Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 26, Number 1, 1 January 2009 — Top 10 stories of [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Top 10

stories of

By ī. Ilihia Giūnsan | Publicatiūns Editur

■X"t's that time of the year again, when we look back on last year as we prepare to face the year ahead. Land is a central issue in Ka Wai Ola'& biggest news stories of 2008, from a movement to protect our kalo from genetic modification, to the eviction of Native Hawaiians both those living and those who have passed on, to working to protect the land trust obtained from the Kingdom •^LofHawai'i, and to building partnerships to get more native Hawaiians onto homestead lands. Here is our list of the 10 biggest news stories of 2008.

1Ceded lands settlement attempted A proposed agreement announced lan. 18 to settle OHA's claims of ceded lands revenues from 1978 to 2008 was not passed by the Hawai'i state Legislature. The settlement would have transferred to OHA a mix of land and money valued at $200 million, and would set a minimum for future annual payments at $15.1 million. While some in the Hawaiian eonnnunity viewed it as a good move to collect on past-due revenues, others saw the settlement as too little, too late or as barring future actions seeking reparations. 2Supreme Court agrees to hear ceded lands lawsuit In 1994, OHA and four individual plaintiffs sued to prevent the state from selling ceded lands; specifically in that case, 500 acres in Lahaina, Maui, and 1,000 acres

in Kona, Hawai'i. A state Circuit Court ruled in 2002 that the state could indeed sell the lands,

but that decision was overtumed on lan. 31, 2008, when the Hawai'i Supreme Courtunan- ja imously ruled that

the state cannot sell or transfer any ceded lands until all unrelinquished claims to the lands by Native Hawaiians are settled. In April, the state appealed the

case to the U.S. Supreme Court, and in October, the court decided to hear the case. About 400 people gathered at the state Capitol in November to urge the state to drop the appeal. The Supreme Court will hear the case on Feb. 25, and issue its decision by Iuly. 3Kahana families face eviction Families living in the Ahupua'a 'O Kahana State Park since the 1980s as part of a living cultural park concept eame close to eviction in October, when the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said that had no legal authority to issue new leases to the families in the park. Six keiki of the original lessees - some of whom had built homes with temporary permits in anheipation of being issued leases - were given 90 days to vacate. But an 1 lth-hour push by lawmakers and supporters stayed the evictions. The 2009 Legislature

will consider amendf ing the law to resolve the situation.

4Naue iwi disturbed A eonflict arose on Kaua'i's north shore, when landowner loe Brescia

II sought to build a house on top of a site at Naue with at least 30 known burials. After construction began, a judge

ruled that the State Historic Preservation Division didn't fully do its job in protecting the iwi kupuna. The landowner was then wamed that any construction would be at his own risk should the burial eouneil decide to relocate the iwi or take other action. Trials begin this month for individuals charged with criminal trespass during the protests. 3Elections In 2008, we saw the eleetion of Hawai'i-bom and bred Barack Ohama to the presidency of the United States. Ohama, who visited the Islands for a campaign rally at Ke'ehi Lagoon in August, included support of the Akaka Bill in his platfonn. In loeal news, Native Hawaiians were elected mayor on Kaua'i and Hawai'i Island. A proposal to hold a convention to amend the Hawai'i state Constitution was voted down. And at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, all four incumbent trustees running for re-election were voted back in. 6Moloka'i Ranch shutdown The Moloka'i conununity was divided over a plan by major landowner and the island's largest employer, Moloka'i Ranch, to build 200 luxury homes at Lā'au Point in exchange for more jobs and a large donation of land to a puhlie land trust. Concerns ranged from the scarcity of water to the impacts that residents of 200 luxury homes would have on Moloka'i's rural, subsistence life-

style. In the end, Moloka'i Ranch decided not to move forward with the plan and the company's operations shut down at the end of March. The company's demise left about 120 employees jobless in the connnunity of about 7,500. n OHA and DHHL embark / historic partnership On lune 5, OHA and DHHL entered into a historic agreement: OHA agreed to provide $3 million a year for up to 30 years to cover the debt service for up to $40 million in bonds to help the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to get more Hawaiians in homes sooner. As a result of the agreement, DHHL estimated that up to 500 additional beneficiaries could be in homes over the next year and a half . 8Auē, ua hala Many notable people in our Hawaiian connnunity passed away in 2008, including: • Hawaiian falsetto ieon Genoa Leilani Adolpho Keawe-Aiko (Oct. 31, 1918 - Feb. 25, 2008) • Slack key guitar master and Nahonal Living Treasure Raymond Kaleoalohapoinaoleohelemanu Kāne (Oct. 2, 1925 - Feb. 27, 2008) • Entertainer Anthony "Tony" Yukim Lindsey (Apr. 20, 1929 - Mar. 15, 2008) • Fonner Lunalilo Trust trustee and King Kamehameha Celebration Commissioner Renee-Michele Keahi Allen (Oct. 25, 1941 April 7, 2008)

• Beloved composer, chanter, storyteller, educator, author, activist, and matriarch Aunty Winona Kapuailohiamanonokalani Desha Beamer (Aug. 15, 1923 - April 10, 2008) • Noted kumu hula, chanter, Living Treasure and constant promoter of Hawaiian culture John Keolamaka'āinanakalāhuioka laniokamehamehaekolu Lake (Oct. 11, 1937 - May 14, 2008) • Kaua'i mayor Bryan Baptiste (Oct. 15, 1955 - lune 22, 2008) • Waimea Valley historian and archaeologist Rudolph Earl Leikamana Mitchell Sr. Hun. 9. 1927 - Sent. ^

14, 2008) • Esteemed feather lei maker and

teacher Mary Louise Kaleonahenahe Wentworth i Peek Kekuewa (Feb. 5, 1926 - Nov. 18, 2008)

9'lolani Palaee break-in/ occupation On April 30, the Hawaiian Kingdom Government, headed by Mahealani Kahau, asserted its status as the functioning government of Hawai'i by

blocking access to 'Iolani Palaee in Honolulu for about six hours. After that.

KA MAKAHIKI I HALA - LDDKING BAJXiT 2ŪŪ8 ^

the group applied for the required permit and peacefully conducted its business on the palaee lawn on weekdays. On Aug. 15, the group Kingdom of Hawai'i, Nation, went further by breaking into the palaee itself and attempting to seat its leader, Akahi Nui, on the throne. Six members of the group were charged with burglary and one with assault on an 'Iolani Palaee staff member. 1 No ean grow 1U GMO kalo Activists statewide pushed for the state Legislature to ban the genetic modification of kalo, for reasons ranging from fear of eontamination of non-GMO varieties of kalo to respect of kalo's role in Hawaiian culture. Although a hill was not passed on the state level, the issue had success on the county level. On Hawai'i Island, the County Council voted 9-0 to pass an ordinance banning the genetic engineering of kalo and coffee on the island. The measure was vetoed by then-mayor Harry Kim, citing the difficulty of enforcing such a ban. But the eouneil overrode the mayor's veto, and on Nov. 13, the ban heeame ':|W- ®

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