2021-12-16 Redistricting Commission Public Hearing minutes (Final 2 of 2)

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KOSSOW: Go ahead. Thank you, Relley. ARACELEY: Thank you. Your next testifier in the Zoom room is Mary Marvin Porter. Ms. Porter, if you could unmute your mic and provide your testimony, you have three minutes starting now. PORTER: Aloha. I live in Hawaii Paradise Park, and I would appreciate if we could be kept together in the same district. I realize it's very complicated, however, to do the mapping. I have attempted to look at it and the maps seem to grow larger and smaller on their own on the computer. To where it's hard to keep—It's very hard to work with it. But the main thing isI really, I think, Brenda Ford had an excellent map, and I support her proposed map. I also did sit in on the meeting two nights ago. And I was really happy to see all of the strong women office holders, and former office holders, that were attempting to deal with this and giving their opinions on it all. I haven't really been able to study it all in detail, but the main thing is I ask that we keep Hawaii Paradise Park together. Thank you very much. KOSSOW: Mahalo. Now we'll go over to Hilo. ASAM: Aloha mai kakou. I'm actually considered to be konohiki of `Iolani Palace back in Honolulu. And as far as I'm concerned, my turf is all of Hawaii. He Hawaii au. Hawaii is a temple and simply that. So, for those that can understand that, and realize this is a very special place in the universe, and multiple universes. So, simply to be here on behalf of the original people of this land, simply defined as kanaka maoli `A`ole. That's a haole termlimitation. We are of God. We are `i`o maoli. We're authentic, one in the same. We reflect all those that are welcomed here to understand simply how to be of `i`o. So, my necessity of being here is to simply make people aware, any kind of altering is not acceptable to the original people of this land never ever has been. And those never ever needed to be a discussion. As it is no different than what Grover Cleveland, President Grover Cleveland, did back whence to say simply, put the queen back on the thrown where she belongs. And for me to have been blessed to be a person that was personal chaperone to President Grover Cleveland's grandson. A couple of years ago, I was with him for a week, and for the blessing of being connected and educating him as to the significance of the magnificence of what President Grover Cleveland stood for. To me, for myself, he had to be part Hawaiian. He had to be. For him to have that kind of connect, that there has been never ever anyone to represent on behalf of the United States in honor, in pono, to be that level of the magnificence that I was blessed with. To be honored to be in the presence of his grandson. And for his grandson even not to realize or fully comprehend the significance of just simply his existence as the seed of President Grover Cleveland. To have my people come surround him at `Iolani Palace and to show him—and in tears, always in tears—as to him not realizing the significance and the magnificence of what his grandfather did on behalf of Hawaii. So, I am truly blessed to be honored to simply know that there is `i`o. The one and only that is paying attention. And it is necessary to simply understand what truth is. I need to say this, I am physically located in the kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands, that I call the "kindom" of the Hawaiian Islands. A country in continuity and not in the State of Hawaii or the United States. 3