Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 13, Number 12, 1 December 1996 — "Taroroots" gathering strives for consensus on sovereignty [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

"Taroroots" gathering strives for consensus on sovereignty

by Deborah L, Ward Partidpants of the People's Puwalu 'Elima, a "taroroots" unity forum involving individuals, and several Hawaiian sovereignty organizations, eontinued their strong opposition to the plebisdte (Native Hawaiian Vote) conducted by the Hawaiian Sovereignty Elections Council, and the future activities of the HSEC. The fifth "People's Puwalu," held at Camp Ke'anae, Maui, Nov. 8-10 brought together about 50 people who braved the rainy weekend to focus on self-determina-tion and decolonization, and to discuss altematives to the HSEC process for Hawaiian sovereignty. That process caŪs for an election of delegates from the Hawaiian community to convene in several years' time to form the Hawaiian nahon. People's Puwalu

'Elima partidpants represented different kanaka maoli (indigenous Hawaiian) sovereignty groups, mostly Ka Lāhui Hawai'i, and also Ka Pākaukau, Nudear Free and Independent Pacific, Kaona, as well as their 'ohana from O'ahu, Maui, Hawai'i, Moloka'i and Kaua'i.

A unity statement adopted at Puwalu 'Elima strongly opposes "the state-sponsored, state-controlled, and state-financed Hawaiian (constitutional) convention that is proposed by OHA, HSEC and its creation Hā Hawai'i." A state process, the statement said, violates kanaka maoh rights to freely determine Hawaiian political status and pursue eeonomie, sodal and cultural development under international law. Instead, they propose that additional, expanded puwalu should be held to bring the process to the eommunity where people ean have direct answers to their questions and a ehanee for personal input. Henry Noa, a founding member of Kaona, a group studying international laws to achieve sovereignty, says "We cannot keep fighting from the outside. We have to present an alternative so we ean be responsible as a people to eontinue the process." Former OHA trustee Clarence Ching, a puwalu attendee, said "This is an opportunity to be proactive and positive as a People's Puwalu." Puwalu attendees want HSEC and organizations whieh support it to embrace the puwalu process to empower the people, and not, in their view, co-opt the kanaka maoh movement for sovereignty. "Iti s difficult to organize grassroots, to decolonize (ourselves.) Pahenee is a gift from our ancestors that we have to cultivate," said Lilikalā Kame'eleihiwa, a prominent Ka Lāhui Hawai'i member. She favors the puwalu as the kanaka maoh process to actively bring the issues to the community and to dispel fears about Hawaiian sovereignty. Puwalu means "unity, in cooperation" and is used to describe forums involving Hawaiians and others in discussion leading to consensus. All who attend are expected to take part in sharing information, asking questions and discussing their views. Organizers and facilitators for the Ke'anae puwalu were University of Hawai'i students who have formed an organization known as Aloha 'Aina to take an active role in environmental issues concerning Hawaiian rights. Students Sunnie Kaikala, Kapali Keahi, Noelani Kaop-

ua, Kahale Hoke, Kaeo Duarte and Ku'ulei Minehew, led a process known as 'aelike, whieh allows ah partici pants to share their mana'o (opinions) about a particular issue and to be acknowledged and respected. Because

'aelike is based on selfdiscipline for the sake of betterment of the group as a whole, it is used to build a consensus while respecting individual differences of opinion. This group decision-making process builds upon Hawaiian ho'oponopono practice and is used at eaeh puwalu. The puwalu format also offers participants the opportunity to present iniformation or pK)sition papers on models of sovereignty. At Puwalu 'Elima, O' ahu island po'o Keali'i Gora explained the Ka Lāhui structure of government and its constitution. Gorasaid Ka Lāhui Hawai'i favors the United Nations decolonization process to get Hawai'i back on the list of non-self-governing territories because the 1959

plebiscite on statehood did not offer other options. Through an internationally supervised process of decolonization education, they believe people, including Hawaiians, ean learn about the full range of options for self-government and be able to choose freely.

Puwalu - worklng toward a consensus

The first People's Puwalu was hosted by the Pai 'ohana in February 1996 at Honokohau, and focused on Hawaiian spirituality. The second was hosted in AprU 1996 by then OHA trustee and Ka Lāhui member Sam Kealoha at Ka'amola, Moloka'i. Participants supported a petition opposing the statehood plebiscite in 1959 and the HSEC Native Hawaiian Vote, and called for a United Nations decolonization process to take plaee in Hawai'i. The third puwalu was hosted by Free Association at Keaukaha on the Big Island in June. A fourth, scheduled this year on July 4 on O'ahu, was canceled.

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