I don't know how many people showed up last night, but my guess is that there were well over 200 people at the Convention Hall for the bike path meeting. Although I didn't speak to everyone personally, it was clear to me that the majority of people were not supportive of the Wailua Beach route. If not for the County officials and the hired consultants, I would say that the vast majority of attendees were in opposition of the bike path being constructed on Wailua Beach.
I did not go to speak, as I am quite sure that the decision to place the path over the burial grounds of Wailua Beach has already been made. I have made my feelings known and didn't think that I could change the minds of the decision makers that were present. I went to the meeting to learn. And learn I did. What I heard last night moved me. It moved me in a way that I never experienced before. I could not sleep when I got home. In fact, I was wide awake until well after 2am. I woke up this morning with a feeling that we need to continue this fight. No matter what, we cannot let this recreational path destroy the alive sands of Wailua Beach, or Mahunapu`uone, the sand dunes that conceal the bones.
Kehaulani Kekua, Ikane Alapai and Val Ako all confirmed the cultural significance of Wailua. After their testimonies, I had expected at least some of the proponents to change their minds. That didn't happen. I couldn't believe that anyone would publicly support the Wailua Beach route after these experts shared their knowledge. But still, some did.
For those that are culturally insensitive, and can only relate to money and prestige, Alan Murakami of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation shared the legal ramifications of proceeding, including violations of law. Quite an eye-opening session.
Going forward, I can only hope that our decision makers will do what is right. Of course, we all have different perceptions of what is right. After last night, it is very clear. We must leave Wailua alone. We must allow those that are buried there to rest in peace. We must show our appreciation by respecting them. Not with monuments, but by allowing them to rest, undisturbed.
thnx mel for posting about this issue. here's a comment from kauai eclectic:
ReplyDeleteit seems that the question to ask is who will be most disappointed/offended/put out if the decision goes contrary to their desires.
i love the path, use it frequently and am glad the county is investing in it. yet if bernard decides to go mauka i, like many other path advocates, will not shed one tear nor feel betrayed or cry for justice. i will still have access to the beach, still be able to teach my daughter to safely ride a bike or follow her on roller blades. from the lydgate section or from town to donkey beach i can get my yayas out on the path.
but on the other hand, if the mayor decides the path is to be located on the sand, guaranteed there will be hard feelings. there will be valid accusations of cultural insensitivity and that the perpetuation of injustice continues in the modern era and protests.
i doubt if tom noyes or tim bynum will lose much sleep over the path going mauka yet i believe if the path is sited on the sands many folks will point to the path as another example of developers,newcomers and the uncaring allowing for change that is inconsiderate of the past, present or future.
The mayor is going to start his own blog. It will be called "Straight Up The A**"!
ReplyDeletescottgoold wrote on Dec 9, 2009 8:57 AM:
ReplyDelete" Aloha mutantme ~
You wrote, "I'm from the mainland, but I would never let my personal desires come before another's culture and heritage."
You had better give back most of the American mainland to the native "Indian" tribes and return most of the southwest and west to the Mexicans. Further the US participated in a non-violent coup against native Hawaiians in 1893. Possibly you're suggesting all the islands should be returned to them as well.
This is a complex issue. While I sympathize with the emotional appeal of Kumu Kehau and Aikane Alakai when they say, IT'S ALL THEY HAVE LEFT! -- it's not true. These are bones. Not people. Their spirits and souls of the iwi kupuna have long departed.
What they have left - what we all have left - is our time together as a people - as a nation. We need to move on from the past. There are ways to preserve heritage while marching forward into the future.
Thats why you newcomers should go back to where you came from! We are losing our culture because of you. Hawaiians would not go to the mainland and change their culture, whatever is left of the American culture.
ReplyDeleteAlan Murakami said...
ReplyDeleteWhat's being lost in the discussion is WHAT the County and SHPD MUST do before it got to this point. SHPD is supposed to be the front line to protecting historic properties, including possible and actual burials. SHPD should have first demanded a vetted and well designed archaeological inventory survey so there would be far less certainty about the size and location of the KNOWN burial site, which historic records describe as stretching from Kapule's Fishpond "to the sea". It should NOT simply say, "oh, no burials have been found in this area." Its legal duty to ferret out this information and attempt to verify it is much more pronounced.
The existence of a KNOWN burial site (Mahunapu`uone) should have been enough for SHPD to require a scientifically sound AIS in the Wailua dune area to see how far makai Mahunapu`uone goes. (The soundness of an AIS is too often disputed due to poor or dubious SHPD oversight). SHPD once again FAILED to follow this duty, leaving the community to suffer from from the resulting infighting and uncertainty (this is an old story).
IF there are iwi kupuna in the path of the path, the County must prepare a draft burial treatment plan to present to the island burial council. With this information, the burial council should take over to determine whether the burial site should be preserved in place or burdened with this bike path. That is how the legal process is designed.
I WAS THERE AND HEARD THE "TESTIMONY". DO WE NEED THE BIKE PATH? DOES IT SERVE SOME, OR THE WHOLE? IT APPEARS THAT THIS MEETING WAS A COURTESY GRIPE SESSION WITH THE PLANS TO GO AHEAD AND BUILD THE PATH IN THE BACK POCKETS OF OUR LEADERS. WHO USES THE BIKE PATH? THE FEW WHO HAVE THE POWER TO INFLUENCE OUR POLITICIANS? MONEY EQUALS POWER I GUESS. WELL I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE. NO HAWAIIAN IN MY BLOOD BUT, IN MY HEART. THIS IS THE WAY OF LIFE A WAS TAUGHT TO RESPECT AND LIVE. THIS IS ALSO THE PLACE I'D LIKE TO RETIRE AND BE ABLE TO ENJOY MY CHILDREN AND EVENTUALLY GRANDCHILDREN. NOT ONE PERSON IN ATTENDANCE WOULD AGREE TO HAVE ANYTHING BUILT OVER FAMILY BURIAL GROUINDS. ESPECIALLY A BIKE PATH. THERE ARE SO MANY CHOICES IN CHOOSING TO RIDE A BIKE ON THIS ISLAND, WHY DO SOME INSIST ON MAKING IT IN A LOCATION WHICH DISTURBS OUR NATURAL LANDS. TOURISTS COME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO SEE THE ISLAND. NOT THE PRETTY BIKE PATH. I BELIEVE THIS PATH SERVES THE FEW AND NOT THE SUM. WHILE THE INTENTIONS ARE GOOD, SPEAKING HAWAIIAN IS IMPRESSIVE AND SHOWS YOU ARE HAWAIIAN OR HAVE LEARNED A SECOND LANGUAGE WELL. THE MESSAGE YOU SEND IS CLEAR BUT NOT HEARD. HOW MANY PEOPLE GOT THE IDEA AND NOT THE MESSAGE. I HAD NO CLUE. YOU WANT TO BE HEARD BUT, WE CAN'T LISTEN IF WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND. I DO NOT WANT TO SEE A BIKE PATH. CAN MONEY BE USED FOR OTHER MORE IMPORTANT NEEDS. IF YOU NEED TO EXERCISE THAT BAD, GET ON A TREADMILL AND DRIVE BY AND NOT THRU THE FAST FOOD LINES!"
ReplyDeletePoliticians promise anything when running...they say they will represent the people. Do they? We don't think so. Do they listen? NEVA, Do they Care? Watch and listen to the news - do you feel you are being heard? We don't. The only way to get their attention is to NOT RE-ELECT THEM.
ReplyDelete