Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 10, 1 October 2004 — Families, "informed crowd" join together in march to resist ongoing injustices aqainst Native Hawaiians [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Families, "informed crowd" join together in march to resist ongoing injustices aqainst Native Hawaiians

Doe v. Kamehameha case, whieh threatens Kamehameha Schools' Hawaiian-preference admissions policy, and Arakaki v. Lingle, whieh seeks to dismantle the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and other Hawaiian programs. Organizations supporting the march included the ali'i trusts, royal benevolent societies, civic clubs, OHA, homestead groups and Hawaiian immersion and charter schools. The marchers wore bright red Kū i ka Pono shirts intended to symbolize unity among, and support for, those of Native Hawaiian koko (blood). Some marchers pushed strollers or carried keiki on their shoulders. "I'm here for my kids," said Wainwright Pi'ena, patting the shoulder of a young boy trotting alongside him. "All of this is for the next generation, whieh is very Hawaiian. It's not a matter of "if ' it's gonna happen - we've got to prepare, because it will happen, whether it's this generation, or the next, or the one after that." Along the route, the lead marchers stopped several times to offer ho'okupu (honorary gifts), hula and chants to portraits of ali'i placed at historically significant spots. Trustees of the Queen Lili'uokalani Trust

offered ho'okupu at a portrait of the queen placed on the sidewalk in front of Foster Towers, a leasehold condominium that is at the heart of the forced-conver-sion issue. Onee part of the queen's personal Waikīkī estate and passed down as part of her trust for the benefit of destitute Hawaiian children, the land under the building has been threatened with forced sale to

condo leaseholders under Chapter 38, the law that allows the city to use its power of condemnation to force lease conversion. "Stop stealing our land!" several young marchers chanted as they passed the building, while residents looked on from their oceanfront balconies. The procession also stopped to pay respects at the memorial near Kapahulu Avenue

containing the iwi (remains) of Hawaiian ancestors unearthed during construction in Waikīkī. Tourists along Kalākaua snapped pictures and watched the marchers pass with expressions ranging from curiosity to befuddlement. Canadian visitor Dave Wall said he wasn't aware of Native Hawaiian issues until he saw the march, but that he thinks it's important for visitors to learn about Hawai'i's eulture and people. "In Canada, the First

Nations have many of the same problems," he said. "But now they have reached the point where they have a strong voice in the government system. I hope the Hawaiians will be able to do the same." Marcher Bozo Pualoa explained to a family from California that the demonstration was about Hawaiian unity. "I'm a product of the '60s," he

"To me, it was a very informed crowd. 1 think people understand the issues, and they know were in this for the long haul. lt really feels good to see the lāhui (nation) eome out and he counted like this." -Vicky Holt īakamine

said, "and back then it was mainly just college students that were marching. But when you see families coming out like this, you cannot stop that - and it's a peaceful, positive thing. We Hawaiians are just trying to get together so our children ean have better lives." The rally following the march featured short speeches from a variety of Hawaiian community leaders, along with entertainment from groups including Sudden Rush, John Osorio, Ho'okena, Amy Hānaiali'i Gilliom, Kainani Kahaunaele and Lopaka Kanahele. Osorio, who is also director of UH Mānoa's Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, said he was "quite impressed" by the turnout. "The thing is, it's not just all the usual activists," he said. "There are all kinds of people here, and lots of children. It's promising to see so many people who understand that our institutions really are under attack, and it brings us all together." Kamehameha Schools' CEO Dee Jay Mailer told the crowd, "Ke Ali'i Pauahi is smiling on us today, but she also gives us a kuleana that we cannot shrink from ... and that is to educate our keiki; no questions. That's our responsibility, and no matter what stands in our way, no matter who says that they want to take our resources from us, we will meet that challenge." "We will win the battle for our rights as long as we have commit-

ment, we have leadershipand we have unity," said Queen Lili'uokalani Trust Chairman Tommy Kaulukukui. "And today we have all three."

Firing up the youthful crowd with their Hawaiian-pride rap music, Sudden Rush proclaimed: "Today, the Waikīkī Shell, tomorrow the land!" ■

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Photos: Sterling Kini Wong