Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 5, 1 May 2004 — Kahoʻolawe rehab [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kahoʻolawe rehab

I read with intense interest your latest article, "Culture Behind Bars" in Ka Wai Ola o OHA. As a retired Hawai'i puhlie school educator, I cannot help but feel some guilt for my profession failing so many young people who find themselves incarcerated and probably facing a lifetime of recidivism. The problems facing the community must be addressed from both the preventive and rehabilitative perspectives. Our statistics on Native Hawaiian juvenile arrests for the state magnify a persistent situation that requires immediate attention and creative approaches. Several years ago, in informally speaking to a few leaders in the Native Hawaiian community, it was hoped that discussion could be stimulated on the use of potentials inherent in the Kaho'olawe situation. Could we use our Native Hawaiian inmates to significantly demonstrate one step towards re-establishing a plaee historically lost? Rehabilitation of Kaho'olawe and incarcerated Native Hawaiians would include re-culturation, voluntary participation in the reclamation of the island and the development of self-esteem and a sense of pride and plaee. The benefits would be to the state, the Native Hawaiian community, and the individual men and women who commit to this challenge. The idea was not well received at that time, but perhaps the timing is better now and the situation safer with mueh ordnance removed. Are there leaders who ean muster the needed programs and workforce to embark on simultaneously rebuilding an island and lives of its people? Ms. Nālani 01ds is to be commended for taking the cultural teachings into prisons. Imagine how mueh more impact those teachings ean have if the inmates are brought into the native environment and are provided opportunity to practice many of their cultural values. Miles C. Muraoka Kaunakakai, Moloka'i

Ka i fo Kaiāiii ii

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