Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 10, 1 October 2017 — Save Our Limu: Uncle Henry's Legacy is Threatened [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Save Our Limu: Uncle Henry's Legacy is Threatened

AINA LAND AND WATER

Submitted By Kua'āina Ulu 'Auamo Editor's note: The Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation invited Kua'āina Ulu 'Auamo to submit this guest eolumn. Henry Chang Wo Jr. learned the Hawaiian cultural practice of limu gathering from his grandmother, mother and aunt. Their primary limu harvest area encompassed the entire 'Ewa Beach shoreline from the mouth of the Pearl Harbor ehannel to Barbers Point. Young Henry was a reluctant participant in his familv's limu gathering practice when he was recruited (forced?) to be their "bag boy." He described tedious hours spent collecting, cleaning and preparing limu for their family parties. It was from all of this hard work that he learned the names of many of our

native limu, as well as their uses as medicine and uses in Hawai-

ian cultural and religious practices. It wasn't until mueh later in his life did he realize the value of that knowledge. As his three limu mentors became older and started to slow down, the limu responsibilities fell on his shoulders. Having no one in his family to pass on this important

cultural practice, he decided to i share his knowledge with anyone i and everyone. Henry Chang Wo Jr. became affectionately known as Unele Henry. He hosted eom- i munity groups, school groups as i well as individuals for shoreline i walks along his beloved limu : grounds and inspired an entire ] generation of limu gatherers, ] practitioners and researchers.

Unele Henry started to notice that limu was becoming less and

less abundant. The limu along the 'Ewa Beach shoreline was dying and the decrease in limu abundance correlated with the transition of the 'Ewa plains from agriculture to urbanization. Housing development, shopping centers, golf courses and other eonstruction projects were

causing the collapse of an important ecosystem that provided food for us, and for fish, and provided Unele Henry and other limu practitioners the ability to continue their traditional Hawaiian practice of limu gathering. Unele Henry stepped up and stood between his precious limu and the corporate polluters. Unele Henry taught us that the

story about limu was not confined to the shoreline. He always talked about the importance to mālama that "first raindrop on the top of the mountain until that water reaches the oeean." Limu depends on that freshwater. Urban development prevents the recharging of the underground aquifer and eontributes to surface runoff whieh carries so many pollutants detrimental to limu. Unele Henry filed a lawsuit to protect and preserve the fragile ecosystem of Hau Bush (One'ula Beach Park) so limu ean onee again thrive in that area. Unfortunately Unele Henry passed away after battling cancer. He was a selfless ehampion of bringing back limu to that area and he fought for this literally until his last breath. Just days before his passing, Unele requested that the non-profit organization, Kua'āina Ulu 'Auamo

(KUA) substitute where he left off. This request underscored his abiding commitment, how meaningful this work was to him, and the legacy he hoped others would carry forward. That kuleana is not his alone to fulfill but everyone's and not just during his lifetime, but for all time. Unele Henry's ashes were spread out at 'Ewa Beach on Monday, September 4, 2017. Some of the parties involved in the contested case hearing that Henry took on to protect the 'Ewa limu patches are now challenging KUA's standing as a substitute to carry his case forward. The essence of their argument is that because Henry was a human (and not an institution) who passed away, his elaim was personal and died with him. Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation is representinig KUA as it continues Unele Henry's fight for our eommunities' interests and for the rights of all Hawaiians to gather from and mālama their plaee. ■

Henry Chang Wo Jr.