Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 11, 1 November 2006 — Whither, Waimea? and Monumental Jurisdiction? [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Whither, Waimea? and Monumental Jurisdiction?

Dante Keala Carpenter TrustEE, O'ahu

In its rededication of the Waimea Valley Ahupua'a, OHA committed to keep this 'āina as a wahi pana, a Hawaiian plaee, a plaee of mana, sacred to our history and culture. So perhaps there's still time for developing a future plan for Waimea Valley to transfonn or effect a community change respecting the above. That's what ean happen during a "charrette," whieh is a collaborative planning effort that brings together stakeholders, including the eommunity, professional design experts and, in this case, Hawaiian agencies and organizations, including culture experts and others. The process harnesses the talents and energies of all those interested parties to create and support a feasible plan that represents a transformative community change. OHA should utilize a "charrette" before making a final decision with long-term ramifications. I'm very sure that sometime during the "Waimea charrette" process, some kupuna will ask, "Couldn't we keep Hawaiian lands in Hawaiian hands - for my great, great, grandchildren? Otherwise, auwe, they have no future and no legacy!" Moreover, after all, wasn't it the O'ahu North Shore community, both Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian, who fought together to keep this ahupua'a as a peaceful plaee? .... Rich in history, full of botanical wonders, a plaee to be conununity and Hawaiian, too! So, while "executive session" negotiations are confidentially ongoing at OHA's administrative level (for several months now), the community ean be engaged in a process that is open, transparent, promotes trust and eonunon vision, and could produce an extremely useful, feasible and eeonomieal plan that all could support. It could even produce a fitting set of present and future plans that will have recorded our people's vision for the 'āina. At least we will have answered the question, "How ean we keep the Waimea Ahupua'a in Hawaiian hands?" What have we got to lose? Whither, Waimea? Monumental jurisdiction? Presidential Proclamation 803 1 aeknowl-

edged both the spiritual and cultural manifestation of the Hawaiian people when President Bush proclaimed the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to be a marine nahonal monumentonIune 15. 139,793 squaremiles of "emergent and submerged lands and waters" are to be protected, conserved and managed through a partnership between the U.S. Departments of Connnerce's Nahonal Oeeanie and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Department of the Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the State of Hawai'i. Pertinent portions of Proclamation 803 1 read: "2. Additional Findings for Native Hawaiian Practice Permits. In addition to the findings listed above, the Secretaries shall not issue a permit to allow Native Hawaiian practices unless the Secretaries find: a. The activity is non-coimnercial and will not involve the sale of any organism or material collected; b. The purpose and intent of the activity are appropriate and deemed necessary by traditional standards in the Native Hawaiian culture (pono), and demonstrate an understanding of, and background in, the traditional practice, and its associated values and protocols; e. The activity benefits the resources of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and the Native Hawaiian community; d. The activity supports or advances the perpetuation of traditional knowledge and ancestral connections of Native Hawaiians to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands; and e. Any monument resource harvested from the monument will be consumed in the monument." We, as Kānaka Maoli, need to be involved iimnediately in organizing the administration of the monument. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs must strongly pursue through Governor Linda Lingle the designation of OHA as administrator of the "Native Hawaiian Practice" Permit approval process. It is imperative for our kūpuna, cultural practitioners, OHA trustees, OHA Native Rights, Land & Culture staff, and Hawaiiana professors to convene iimnediately to determine the path our Hawaiian community should take to ensure the benefits promised, as well as obligations incurred, in this proclamahon. "E ho'olaha, kākou!" A hui hou, mālama pono. S

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