Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 19, Number 7, 1 July 2002 — Panalāʻau: land gained by conquest [ARTICLE]

Panalāʻau: land gained by conquest

Aloha mai kākou e nā 'ōiwi o Hawai'i. I would like to express my frustration in the best light possible. Hoping to avoid any controversy that might hinder my message. But then again, "kū'ē!" My intentions are to reach out to ka lāhui Hawai'i and spread the reality of a rapidly diminishing race - so, too, the land. Don't be discouraged because our numbers are few, but stand together and let our voices go hand in hand with the wind. I kū mau mau! E kūkulu kumuhana nā po'e Hawai'i a e hemolele i ka hihi (pull together and free the entanglements). Yes, there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed. But don't let the bulk of it compromise our main objective: regain our 'āina. It saddens me to know how far back we have struggled to prevail. But to read the actual distressed cries of our people tears me up inside. He is part of a Maui petition to his Hawaiian Majesty King Kamehameha III, August 1845: the dismissal of foreign officers who are appointed Hawaiian officers; that you prohibit any foreigners from tak-

ing the oath of allegiance and becoming Hawaiian subjects; to not sell any more land under your kingdom to foreigners ..." As you ean see, this is not new territory. Listen closely. You ean still hear the echoing cries of the past. So to repossess our 'āina and kingdom all in the same bag is a big feat in itself. Some may even think it frivolous. But they are the ones who are motivated by the greed and luxuries of this already "haole Hawai'i." So let us stand firm, unite and shout kū'ē in the face of those who oppose us. By vigorously taking action now, we are planting seeds that will surely make fertile and secure the future land rights of our children. Nā keiki o ka wā ma hope. Along with every shrub, every fern, and every fruit, so are we makana o ka'āina. We are all a gift of the land. Kū'ē! Leroy K. Wright Kaunakakai

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