Filled with happenings from the mountain to the sea, 2007 brought the long-touted arrival of the Hawai'i Superferry, court conclusions and new directions in land management for OHA

Here is KWO's list of the 10 biggest news stories of 2007

By Lisa Asato | OHA Publications Editor

1 Arakaki vs. Lingle

An appeal of a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of government programs for Native Hawaiians was dismissed by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a separate case, which in effect invalidated the lower court's ruling, spurred the lower court to revisit the case and reverse its earlier decision.

The appeal arose from a 2002 lawsuit in which a group of 14 state taxpayers led by retired Honolulu policeman Earl Arakaki sued on the grounds that programs that solely benefit Native Hawaiians violates the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The dismissal sends the case back to the U.S. District Court in Hawai'i to determine whether the plaintiffs have any other recourse.

2 Kamehameha Schools

A four-year-old lawsuit challenging the Hawaiian-preference admission policy of Kamehameha Schools ended with a settlement between the school and “John Doe,” who had been denied admission because he is not Hawaiian. The settlement came as the U.S. Supreme Court was deciding whether it would hear the case. Terms of the settlement are confidential. The lawsuit challenged the admission policy as racially discriminatory and a violation of federal civil rights, but was shut down by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled that policy is legal because it seeks to improve the poor educational standing of Native Hawaiians. After the announcement of the settlement, local attorney David Rosen suggested through an email that became public that he was attempting to find potential plaintiffs to challenge the school's admission policy.

3 Hawaii State Advisory Commission

After months of public meetings across the state, the Hawaii State Advisory Commission voted, in effect, to not take any action on the Akaka Bill, otherwise known as the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2007. The 8-6 vote left intact its support of the bill, which would grant federal recognition of a Native Hawaiian governing entity. HSAC, the local advisory panel to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, had earlier been criticized for being “stacked” with opponents of the Akaka Bill. The problem? Some commissioners have sued to abolish Hawaiian programs as being illegally race-based.

4 Wao Kele o Puna

Marking the first time ceded lands were returned to native ownership, Wao Kele o Puna was formally turned over to OHA at a ceremony on the grounds of the rainforest, which had been marked for geothermal development in the 1980s, attracting demonstrations and arrests. OHA gained title to the 25,856-acre forest in 2006 as part of a cooperative conservation deal involving the federal government, OHA, the Trust for Public Land and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. In her State of OHA address last month, OHA Chairperson Haunani Apoliona lauded the direction OHA is taking to mālama 'āina by playing “a direct role in caring for Hawai'i's natural resources” like Wao Kele o Puna and Waimea Valley (see No. 7).

5 Hokule'a

The voyaging canoe Hokule'a sailed on a five-month, 8,000-mile goodwill tour through the islands of Micronesia and Japan. In Micronesia's Satawal, crew members delivered a gift of a new canoe, the Alingano Maisu, to grandmaster navigator Pius “Mau” Pialug, who in 1976 brought the lost art of traditional navigation back to Hawai'i. Hokule'a's other stops included Uwajima in an emotional visit to honor those lost in the Ehime Maru tragedy, and Yokohama Bay, site of King Kalākaua's 1881 visit to Japan, which opened the door to Japanese immigration to Hawai'i.

6 Superferry

Since its August launch, the Hawai'i Superferry spawned court injunctions, protesters on surfboards, a special session of the Legislature and at least one online anti-Superferry song. The one thing it didn't produce in 2007 was an environmental assessment – which was central to the controversy. An environmental review is pending while it sails. Opponents of the passenger-vehicle-cargo ferry also cited concerns of invasive species, harming endangered whales, traffic jams and preserving a small-town way of life on the neighbor islands. Service to Maui resumed Dec. 13; resumption of service to Kaua'i was pending.

7 Waimea Valley

Months of speculation over the future of Waimea Valley were put to rest when OHA announced it would create a nonprofit to manage the 1,875-acre valley, considered O'ahu's last intact ahupua'a. Home to cultural sites, botanical gardens and about 6,000 rare species of plants, Waimea Valley was permanently protected from development in 2006 when the city, state, federal and private agencies pooled resources to buy the valley from a developer for $14 million.

The nonprofit corporation Hi'ilei Aloha will oversee the Waimea nonprofit, headed by executive director Gary Gill. Plans call for OHA to assume management of Waimea Valley in early 2008, when the National Audubon Society ends its management of the valley after five years.

8 Kau Inoa

The Kau Inoa registry continues to grow despite attorney H. William Burgess' demand letter that five of his non-Hawaiian clients be allowed to place their name. Kau Inoa, which is nearing 80,000 registrants, is a registry for Native Hawaiians who will participate in the formation of a Hawaiian governing entity. Proof of ancestry is required. Suing to register are Thurston Twigg-Smith, Patricia Ann Caroll, Toby Michael Kravet, Earl Francis Arakaki and Garry Paul Smith. All but Smith are party to the dismissed Arakaki vs. Lingle suit.

9 Akaka Bill

The U.S. House approved the Akaka Bill by a vote of 261-153 – and O'ahu folks got to listen to live floor debate through OHA's morning drive-time radio show, Nā 'Ōiwi 'Ōlino. Opponents, such as U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Georgia) called the bill “divisive.” But Hawaii Congresswoman Mazie Hirono (D-2nd District) hailed the approval as “a victory for all the people of Hawai'i.” The bill is now in the hands of the U.S. Senate.

10 Papahānaumokuākea

The largest marine conservation area on earth gets its Hawaiian name. First lady Laura Bush had the honor of announcing the name of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Monument, Papahānaumokuākea, which symbolizes the genealogy of the Hawaiian Islands. While the 17-letter, nine-syllable word didn't trip up the first lady, some polite giggling ensued when she stumbled over Gov. Linda Lingle's name, thanking “Gov. Ling-will.”

Encompassing almost 14,000 square miles of U.S. waters, 4,500 square miles of relatively undisturbed coral reef habitat, Papahānaumokuākea is home to rare and endangered species like the Hawaiian monk seal and threatened Hawaiian green sea turtle.