Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 15, Number 1, 1 January 1998 — Dawning of a Millennium [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Dawning of a Millennium

ĪHE YEARI998 marks OHA's 20th anniversary. In fulfilling its fiduciary duties in the management and administration ofceded lands trustfunds, OHA has a responsibility tofacilitate and promote work already begun by po'e Hawai'i: protecting traditional and customary practices and Iand rights, Hawaiian language and culture, education, health care, community based initiatives and sovereignty. As we face the dawning millennium, we Hawaiians must recall the seeds planted in our past, the lessons leamed and knowledge hamessed from our shared history. We must assess wheie we are today and appraise our growth and evolution as a people. Finally, we must determine the hua, fruits, we wish to sow for our future and, most importantly, the legacy we shall leave for those generations yet to eome.

We have survived a turbulent past. Westem immigration brought disease and death, decimating the Hawaiian population. Foreigners wrestled sovereignty and stewardship of lands from the Hawaiian people. A thriving language and culture were imperiled as the process of assimilation into a Westem paradigm and ideology was thrast upon us. Pohtical upheaval began with the overthrow

of the Hawaiian Kingdom whieh was followed by the short, destractive reign of the Dole regime, the annexation of Hawai'i as a U.S. territory, then statehood. Now the

rumblings of self-determi-nation and sovereignty are ushering in a new day when we shall eome full circle. Amidst this tide of political change Hawaiians have changed, too. In the early I970s, Hui Alaloa was formed, a grassroots Hawaiian group from Moloka'i whieh fought resort development, destraction of sacred sites, and denial of access to the shoreline and other areas important for traditional, subsistence practices. Around this period, the late George

Helm inspired us with his unwavering eommitment to promoting and living aloha 'āina through his leadership in the Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana.

Today the legacy of PKO and George Helm lives on with the bombing stopped forever; the cessation of military exercises on Kaho'olawe and the retum of Kaho'olawe to the state to be held in trast for the future Hawaiian nation. These first stirrings of dissidence in the Hawaiian community gave birth to the Hawaiian activist movement. Aloha 'āina was our motto and an acknowledgement of our inherent duty, vested in us by our kūpuna, to hold ourselves and others accountable, to mālama our ancestral lands. Many benefits have eome ffom this grassroots movement. The law now honors nondisturbance of ancient burial grounds and management by island-wide councils. The law also clarifies the state's affirmative obligation to protect and preserve Hawaiian customary practices. The development of a Hawaiian health care system, including recognition of lā'au lapa'au as a valid medSee MACHADO, on page 12

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ieal field and valuable contribution to the advancement of indigenous heahh, is underway. Pūnana Leo, Hawaiian language immersion programs based out of the State Department of Education and courses taught at the university have produced hundreds of fluent speakers. Our current progress suggests promising horizons ahead. Rural and predominantly Hawaiian communities throughout our islands and on Moloka'i are now progressing beyond activism, into community-based eeonomie development that

enhances and nurtures eommunity assets, natural and cultural resources. Fishpond restoration and replenishment, limu cultivation, backyard tank aquaculture, revival of lo'i kalo, water reclamation, utilization of eommunity certified kitchen facilities for catering, food processing, and product development, 'ohana micro-enterprises, and native cooperatives are examples of Hawaiian community-driven initiatives. We are living in a remarkable age. Let us boldly face our future together. ■

MACHADO, from page 11