Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 11, 1 November 1991 — Our Reasers Write [ARTICLE]

Our Reasers Write

To the Editor: I read Joe Conant's response to Trustee Moani Akaka's August 1991 article on Kalapana, whieh appeared in your October 1991 Ka Wai Ola O OHA issue and felt strongly moved to correct the misstatements made by him.

1 he Gibson roundation, the Hawai ī County Eeonomie Development Council (HCEOC) and Trustee Moani Akaka of OHA have been working for over a year with the Kalapana 'ohana, a group of 51 Hawaiian families who lost theirhomesinthe Kaimu/Kalapana area as a result of recent lava flows. The Kalapana 'ohana sought to preserve their cultural lifestyle and fishing entitlements by relocating in the area of Kikala Keokea near the shoreline. Unfortunately, the Kalapana Task Force, whieh was chaired by Conant, endorsed a plan to relocate all displaced families to a subdivision mauka of the shoreline. The proposal was recommended to the Task Force by Conant. The Task Force did not recommend any plan to address the needs of the 51 Kalapana Hawaiian families.

The Kalapana 'ohana then requested and received the support of the Gibson Foundation, OHA and HCEOC to initiate a plan for self-help housing, financing and land acquisition. The Kalapana 'ohana took two bills to the 1991 State Legislature. One bill sought 150 acres of land for relocation of the community to Kikala Keokea. A second bill, (number 1435) sought $1.75 million dollars for financing of homes. The bill providing the land passed into law and was signed by the governor. Unfortunately, Bill 1435 was killed. lt was opposed by Conant and Sen. Andrew Levin who raised "racial innuendoes" challenging the bill as special legislation for Hawaiians that excluded other racial groups. Sen. Levin and Conant did not tell the legislators about the Kalapana Task Force proposal or the $2 million they had already secured through the budget process and from the Governor's budget. Levin and Conant redrafted Bill 1434 and supported their version of the bill — H.B. 865, whieh was eventually passed into law. In the course of lobbying for HB 865, Conant sought a means to exclude the Kalapana 'ohana and all families who had relocated to zone one and

two areas, by including language to justify withholding financing to the Kikala Keokea area. Discussion was held with the attorney general's staff regarding this language. Following the passage of H.B. 865, Conant obtained an opinion from the attorney general's office whieh he is currently using to exclude financing to the Kalapana Hawaiians and other non-native families relocating in zones one and two. The Civil Defense Division of Hawaii County, the Kalapana 'Ohana, the Gibson Foundation and HCEOC and OHA all testified to the unfairness of this action by Conant and HFDC at the public hearing held in Pahoa on Monday evening, Oct. 14.

We all lobbied these bills together, we all know the truth. Thank you Trustee Akaka and Trustee Kaulukukui for your support of this unique Hawaiian community. Shame on Joe Conant for now trying to change the facts to suit his own designs. Mililani B. Trask Executive Director, Gibson Foundation