Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 5, 1 May 1988 — Tahiti Tragedy [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Tahiti Tragedy

Moanikeala Akaka Trustee, Hawai'i

I have recently returned from Tahiti where I was a guest of Tavini Huiraatira of the Tahititian Independence Party. Leader Oscar Temaru is the elected mayor of Fa'a'a, the second largest and fastest growing district in Tahiti. I ean certainly understand this desire

and need for Tahiti to become independent because the French have proven themselves to be an oppressive and costly influence on our Tahitian cousins. It is a tragic situation. Part of that tragedy is the crime being committed against the Tahitian people, land, fish, and waters by the French atomic bomb testing at Moruroa, 650 miles away from Tahiti. A copy of the powerful video "Tahiti Witness" released in London was given to me to bring home to Hawaii in order to help focus attention on what our Tahitian 'ohana are experiencing. After viewing the tape, I realized and you will too, that this pilikia (prob!em) is our eommon problem in Polynesia and on the mainland as well. I am told this documentary is the "talk of Europe" and has drawn mueh eoneem in Australia and New Zealand. Rightfully so as Pacific neighbors we must all be more than a little concemed! Since the mid-60's, the French have been carrying out atomic bomb tests on the island of Moruroa. These bomb tests number 41 above ground since 1966, when they were halted; and 86 underground explosions whieh eonhnue today.

There are over 1,000 Tahitian workers on Moruroa. In this film, a number of them testified to the horrifying accidents hidden from public knowledge and scrutiny by the French government. "Tahiti Witness" documents the high incidence of cancer, leukemia, tumors, birth defects, radiation poisoning, and deaths attributed to the French bomb tests affecting the people throughout what is considered French Polynesia. The French government's racist treatment of the Tahitian workers on Moruroa as well as their high incidence of cancers, tumors, and blood disorders are also pointed out. French workers on Moruroa are given special protectiveclothing from head to foot including gloves and goggles, while our Tahitian cousins are issued no protective gear, they get cast-off shoes probably radiated from dust bins, and piek up contaminated, radiated fish with their bare hands. We are told that in medical tests given to workers on Moruroa, the French receive thorough examinations of their blood, sperm, heart, ears, urine, saliva, everything; Tahitians only get a heart eheek. "Then afterwards they say everything's fine, you ean go now". One Tahitian worker who has a blood disease has lost three babies shortly after birth. One child had inherited his blood disease, one he says was bom with charred skin, and the other "we don't know what he died of." ' Since the bombing has started, the French have stopped giving statistics. However, from 1980 those statistics they have been forced to release have been deceitful. After getting cancers diagnosed, many are never told the nature of their illness, and Tahitians are sent to Paris 10,000 miles and 20 hours away from home to be treated andto die. Can you imagine Polynesians, island people in Europe, fatally ill, away from the warmth of their

'ohana and the spirit of their 'aina? Other Tahitians suffering from these dreaded diseases are sent to New Zealand where they are at least near Maori and other Pacific cousins. The French don't want the cancer count to show on Tahiti statistics, so they send these natives away to Paris or New Zealand to die. The French doctors on Tahiti are govemment controlled, and frankly Tahitians don't trust them and fear a laek of adequate care for themselves back home as well. The French government all the while says the bomb tests are perfectly safe, while the feeling amongst many natives is if it is so safe, go bomb Paris! I participated in an anti-nuclear march. Over 1,000 Tahitians walked four kilometers from Fa'a'a to Papeete to show eoneem and express a desire to see the French halt the deadiy bomb tests, and to return Tahiti to Tahitians who care for their islands. On my retum to Hawaii, I met a Tahitian woman on the airplane who has resided in Hawaii for over 20 years. She told me how her parents warned her not to eat any fish while in T ahiti, as the fish have become contaminated. What are we Polynesian, fish-eating people to thinkef this? Is it possibie that oeean currents will carry this contaminated marine environment and fish to Hawaii? Oeean masses of water do move, and of course fish travel with that mass. While in Pago Pago, Samoa, one of our attorneys who has knowledge of global oeean currents observed many ships of the tuna fishing fleet from San Diego, California in those South Pacific waters. Pago Pago is not far from Tahiti, whieh means that tuna caught in those waters may well be contaminated, radiated, and tum up in cans on grocery shelves in California, New York, Chicago, Hawaii, Washington, D.C., or wherever. You see, it's not just the Tahitians who suffer. We here in Hawaii may also be affected — the high cancer rates amongst Hawaiians is eommon knowledge. It is in our interests throughout all the Pacific to stop the bombing at Moruroa. I want it to be known that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs spent nothing on my trip. I could not even get per diem in view of the horribly high prices in Tahiti (for example, a plate luneh costs $7, acanof soda costs $1.50). The Chair of OHA had already spent all money set aside for international travel. Congratulations to all who made the 25th Merrie Monarch Festival a success. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it for two reasons: 1) I was among eight trustees not invited, and 2) and most importantly, very pressing business vital to the Hawaiian people at the Legislature and other meetings needed my presence on O'ahu. I attended meetings on affordable housing and other crucial issues such as our Native Hawaiian Right to Sue for what is due our people. This is a basic civil right that all other peoples living in this land of our Hawaiian roots enjoy. Looks like Hawaii legislator Andy Levin is "doing it to us again" on the Right to Sue bill this year. I am happy that his present draft in joint House-Senate Conference Committee was unanimously voted down by the full board of Trustees at an emergency meeting called on Wednesday, April 13. We would rather kill the bill that hurts Hawaiians. Better to start over again for a more pa'a bill next session. Our ceded land discussions with the Governor's staff are very important and will affect our Hawaiian future for generations to eome. It's not just Andy in the House, but Senators Malama Solomon, Clayton Hee, Milton Holt, and James Aki who are also trying to take from OHA's elected, semi-autonomous, fourth arm of government status by Senate Concurrent Resolution 205. That, too, I'm proud to say the full Board of Trustees took a position against! These are exciting but trying times as we na po'e o Hawai'i and our 'aina struggle for survival. Malama pono. Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono.