Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 36, Number 11, 1 November 2019 — Focus on Water Rights Advocacy on Maui [ARTICLE]

Focus on Water Rights Advocacy on Maui

By Davis Price & Aliantha Lim Native Hawaiian communities on Maui have fought for decades for the restoration of sufficient stream flow to support kalo farmers, subsistence practices, and native stream and coastal marine life, as required under the State Constitution. Article XI, Section 7, of the Hawai'i State Constitution details the State's obligation to protect, control, and regulate the use of Hawai'i's water resources to benefit its people, both current and future generations. But as in many communities across Hawai'i, for 150 years Maui eommunities have endured diversion of their streams for commercial profit by Big 5 entities. For 30 years, residents of East Maui, Central Maui and West Maui have engaged in legal battles to restore stream flows in their communities. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has been a staunch supporter, advocate, and plaintiff in the ongoing battles in East

Maui and Nā Wai 'Ehā. There have been victories in recent years with some stream flows being restored, but the straggle to protect these invaluable resources continues. As management of Maui's wai resources become more urgent, community-based advocacy will be critieal to ensure proper stewardship of these resources. In an effort to indentify strategies to elevate community advocacy on this issue, OHA will be hosting a panel discussion - E Ola I Ka Wai: Elevating Advocacy to Protect Our Precious Waters - and will premier a new short documentary PIo 'i Ka Wai I Kahi Kūpono at U.H. Maui College on Thursday, November 7. Panelists for the event include: Koa Hewahewa, Hōkūao Pellegrino, Ed Wendt, Summer Sylva, Bobby Pahia, and Ke'eaumoku Kapu, and will be moderated by Maui County Councilmember Keani Rawlins-Fernan-dez. Join us from 6-8 p.m. at U.H. Maui College's Pa'ina Building for the latest updates on Maui's water issues.B