Updated at 6:17 p.m., Saturday, January 20, 2007
Baby born on Kaho'olawe
Advertiser Staff
A baby has been born on the island of Kaho'olawe, a largely uninhabited island considered sacred to Native Hawaiians but used by the military for decades for target practice.The parents have asked that their names and the gender of their child not be released, said Sol Kahoohalahala, executive director of the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission.
The couple's request to have the birth on the island was approved by the commission after a series of reviews in consultation with cultural practitioners.
Kaho'olawe was used as a target and training area from 1941 to 1990 when then-President George H.W. Bush ordered a halt to the exercises after years of protests and lawsuits.
The cleanup began in 1998 and the island has since been deemed suitable for cultural, educational and archaeological activities. Commercial development has not been allowed.
The parents flew to the island on Jan. 10 and are scheduled to return to Maui in a week.
