2015-10-22 Leeward Exh A (SMA 15-060)

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you talk about business, recreation, it’s a place designated for the type of interaction. And I’m saying if it’s okay for the space to exist, it’s definitely okay for this Kahalu‘u Ma Kai space to exist for education, for culture perpetuation. And the members and the guests of the complexes are kids, all of our kids; charter schools will be on the property, and that includes both Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians. Those are the members and the guests of this complex. So I propose that, or I’m in support of them receiving the Special Permit \[sic\]. And thank you for your time. BRANDT: Hi. Aloha kākou. My name is Lokelani Brandt and I currently reside in the Ahupua‘a of Waiākea in Hilo with my family and I have two keiki. I’m a teacher at the Hawai‘i Community College Hawai‘i Life Styles Program. And I’m also a student in the Heritage Management Program at UH Hilo and we are all classmates here. But I’m speaking on behalf of my ‘ohana as well here. So I came here from Hilo today to voice my support for the Kahalu‘u Ma Kai project. What we are witnessing here is a movement that will forward our collective understanding of the past as a way to guide future planning and educational efforts on Hawai‘i Island. I advocate for this project because for several generations kānaka maoli have had to develop knowledge of our past and ancestors within the confines of western academic institutions. There are teachers in these institutions that believe in the power of reconnecting the students to the ‘āina, and often took myself and others on huaka‘i, or excursions, to cultural sites. Often times we visit these sites and they are reduced to rubble or just near fragments of the past. So as students we are often left to imagine what this place once was, what it looked like and how it functioned. Today I think Kahalu‘u Ma Kai embodies the intelligence of our ancestors combined with the wisdom of our kānaka maoli today. Kahalu‘u has served as an important place that brings together families, or from kūpuna all the way to keiki for very positive purposes. And because of the work of so many dedicated individuals we no longer have to imagine what these heiau looked like or how they functioned, because now they are up and they are working and we can access these places and we can study and we can further our knowledge. So being that this place will serve as a complex for learning for various ages, I want to ensure that we are cautious about public accessibility primarily because of the safety of our keiki and for allowing the necessary privacy needed by our practitioners to conduct ceremonies and protocols. And I feel that Kamehameha Schools has adequately addressed this concern in their plan. A project of this sort is highly appropriate and much needed in this day and age for both kānaka maoli and for Hawai‘i Island community. I ask that you please support Kamehameha Schools and the Kahalu‘u Ma Kai project. Mahalo for your time. MOSSMAN: Aloha mai kākou āpau. My name is Kalahoohie Mossman. I’m an agent of the Edith Kanaka‘ole Foundation, cultural practitioner, I’m an educator and a Master’s candidate at the Heritage Management Program at UHH. I would like to humbly offer my perspective on the proposed Kahalu‘u Ma Kai educational complex, and ask that you approve the Kamehameha Schools SMA Permit application. This complex offers a very unique opportunity for native practitioners to preserve and practice traditional protocol in a sacred place. This is important as it helps to foster the identity within our living culture and helps to perpetuate our practices. This complex is unique in that it is one of few temples erected below the high water mark. It is a shining example of the ingenuity and accomplishment of our ancestors and it is a source of pride for our people today. Because this site is so sacred to our people, it is important that we maintain a respectful buffer not only to protect the physical manifestation of the site but also to respect the practitioners who utilize the site today. Additionally, as an educator, I understand the need to create a safe environment for the learners. I’ve had the opportunity to manage a fishpond in Hilo for 20 years. Maintaining a safe 17 EXHIBIT A