KA LEO KAIĀULU - LETTERS

Ka Leo Kaiāulu

OHA reserves the right to edit all letters for length, defamatory and libelous material, and other objectionable content, and reserves the right not to print any submission. All letters must be typed, signed and not exceed 200 words. Letters cannot be published unless they include a telephone contact for verification. Send letters to Ka Wai Ola, 711 Kapi'olani Blvd., Ste. 500, Honolulu, HI 96813, or email kwo@oha.org.

Akaka Bill not 'racial'

When the U.S. House passed the Akaka Bill in October, I watched the debate on C-Span. (Ka Wai Ola November issue). I listened to Rep. Mazie Hirono explain the histories and culture of the Hawaiian people, ending with the motto of the state of Hawai'i. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, with a smile, also needed to answer questions and repeat himself so other representatives could understand. Many of them have set their minds against this bill using the word “racial.” Civil rights!

The word democracy means: (1) government by the people, majority rule; (2) government in which the highest power is held by the people; (3) a political unit (as a nation) governed by the people.
Does the president of America have the power to veto any bills that come out of Congress? Abuse of powers is being used by many who have attitude problems and who need to check on their mental health and well-being.

The word “racial” is an adjective describing how to separate or segregate. Aloha is the Hawaiian way of working together. We all need to respect other cultures and work to make this world a place where we all can live in peace.

Thank you, Hirono and Abercrombie, faithful servants serving the people of Hawai'i.

Lucy M. Akau
Waimānalo

Kudos on a great issue

I am engrossed in the November 2007 issue of Ka Wai Ola. There are so many fine articles in this issue – informative, interesting and some are heartwarming, too.

The article “Living Laulima” is especially inspiring. I love the photos, too, especially the one of Calvin Hoe with his granddaughter Maile. How wonderful that even the very young keiki are being brought along to help and to “absorb” culture and community cooperation. As a retired teacher I am so glad to read that students are an important part of the project.

Claire Ku'ulelani Hughes' column “Get your money's worth: use food labels” taught me a lot, thank you. My experience with nutrition is wide and varied because of physical disabilities, which are improving.

Hippocrates, the so-called father of modern medicine, called good food the best medicine and poor food the cause of disease. I certainly have found this to be true, which is why I now eat unadulterated foods that are whole and often organic. (Enriching is no substitute for 100 percent whole grain breads, cereals, grains, etc.)

Fruits and veggies grown in Hawai'i are abundant, delicious, very healthful and reasonably priced – especially at farmers' markets. I've become a vegetarian so I depend on our wonderful farmers in Hawai'i to supply me with a healthful, delicious healing diet.

Rev. Julie Love-Lewis
Honolulu

'Misguided ramblings'

Have you noticed that every time Burgess, Conklin, and Twigg-Smith speak on their favorite subject – namely the dismantling of the Native Hawaiian rights and benefits in their “homeland” derived from their status as the “original indigenous sovereign people” of the islands called Hawai'i – they always make solicitous overtures to the non-Hawaiian people of Hawai'i with commentaries such as: Aloha should be shared with all the people of Hawai'i; or, having a school serving only Native Hawaiians is race-based and unconstitutional; or, land to build homes for Native Hawaiians is also race-based and unconstitutional.

Permit me to put their ill-designed machinations against the Native Hawaiians to rest by defining two words that go to the heart and core of the status of Native Hawaiians: indigenous and sovereign. Merriam-Webster defines it thusly: Indigenous – produced growing, or living naturally in a particular region. Sovereign – supreme in power and authority; having independent authority.
All this means is that the Native Hawaiians are the “ORIGINAL” occupants of this land called Hawai'i.

nd like the Alaskan Natives of Alaska, the Native Indian Tribes of America; the Chinese of China; the Japanese of Japan; and all the indigenous, sovereign, ethnic races of the world who have their origin in their respective “HOMELANDS,” the rights and benefits accruing to them are unequivocal and undeniable where no Man may put asunder.

And in the case of the Native Hawaiians, all of the foregoing treatise applies to them as a people in their “homeland called Hawai'i.” So the next time you come upon the ranting and ravings of the naysayers mentioned at the beginning of this writing remember what you read here is the truth totally rejecting the misguided ramblings of the trio under scrutiny.

Hank McKeague
Honolulu

Leaving paradise

I read with interest your article on the book “Kanaka,” about Native Hawaiian migration to the Pacific Northwest in the service of Hudson's Bay Co. in the 1800s. (Ka Wai Ola November issue) Another book on the subject is also available. The University of Hawai'i gave a grant to the University of British Columbia recently to research the Hawaiians working for Hudson's Bay Co.

Dr. Jean Barman of the University of British Columbia did an outstanding and excellent job of researching this topic in the book she co-authored entitled “Leaving Paradise: Indigenous Hawaiians in the Pacific Northwest 1787-1898,” published by the University of Hawai'i Press in 2006.

I met Dr. Barman at the Whatcom County Museum in Bellingham, Washington, in 2006, where I lectured on Hawaiian history. Here we exchanged books: my book “Untold Fragments of Hawaiian History,” for her book “Leaving Paradise.”

James G.Y. Ho
Honolulu

Superferry, tourism bad for Hawai'i

To Superferry or not to Superferry? That isn't the question.

I was on the phone the other day with a friend just back from doing errands in town. “Man, I'm getting to be just like you,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“It's so crowded and crazy out there I never want to go to town again!”

One story tells it all. How many “visitors” to Hawai'i this year? Last time I heard it was well over 5 million, and that was a month or more ago. There is only one invasive species that we really have to worry about, and we all know what it is. The Superferry will only help it spread.

The question is when are the people of Hawai'i going to say, “We've got plenty of people on these fragile little islands already, thank you. Please don't come!”

I'll vote for any office-seeker who is serious about doing something to limit toursim and development and to keep the population down. Tourism and “development” may be “good for the economy,” but as is often the case, what is “good for the economy” is bad for people.

Bill Brundage
Kurtistown, Hawai'i Island

End-run around courts

We are witnessing the break down of American law in Hawaii brought about by the Superferry. The U.S. constitution states that it is illegal for the legislative branch of government to overturn any final Supreme Court decision. The Supreme Court has ruled that the Superferry must do an EA/EIS, and environmental law is very clear that this must be done BEFORE they sail.

Once the Supreme Court ruled HRS 343-5 applies, it became a done deal. The state Legislature can go and change the environmental laws we have fought so hard to establish, but it will not apply to the Superferry because that case has already been decided.

To allow this private enterprise to do an end-run around the Supreme Court ruling signifies the executive branch of government (Gov. Linda Lingle) illegally interfered in the judicial branch — an impeachable offense. Government in essence will be acting outside the law, and by involving other agencies such as the Coast Guard, etc., the situation escalates into an illegal conspiracy.

In 1893, the Committee of Safety illegally seized power of Hawai'i and now the Lingle administration seems to be repeating our infamous history. If we are not ALL going to be held to follow American law, then why not give Hawaii back its independence and allow home rule to establish a fair and consistent form of government to prevent outside influences from continuing to plunder/destroy our precious natural resources?

Tamara Paltin
Lahaina

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