|
<br />PIIANAIA: Yeah, Madam Chair, just some background on our presence on this property and what
<br />we are trying to do. This property was a gift to Na Kālai Wa‘a from Kimble Smith who used to live
<br />on the property. He’s a Kohala resident. And basically, he wanted this property to go to a,
<br />basically to help Hawaiians; he was, I think, into rehabilitating Hawaiian people through whatever
<br />ways we could, so he gave the property to us. And what we try to do, we’ve just gotten to it within
<br />perhaps a last year or two, is to take this property and try to use it, and to use it to sustain ourselves
<br />rather than as a nonprofit going out with our hand out looking for money all the time, to try to use
<br />this property to sustain ourselves as an organization. And even though we are a voyaging canoe
<br />group, and this land is situated well inland, as our statement says, “He wa‘a he moku, he moku he
<br />wa‘a,” we believe that as it is on the ocean, so it is on land. And the land is a very important part of
<br />our operation. We hope to look at our canoe plans, not only to build canoes, to sustain us while we
<br />are on the ocean voyaging, to feed us, as well as for our health, as well. So that’s what we are
<br />trying to do here.
<br />
<br />And we have 20-year history already of working with kids in the community, as well as having
<br />voyaged to Tahiti, as well as to Saddleworld, on the canoes that we’ve built. The first canoe that we
<br />built was actually hewn from the Keauhou Forest, using adze made from the adze quarry up in
<br />Mauna Kea; so the tree was cut down by hand and carved by hand. And the reason that happened
<br />was because our, basically, our kūpuna said, “If you guys are going to be a voyage canoe operation,
<br />then you should do things traditionally to start off with.” So we rooted in our kūpuna, and this is
<br />just the next step for us. And when we came to Kohala, we talked to our elders first – believe it or
<br />not, there are elders beyond us, or beyond me and Shorty. We talked to them first, and essentially
<br />we got their blessing. And I think if we didn’t get their blessing, we wouldn’t be doing this. So we
<br />want to be consistent, and we want to feel like what we are doing is essentially pono for lack of a
<br />better English word. So we talked to them, and after we talked to our kūpuna, we talked to senior
<br />citizens before we talked to anybody else. And we feel like we had their blessing. So our bottom
<br />line is taking this gift, putting it to use to sustain ourselves, and to be consistent with our mission as
<br />well.
<br />
<br />GIFFIN: Thank you, Norman. Bill, did you want to say something?
<br />
<br />MOORE: No, I’m trying to say as little as possible.
<br />
<br />GIFFIN: Okay. Director.
<br />
<br />KANUHA: Thank you, Commissioner Giffin. A little more background in terms of how their
<br />programs have gone. My understanding is that over the years they’ve done a lot of educational and
<br />cultural outreach programs in conjunction with the Kamehameha Schools, and those programs
<br />during the summer took place down in Keauhou, in the vicinity. So at that time there were facilities
<br />to accommodate some of the students, you know, in the area, primarily the Keauhou Hotel, which
<br />has since been closed. And my understanding is that’s what led to this transition to, you know, out
<br />facility that they could continue doing these programs in behalf of Na Kālai Wa‘a.
<br />
<br />GIFFIN: Thank you. Any other comments or questions of the applicant? Then I’m going to ask
<br />you to please step back, because Arthur Jensen has signed up to testify. I don’t know who Arthur
<br />Jensen is. Will you please come forward? Thank you for signing up. Arthur, will you please raise
<br />7
<br />EXHIBIT A
<br />
<br />
|