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HOUSEL: Okay, sorry, Mr. Ghalamfarsa. Okay. Thank you for your agreement there. And we’ll
<br />proceed. Thanks very much. We have a total right now of 20 people signed up to testify, and I
<br />have, normally we would take these in the order of people signed up; I have a request from one
<br />person that they have to catch a plane shortly after 2:00. So would anyone be opposed to taking this
<br />one ahead of the schedule? Okay, so if no one is opposed to it, we’ll call this person, so that they
<br />can catch their plane when they have to. Could this person come forward, please?
<br />GONZALEZ: Ku‘umeaaloha Gomes?
<br />GOMES: Mahalao for allowing that and -.
<br />HOUSEL: Okay, could I swear you in, please? Would you raise your right hand? Using the
<br />microphone, do you swear to tell the truth before the Planning Commission today on this matter?
<br />GOMES: I do.
<br />HOUSEL: Thank you. Could you state your name and address, please?
<br />GOMES: My name is Ku‘umeaaloha Gomes and my address is 1967 Naio Street, Honolulu 96817.
<br />HOUSEL: If you would like to provide your comments.
<br />GOMES: Okay. Mahalo, everyone, for allowing me to be here. And mahalo, too, for making the
<br />space available for people to be able to share. I oppose the development in this area and there are
<br />three reasons why. So,first is that it’s really necessary to understand the historical significance of
<br />through it. The historical significance of
<br />one of the most powerful women in Hawaiian history, and this complex is symbolic of that place of
<br />women. Today, if you go into those areas, you will see the remnants of, you know, different kinds
<br />chiefs’ bones were washed before they were buried, and it’s a pond. So this place is just filled with
<br />so much historical significance that it is important, No. 2, to preserve it for our young people. I’m
<br />from O‘ahu but I am a Kanuha – what is that, two minutes – I’m a Kanuha, my mother is a Kanuha.
<br />I’m from O‘ahu, and for those children growing up on O‘ahu, many times they take excursions to
<br />where? To Hawai‘i Island. For why? To see things here that no longer exist on O‘ahu. It’s really
<br />important that we preserve those places so that our children can continue to learn, to feel, to touch,
<br />to smell, that place that is theirs. We erase all of that, we erase Hawai‘i and their roots. Our O‘ahu
<br />children have to, in their geology classes, they fly to Hawai‘i Island to learn about volcanoes. They
<br />can’t do that anywhere else – it’s here. The same with the existing heiau. The same with all of
<br />these historical places. Let’s preserve them. And the third thing is that the preservation of these
<br />sites, especially the site like this, preserves the spirit of our people, the integrity of our people and
<br />the lives of our people. And I ask you to really reconsider that kind of development. Development,
<br />yes, means progress, but in other ways, too, it serves to destroy and invalidate our history. And we
<br />don’t want to do that. I thank you very much.
<br />HOUSEL: Thank you for your testimony. I’d like to call the next, it looks like we have five
<br />microphones, so we call five people at a time. I need some help with the names – canyou read
<br />that?
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<br />EXHIBIT D
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