Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 4, Number 2, 1 February 1987 — from the Chairman's Desk [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

from the Chairman's Desk

Low Blow for Hawaiians

By Moscs K. Keale Sr., OHA Chairman Trustee, Kauai and Niihau

Through its National Park Service, the U.S. Government now plans to charge admission to all of Hawaii's national parks. If you've been on outbound tours to the mainland where one or two national parks are on your itinerary, then you know that this is the situation, currently prevailing at those parks.

While a Park Service press release says that Hawaiians who eome to the parks to attend religious gatherings or to obtain native plant materials for Hawaiian religious purposes will not be charged a fee, perhaps this waiver is not broad enough, and the National Park Serviee needs to be more generous. It should include other customary Hawaiian activities in addition to those associated with religion. Historically, as well as in modern times, portions of Hawaii's national parks have been used for cultural and other ceremonial gatherings, subsistence fishing, the gathering of plants and other flora. . ,as well as for religious purposes. I take exception to a policy requiring Hawaiians to pay fees to visit these lands, vitally important to the Hawaiian lifestyle, as akin to charging a fee for the right to go to church. One doesn't have to be trained in the legal profession to know that the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution specifically prohibits legislation whieh would abridge the free exercise of religion. Under the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, it is the official policy of the United States to protect and preserve for native Hawaiians and other indigenous people their inherent right of freedom to believe, express and exercise their traditional religions, including but not limited to access to sites, use and possession of sacred objects and the freedom of worship through ceremonial and traditional rites.

An outpouring of protest from Hawanan organiza tions, individuals and the general public started on Hawaii and soon spread throughout the state. It was apparently because of this action that the National Park Service agreed to waive entrance fees for native Hawaiians on a limited basis. While the reigonal director of the National Park Serv iee has been most cooperative and responsive, we still do not condone this "limited basis" language. Give us our dignity and just entitlements and permit Hawaiians to walk our aina without restriction. Rest assured that this agency and its Board of Trustees will be monitoring the situation closely to insure that no Hawaiian is denied the right to visit our traditional lands and suffer the indignity of being charged a fee. This action of the government is insulting to all native people of the United States. Let us ku lokahi, be ever alert and prevent further things of this kind from happening. Ho'olako 1987 is a time for us to stand proud as Hawaiians, identify and maintain our Hawaiian values and celebrate that reawakening throughout this Yearof the Hawaiian.