Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 19, Number 7, 1 July 2002 — Exhibits at home and Washington, D.C. show Hawaiians' commitment and sacrifice to U.S. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Exhibits at home and Washington, D.C. show Hawaiians' commitment and sacrifice to U.S.

Aloha mai e nā 'ōiwi o Hawai'i, This 19th article in a series of 48 highlights two current museum exhibits of note that plaee Native Hawaiians and Hawai'i in the forefront of loeal and national consciousness serving to remind the U,S, that Hawaiians have sacrificed to advance the mission of this country and are loyal to their homeland, On June 5, the National Museum of the United States, the Smithsonian īnstitution, opened the exhibit "Kaho'olawe: Rebirth of a Sacred Hawaiian īsland," The exhibit, sponsored by the Smithsonian's Asian Pacific American Program and organized by the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Commumty Development Pacific and the Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana, is on display in the Smithsonian's Arts and īndustries Building through Sept, 2, is free and open daily 10 a,m,-5:30 p.m, Kaho'olawe is shown in tradition, honored as a realm of Hawaiian deities, and tells of the 18 years of struggle, 1976-1994, to reclaim this sacred Hawaiian land, a struggle that included deterioration of the land, loss of human life, issuance of a U,S, Presidential Executive Order to stop the bombing and creation of commissions to oversee its eon-

veyance and restoration, Title to Kaho'olawe is held by the state with transfer committed to the Native Hawaiian sovereign entity when established, Franklin Odo, director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program said, "this is an exhibit that takes the visitor behind the tourism and Hollywood images of Hawai'i, īt speaks of the trials and tribulations of living on islands with fragile ecosystems and the importance of having community combine efforts with biologists and military experts to restore premium natural and eultural resources," Thousands of visitors to the Smithsonian are expected to be touched by this unprecedented exhibit, At Bishop Museum in June, an exhibit also contributed to raising the facts of a little-known chapter of U,S, and Hawai'i relations, "Hui Panalā'au: Hawaiian Colonists, American Citizens" resurrected for public knowledge the fact that in years immediately preceding WW īī and up through the war's start, 130 young men, the majority Hawaiians, occupied remote islands in the Equatorial Pacific, īn March 1935, the first of four key expeditions took 12 enlisted men on furlough and six young Hawaiians, to

Jarvis, Howland and Baker īslands, The second expedition involved replacing the soldiers with more Hawaiian "colonists," The third expedition was a follow-up and the

fourth returned the "colonists" to civilization in March 1936, īn June of 1936, with President Roosevelt's annexation of the island of Jarvis, Baker and Howland, 25 expeditions occurred, Accounts relate, "A day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Howland īsland was attacked by

two flights of Japanese twin engine bombers, dropping 50-60 bombs and thoroughly maehine gunnin.g the island, The half-hour attack left Richard Whaley and Joseph Keli'ihananui dead," Baker and Jarvis were also attacked and although no injuries were sustained it took seven weeks for the U,S, to rescue them, The occupations ended in February 1942 following the deaths, Surviving Hawaiian colonists are in their 80s, Their families say about their recognition, "īt's about time, We were all affected by it, every family with panalā'au veterans, We grew up hearing the stories, They left on a secret mission in the dark of night," Recognizing individual Native Hawaiians who advanced the mission of the U,S, in the Pacific, Hui Panalā'au is one of many examples of Native Hawaiians in the forefront for this country, īt is both fair and just for the U,S, to value and acknowledge Hawaiians by enacting S 746/HR 617 "Expressing the policy of the United States regarding the United States relationship with Native Hawaiians and to provide a process for the recognition of the United States of the Native Hawaiian governing entity, and for other purposes," ■

Recognizing individual Native Hawaiians who advanced the mission of the U.S. in the Pacific, Hui Panalā'au is one of many examples of Native Hawaiians in the forefront for this country. It is both fair and just for the U.S. to value and acknowledge Hawaiians.

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Haunani Apoliona, MSW At-large