COMMENTARY
Fight continues to save Kaho'olawe

Aloha. The Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana is the grassroots organization that has struggled since January 1976 to stop Navy bombing of Kaho'olawe and restore its cultural and natural resources.

Behind an array of offerings, Kaho'olawe cultural practitioners perform an opening ceremony for a new water catchment system. Advertiser library photo • Dec. 5, 2002

The Navy spoke of the island's significance from a national defense perspective. From this perspective, it should be noted that by the Gulf War, Kaho'olawe had become obsolete, because primary training had shifted to other state-of-the-art electronic target ranges.

In 1993, when Congress recognized Kaho'olawe as a national treasure, it was the island's cultural and natural resources that led to an outlay of $400 million to clear the island of ordnance.

For readers who may be new to Kaho'olawe, the island traditionally was honored as a sacred realm of Hawaiian deities, in particular the Hawaiian god of the ocean, Kanaloa.

After contact with the West, Kanaloa was degraded by goats, sheep and cattle ranching, and finally live-fire combat training by all branches of the U.S. military as well as navies of allied countries.

In January 1976, Native Hawaiians occupied Kanaloa to draw national attention to the desperate conditions of Native Hawaiians. Not only did the protesters witness vast destruction, they also sensed a deep spiritual force.

In seeking an explanation, early occupiers sought out Native Hawaiian kupuna (elders) who shared their traditional knowledge. The original significance of Kanaloa as a sacred island was revealed, and led to a revival of the traditional Hawaiian value of aloha 'aina (love and respect of land and nature). Gradually, the movement to stop the desecration of Kanaloa grew into a major cultural renaissance throughout our Islands.

Beginning in 1980, the Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana has taken more than 13,000 people of every ethnicity to the island under a consent decree with the Navy. Given our commitment to 'ohana (family) values, customs and practices, these participants have ranged from infancy to 86 years old.

When the Navy states there is safe and meaningful access to the island, it is because of the hard work and safety protocols carried out by the Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana under the guidance of, and blessings from, our elders and our ancestors. The Navy places numerous obstacles before us and we overcome them, one by one.

The goal of the massive and expensive cleanup of Kanaloa is to expand safe access for all of Hawai'i's people — native and nonnative — to experience and connect with the Native Hawaiian culture that is the core of our island society.

Unfortunately, despite the millions of dollars spent, only 9 percent of the island will be "cleared" of subsurface ordnance. And in these areas, the Navy can guarantee only that they have 90 percent confidence that 85 percent of the ordnance in each area has been detected and cleared. Another 69 percent of the island will be "surface cleared" and 31 percent will not be cleared at all.

What does this mean? Access to our beloved island will continue to be limited to the "cleared" areas and uncleared areas with escorts trained to detect and handle unexploded ordnance. Activities will focus on the healing and restoration of the cultural and natural resources of Kanaloa, not on recreation, not on commercial activities, not on resettlement. And the Navy needs to be held accountable to clear Kanaloa of remaining ordnance.

Is this the end? No. Under state law, when the Navy transfers control of Kanaloa to the state, it will be held in trust for transfer to the sovereign Hawaiian entity when it is re-established and recognized by the federal and state governments. The 'ohana is committed to holding the Navy accountable eventually to clear the whole island of ordnance.

Kanaloa will be returned to the sovereign Hawaiian entity for safe and meaningful use as a cultural reserve.

We invite you to join us. See our Web site at www.kahoolawe.org.

This article was signed by these members of the Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana: Lopaka Aiwohi, businessman (Maui); Dr. Noa Emmett Aluli (Moloka'i); Alani Apio, playwright; Tom Brennon, teacher (Big Island); Kim Ku'ulei Birnie, Native Hawaiian health administrator; Jonathan Ching, UH graduate student; Ginny Hench, UH law professor; Kelvin Ho, artist (Kaua'i); Camille Kanoa, Kapi'olani Community College student; Syd Kawahakui, UH student; Keaka LaBenz, UH lecturer in Hawaiian studies; the Rev. Richard Matsushita, United Methodist Church; Davianna McGregor, UH professor in ethnic studies; Keola Silva, UH student; Ikaika Soares, UH student; Patricia Tannahill, UH student; Namaka Whitehead, UH graduate student.