in Hawai'i, have to give the ultimate space to Hawaiians and never interfere with the host culture. The haoles and others just don't get it, after all has been written and read and recorded of the overthrow of Queen Lili'uokalani and the Hawaiian kingdom. Slom and Marumoto are suspect. Barbara Marumoto is of Japanese heritage from California and was not born here, and the same applies to Sam Slom. What a mess and insult they have made in celebrating statehood at the seat of the Hawaiian monarchy. I hope this event is an "eye opener," especially for haoles and others. No matter where we are from, we should not tread upon the Hawaiian people. Ua noa ka 'āina A ke akua Ho'onani i ka makua mau Let peaee be on this land of God, praise God from whom

all blessings flow. (From an ancient Hawaiian chant offering a prayer for the future.) Miehael P. Augusta Hnnnliilu (l'nhu

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