Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 26, Number 1, 1 January 2009 — State's agenda [ARTICLE]

State's agenda

It seems that the relationship between the state and the Native Hawaiian conununity significantly worsened this year. No sooner than the state closed down Hale Na'au Pono in Wai'anae that the families of Kahana Valley were slated to be abruptly thrown out. And then we read about Mākua Valley and the iwi kupuna there and at other locations. In a letter to Ka Wai Ola, a Mr. Prescott declares that King Kamehameha II banned the "old" - Hawaiian - religious practices and that, therefore, they could not and should not exist nowadays. How shortsighted! No decree and no ban ean abolish the feelings and beliefs of the people involved. Any tyranny ean last only

so long even though it ean persecute peoples' religious practices! And our governor seems adamant about taking all Hawaiian ceded lands for the benefit of "all," i.e., the United States of America! So, it would behoove us to remember that a government ean appropriate the lands, that it ean persecute religious practices, but that it ean not legislate people's religion, feelings or beliefs. So, State, what's next on your appropriations agenda? Kosta Stojanovich Honolulu