Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 19, Number 7, 1 July 2002 — Kahoʻolawe goes to Washington, D.C. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kahoʻolawe goes to Washington, D.C.

In 1976, when the grassroots movement to stop the bombing of Kaho'olawe started on Moloka'i, no one thought that the island would ever be featured at the Smithsonian National Museum in Washington, D,C, Thus, it was with pride, a lot of aloha, and some tears that the exhibit, "Kaho' olawe: Rebirth of a Sacred Hawaiian Island ' opened June 5 at the Arts and īndustries Building of the Smithsonian, The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum worked with Community Development Pacific and the Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana to tell Kaho'olawe's unique story through this exhibit, Photographs, artifacts, interactive displays, videos and a computer-simulated tour of the island, relate Kaho'olawe's legendary origins, its degradation by goats, ranching, and military use; and current efforts to revitalize the island as sacred Hawaiian land, Over 186,500 people from all of the major Hawaiian islands viewed the exhibit between 1996 and 2000. Thereafter, the Smithsonian Asian

Pacific ,American Program arranged for the exhibit to have a plaee in the nation's capital, Funding from the Kaho'olawe īsland Reserve Commission, the Parsons-UXB Joint Venture, the Office of Mayor James Kimo Apana, County of Maui, HECO, CSX Lines, the Cooke Foundation, and the National Museum of the American īndian made the national exhibition possible, The exhibit generates a lot of enthusiasm and support for Native Hawaiians, Fifty-four volunteer docents living in the wider Washington, D,C, area having a connection to Hawai'i committed to stay with the exhibit through Sept 2, The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Native Hawaiian Registry operated at the exhibit from June 6-9 and attracted many Hawaiian families and individuals to eome in and sign up. Overall, the exhibit gives a voice to the mana'o and experiences of George Helm, Unele Harry and Kimo Mitchell, and Native Hawaiians as a whole to the

,American public - in support of Kaho'olawe and of Native Hawaiian rights and sovereignty, Coincidentally, on the day before the exhibit opened the Senate Committee on īndian Affairs held the first of a series of oversight hearings to review the policy and practices of U,S, federal agencies with regard to Native American and Native Hawaiian sacred lands and sites, By presenting testimony whieh shared lessons from the military use, elean up and restoration of Kaho'olawe, the Kaho'olawe īsland Reserve Commission and the Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana focused on how the Department of Defense ean improve the treatment of sacred sites, nationally, On Sum, June 9, in Statutory Hall of the National Capitol, 250 Hawaiians, families, and friends gathered to honor King Kamehameha by draping his statue with lei for his birthday, Sen, Daniel ,Akaka and Congresswoman Patsy Mink urged support for legislation that would extend congressional recognition to Native Hawaiians,

A forum held on the afternoon of June 9 at the Smithsonian S, Dillon Ripley Center provided an update on the restoration of Kaho'olawe and congressional recognition of Native Hawaiian sovereignty, Here, the role of the Kaho'olawe exhibit on the national mall eame into clear focus, Kaho'olawe served as a beacon for the modern revival of Native Hawaiian culture, religion, and language, At eaeh step of the way, political paths had to be cleared for the island and our Native Hawaiian culture to flourish, This summer, Kaho'olawe ean serve as a beacon to educate the national American public about Native Hawaiians and our just struggle for self-determina-tion, Such a focus ean help us clear a path for the U,S, Congress' recognition for Native Hawaiian sovereignty, Though the recognition issue is not an end, it will certainly symbolize and fuel a new era in achieving independence and sovereignty, ī mua kākou a lanakila Kaho'olawe a me ko kākou lāhui Hawai'i, ■

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Colette Machado Trustee , Moloka'i anei Lāna'i