The  ‘Ohana is celebrating the continued sovereign status of Kanaloa Kaho‘olawe today, as a bill proposing to fold the management of the island into the DLNR failed in committee yesterday afternoon.

Senate Bill 3056 proposed to change Chapter 6K, the law that sets policy for the status and management of Kaho‘olawe, by having the Department of Land & Natural Resources provide oversight over the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission, KIRC.  A last-minute amendment offered to make the KIRC and DLNR co-partners.

The KIRC is a special commission set up in 1993 to assure that the island was separate from the DLNR inventory, that it belonged to the Hawaiian nation. The ‘Ohana has pointed out that the KIRC is already administratively attached to the DLNR, by virtue of its seat on the 7-member commission.

The ‘Ohana believes Chapter 6K is structurally sound, even hailed as model legislation around the U.S. and around the world.  It went through a rigorous and inclusive process between 1990 and 1993 before even becoming law.

With the failure of SB 3056 in committee, the special status is preserved.  The ‘Ohana will continue its care of, and for, Kanaloa Kaho‘olawe until we can pass her into the arms of a sovereign Hawaiian nation.

Mahalo to all–those who submitted testimony in advance and in person; to all the senators who care enough to want to improve the management, hear testimony and register a vote; to the 2012 legislative team who did a lot of homework this year; and to the kupuna who compel us to stay the course, and all who offered blessings and aloha throughout.

Imua na pua, lanakila, Kaho‘olawe !

MEDIA ALERT February 13, 2012   [ PDF:  PKO news release 2012-0214 PKO opposes SB3056]

Contact: Noa Emmett Aluli, M.D. 808-553-5353

Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana opposes bill that erodes sovereign status of island (Honolulu, O‘ahu). The Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana (‘Ohana) will testify tomorrow in strong opposition to Senate Bill 3056, a bill before the Hawai‘i State Senate Committee on Water, Land and Housing. SB 3056 proposes the transfer of management of the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve from the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) to the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).

The Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve was intentionally “not placed back into the DLNR inventory, it was set aside with a special commission to say that it actually belonged to the Hawaiian Nation. You can talk about it coming back to the state of Hawai‘i, but it was specifically set aside by the people of this state, by their elected representatives, as the first piece of sovereign soil.” Governor John Waihe‘e III reminded state senators on February 11, 2011.

The KIRC was set up in 1993, after years of study, islandswide community input, and deliberation as to the future of Kaho‘olawe. The Reserve is managed as sovereign soil. The KIRC is purposefully composed of those who have greatest investment to develop policy and oversight: Office of Hawaiian Affairs, County of Maui, DLNR, Hawaiian organizations and the Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana.

SB 3056 proposes removing the special sovereign status of Kaho‘olawe at the same time Act 195 establishes the Native Hawaiian Roll Call Commission that will lead to a sovereign Native Hawaiian governing entity.

Mr. Joshua Ka‘akua will present the testimony of the Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana at the hearing tomorrow at 1:45 PM at the State Capitol before the Senate Committee on Water, Land and Housing. Dr. Noa Emmett Aluli can also be reached at (808) 553-5353 or naluli(at)aloha.net.

The Protect Kaho’olawe ‘Ohana is in earnest need of your kokua.

SB 3056 has a hearing on Tuesday February 14, 2012 @ 1:45pm at the Capitol in Room 225. Yes! Valentine’s Day! It will transfer control and management of the Kaho’olawe Island Reserve from the KIRC to the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Kaho’olawe will be managed by DLNR like other state lands. There will be no special management of the island as a cultural trust for the Hawaiian Nation. Please protect Kanaloa Kaho’olawe as a sacred cultural trust for the Hawaiian Nation by submitting testimony by Monday February 13, 2012 at 1:30pm. Mahalo and Aloha ‘Āina.

SB 3056: Relating to the Kaho’olawe Island Reserve Commission.
Transfers control and management of the Kaho’olawe Island Reserve from the Kaho’olawe Island Reserve Commission to the Department of Land and Natural Resources and provides that the KIRC shall be subject to the oversight of the DLNR.

Hearing: Tuesday February 14, 2012 @ 1:45pm at the Capitol in Room 225
(It is third on the agenda) in the Senate Water Land and Housing Committee (WLH). Senate WLH Members: Donavan Dela Cruz (chair), Malama Solomon (vice-chair), Carol Fukunaga, Pohai Ryan, Maile Shimabukuro, Jill Tokuda, Sam Slom

Easy to file Internet testimony can be submitted at:
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/submittestimony.aspx – Hearing Notice SB3056
or
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/gethearingbybill.aspx?bill&billnumber=3056
See Bill: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2012/bills/SB3056_.pdf

Download sample SB3056 testimony here.

Talking Points:
Kaho’olawe Was Set Up as Separate Special Cultural Trust for Hawaiian Nation: In testimony on 2-12-11, former Governor John Waihe’e described the trusteeship that he and the legislature established for Kaho’olawe: “so this property was not placed back into the DLNR inventory, it was set aside with a special commission to say that it actually belonged to the Hawaiian Nation. You can talk about it coming back to the state of Hawai’i, but it was specifically set aside by the people of this state, by their elected representatives, as the first piece of sovereign soil.”

SB 3056:

1. Erodes Original Intent: In 1993, the Hawai’i State Legislature set up the Kaho’olawe Island Reserve (KIR) as a separate cultural reserve and trust for eventual transfer to the sovereign Hawaiian governing entity. Transferring control and management of the KIR to the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) goes against the original intent of the legislature.
2. Takes Away Special Management for the Hawaiian Nation: SB 3056 will take the power to control and manage the island as a special cultural reserve away from the special commission (KIRC) that was set up to manage the island for the Hawaiian Nation.
3. Takes Away Separate Status: SB 3056 will incorporate the island under the DLNR to be managed like other state lands under DLNR. The island will no longer have its own separate, special and unique management as a cultural reserve.
4. Dissolves Trust: SB 3056 will, in effect, dissolve the KIR as a trust for the Hawaiian Nation.
5. Takes Step Backward from Transfer to Sovereign Hawaiian Governing Entity: Act 195 and the Native Hawaiian Roll Call Commission move us closer to the re-establishment of the sovereign Native Hawaiian governing commission and the transfer of the control and management of the Kaho olawe Island Reserve to the sovereign Hawaiian governing entity. The transfer of control and management under the DLNR is a step backward from this timely process.
6. Please Honor and Protect the Trust Established by Predecessors: We respectfully urge the Senate Water, Land and Housing Committee to protect the trust established by your predecessors in 1993 to Nā Kānaka Ōiwi. Please defeat SB 3506 and support the continued control and management of the island by KIRC as a distinct sacred cultural land trust for the Hawaiian Nation until its transfer to the sovereign Hawaiian governing entity.

Statements can also be sent to Senate WLH Committee Members:
[email protected]
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Mahalo to all who participated in our closing Makahiki ceremonies and…
For the ones who made it to and from, to the ones that made it happen…
For the ones who presented the Ho’okupu, to the ones who grew and gathered…
For the ones who shared themselves in the presence of Lono, to the ones who exuded Mana…
For those who those who have set the foundation on which we stand, to the ones who will stand upon us…


The Hoailona were plentiful and resounded with messages of a good year to come.
There were signs of extremes, and strong spiritual presences that allowed themselves to be seen.
There were experiences that showed that when working together we can really make things move.
Blessings came and will continue to come in large bursts and light soothing intervals throughout the year, inter stitched with challenges, such testing our resilience.


This should be a year of High-Highs and Low-Lows and can prove to be extremely bountiful with each of us performing to the best of our abilities.  Hence this year will require strong leadership and extensive strategic uses of our collective networks.  It will be a time to onipa’a to enable great progress.


It was a privilege to have many sharing time in our quest to petition Lono to re-green Kanaloa Kaho’olawe.  The blessings of Lono will carry through with each and everyone of us, our families, ili, ahupuaa, moku, mokupuni and as a collective Pae Aina.


May the waters be sweet, the food be abundant and the lands be cared for in the way of our ancestors.  Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono.

Aloha Kakou A Pau