Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 12, 1 December 2010 — Kahoʻolawe -- 20 years after the bombing [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kahoʻolawe -- 20 years after the bombing

Thi.s month 's eolumn features an update from the Kaho'oīawe Island Reserve Commission 's publications staff.

There are few places left in today's Hawai'i where one may go to learn about being Hawaiian; Kaho'olawe is such a plaee. It has been 20 years since the Navy stopped bombing this former target island and mueh has occurred in this short span. Since the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japanese forces, the uninhabited island had been utilized bv

the U.S. military for target and livefire practice. On Oct. 22, 1990, two U.S. fighter aircraft were en route to Kaho'olawe from their O'ahu base on their regular training run to drop bombs on their targets. A voice unexpectedly rang out over the aircraft radios, recalling them to O'ahu. After more than 50 years, President George H.W. Bush had ordered an end to the bombing. And the healing period began. In November 1990, Congress established the Kaho'olawe Island Conveyance Commission (KICC) to identify the terms and conditions for the return of Kaho'olawe to the State of Hawai'i. The KICC conducted puhlie hearings and cultural, environmental and ordnance studies to develop recommendations for the future of the island. The KICC confirmed what the kūpuna and the people of Hawai'i had steadfastly believed: Kaho'olawe is a significant and sacred island, a pu'uhonua and wahi pana. Based upon the final recommendations of the KICC, Congress voted in November 1993 to permanently stop all military training and bombing of Kaho'olawe and retum title of the island to the State of Hawai'i. Congress also authorized funding for the eleanup and restoration of the island's cultural and natural resources over the next 10 years. In 1993 the Hawai'i State Legislature established the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve consisting of Kaho'olawe and the oeean waters extending 2 miles

from the island. The law provides that the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve (Reserve) shall be used solely and exclusively and reserved in

perpetuity for the preservation and practice of all rights customarily and traditionally exercised by native Hawaiians for cultural, spiritual and subsistence purposes; for the preservation and protection of the Reserve's archaeological, historical and environmental resources; for rehabilitation, revegetation, habitat restoration and preservation; and for education. Commercial uses are strictly prohibited in the Reserve. The Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission

(KIRC) was created to manage the Reserve while it is held in trust for a future Native Hawaiian sovereign entity. The following was previously written by former KIRC Executive Director Keoni Fairbanks: "In working for the return of Kaho'olawe, many of the current generation rediscovered what it means to be Hawaiian. Restoring the island will provide a plaee and a purpose for a new generation of Hawaiians to be trained in the rights and responsibilities of 'kahu o ka 'āina,' or stewards of the land. Thus Kaho'olawe, as envisioned in the motto 'Kukulu ke ea a Kanaloa,' will be a cultural learning center where traditional cultural and spiritual customs, beliefs and practices of the Hawaiian people ean be freely practiced and flourish. The vision statement of the KIRC is: 'The kino of Kanaloa is restored. Forests and shrublands of native plants and other biota clothe its slopes and valleys. Pristine oeean waters and healthy reef ecosystems are the foundation that supports and surrounds the island. Na po'e Hawai'i care for the land in a manner whieh recognizes the island and the oeean of Kanaloa as a living spiritual entity. Kanaloa is a pu'uhonua and wahi pana where Native Hawaiian cultural practices flourish. The piko of Kanaloa is the crossroads of past and future generations from whieh the Native Hawaiian lifestyle spreads throughout the islands.' " ■

Cūlette Y. Machade TrustEE, Muluka'i and Lāna'i