Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 9, 1 September 2011 — Wind farm comes at the expense of Hawaiians [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Wind farm comes at the expense of Hawaiians

By 'Anela Evans support any effort that will, in fact, move Hawai'i on a deliberate, responsible and appropriate path toward greater energy efficiency. I do not, however, support the proposed wind farm on Lāna'i because its limited benefits eome at too great a cost to the legacy passed on to us by

our ancestors: our 'āina, our way of life, our people present and future. Lāna'i is my home, my piko, my root connection to my ancestors. My 'ohana Haia has ancestral ties to Lāna'i through Lahaina. My hānai tūtū are Rebecca Kaopuiki

and Ernest Richardson of Kō'ele. Up to 22,000 acres (1/4 of the island) of the Ka'ā ahupua'a will be irretrievably disturbed by this project that requires the construction of as many as 200 410-foot tall turbines on concrete pads, eaeh the size of three double-decker buses. On this dry island, where will the water eome from to mix the concrete even for one pad? This project, expected to produce and export to O'ahu up to 200 megawatts of electricity (up to 15 percent of 0'ahu's current usage) via an undersea transmission eahle, will wreak havoc on the landscape, destroy cultural sites, replace hunting grounds, limit access to the oeean for food gathering, and impact fishing grounds and cultural practices. I empathize with my Lāna'i friends who have been made to fear the loss of their jobs if this project - promising energy efficiency (for everyone but them), job creation (probably limited to the period of build out) and a community benefits package - does not proceed on its current fast track.

I do not walk in their shoes, as I currently live, work and attend school on O'ahu. They have been placed in an unenviable position. But these threats are not new. In 1845, Lāna'ians petitioned Kamehameha III to request that he not sell 'āina to foreigners because they feared doing so would be devastating to their relationship with

the 'āina and, as a result, their livelihood. As this latest attempt to profit off the 'āina confirms, their fears were justified. Before western contact, our ancestors developed and refined a land and natural-resource use system

that sustained them for a thousand-plus years in one of the most remote places in the world. That system was informed by two related concepts: aloha 'āina and mālama 'āina. Today, this commitment to aloha and mālama 'āina remains vital to our survival as a people. Today we are again called on to sacrifice our home for the good of Hawai'i. But rather than encourage change in the manner and way we consume energy, this project enables and therefore condones irresponsible use and continued abuse. If we choose to live here and if we care about Hawai'i, shouldn't we all do our part to conserve energy? There is a more responsible, less destructive way to deal with this issue that will not compromise our values or our living resources for future generations. Ka'ā, our people, our 'āina and our ancestors deserve at least that mueh. ■ 'Anela Marie Kawehikulaonalani Evans is completing work on a master's degree in Hcrwcnian Studies at the University of Hawai'i-Mānoa.

Evans