Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 1, 1 January 2000 — Reconciliation? [ARTICLE]

Reconciliation?

While Hawaiian organizations and individuals of Hawaiian ancestry throughout Hawai'i, including Moloka'i, were granted the privilege of a few minutes to express their concerns at the "Reconciliation" hearings held by the federal government on the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, an elite group of Moloka'ians were given an hour of audience by representatives ffom the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior prior to the puhlie "Reconciliation" hearing held on Moloka'i Dec. 9 because "Moloka'i is special" and because "Moloka'i is the last Hawaiian island." Our special group of Moloka'ians presented a dog and pony slide show narrated by native son Walter Ritte. What did this have to do with "Reconciliation"? Absolutely nothing. But, by the time Mark Van Norman of the Department of Justice and John Berry of the Department of the Interior left this special "Reconciliation" gathering to attend the publie "Reconcihation" hearing, they had the cleanest 'okole on Moloka'i. This was Moloka'i's own speeial 'okole smooching at its best! With phony leaders hke this it matters not that the "bandit" has one arm or three. Samuel L. Kealoha Moloka'i