Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 19, Number 6, 1 June 2002 — Kahoʻolawe: [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kahoʻolawe:

a sacred island reborn By Naomi Sodetani Kaho' olawe: Rebirth ofa Sacred Hawaiian īsland" an exhibit that recounts the island's natural history, significance as a spiritual and cultural center, and its role in the modern renaissance of Hawaiian culture, opens June 5 at the Smithsonian īnstitution in Washington, D,C, The exhibit, located in the Arts and īndustries wing, will run through Labor Day, "This is the first time an exhibit focuses not just on artifacts or crafts but on Native Hawaiian people and our 'āina as a living culture," said Exhibit Coordinator Davianna McGregor, A national audience will learn how Native Hawaiian activists and cultural practitioners fiercely fought for 25 years to defend the sacred island from being bombed by the military for target practice, That struggle has inspired efforts to reclaim sacred lands from similar military assaults around the world, Known in ancient times as Kohemālamalamaokanaloa, a sacred refuge that honored the deity of oeean currents, winds and navigation, Kaho'olawe today symbolizes the cultural regeneration of the Native Hawaiian people, Photographs by Wayne Levin, Rowland Reeve, Franco Salmoiraghi and David Ulrich illustrate the grassroots movement led by Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana that succeeded in halting bombing in 1990,

īn May 1994, the island was returned to the people of Hawai'i through a transfer of ownership from the U,S, Navy to the state government, The Kaho'olawe īsland Reserve Commission now oversees the U,S, Navy's massive dollar elean-up of the island as a cultural reserve for the practice and perpetuation of Native Hawaiian culture, Kaho'olawe is being held by the state as part of the ceded public lands trust for eventual transfer to a sovereign Hawaiian entity — the first time the state legislature has made such a commitment, The Protect Kaho'olawe Fund is the lead orga-

nization sponsoring the Smithsonian exhibit in collaboration with the Bishop Museum, Community Development Pacific, and the Smithsonian īnstitution Asian Pacific ,American Studies Program, OHA helped fund the original exhibit that opened at the Bishop Museum and toured statewide from 1996 through 2000, īn conjunction with the exhibit, a June 9 forum on OHA's Native Hawaiian Registry program and the Akaka Bill proposing federal recognition of Native Hawaiians will be held at the Smithsonian's Ripley Center, 3 to 5 p.m, ■

KAHO'OLAWE — Bircl's-eye view of the islcincl known in cincient tirnes cis Koherncilcirncilcirnciokcinciloci, This irncige is cirnong 100 conternporciry einel circhivcil photos to be clisplciyecl cilong with intercictive exhibits cit the Srnithsonicin lnstitute in Wcishington, D,C, Photo: Franco saimoiraghi