Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 26, Number 7, 1 July 2009 — Picking greenery at Volcanoes is a tradition [ARTICLE]

Picking greenery at Volcanoes is a tradition

On the afternoon of May 15, my daughter and I were in Volcanoes National Park in an area referred to by locals as Lava Tree Mold Park, near Bird Park. We were picking assorted plant material for a haku lei for my daughter-in-law's University of Hawai'i graduation. When we were done, we were stopped by a park ranger and asked what we were doing. We explained politely and were asked to show our IDs. We also had a cultural pass, whieh we also presented. Apparently, this wasn't enough. He said we had to go into the park and get an official gathering permit. Then we were forced to open our trunk for a search, whieh amounted to about a grocery bag's worth of lehua, liko, ferns, etc. This type of behavior is totally unacceptable. Loeal families have done this for generations. It's a tradition practiced for graduations and special occasions. It was obvious this ranger was new to the island because he needed help spelling "lehua" while filling in his official report. Show some aloha and sensitivity! It's bad enough we, as Hawaiians, have to explain why we are going into a national park. So, beware to anyone picking in the national park. You might get stopped by our friendly Smokey the Bear. Bruce Lum-Ho Puna, Hawai'i