2016-04-21 Leeward Exh C (SMA 16-063)

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and respectively. But when you have sloppy scientists who are going out there and doing what they please, willy-nilly, and not doing proper consultations and planning and showing respect to the host culture, we have problems. And that’s why we are here; there’s problems. So I as a Hawaiian I can tell you that 38 archaeological sites would be destroyed. That’s significant to me. One is, if one is destroyed, that’s significant, because we keep losing. And not to mention SHPD has issued a letter saying, asking you folks please do not allow this permit to go through because they haven’t fulfilled their recommendations. So please honor their request. I support their request. Don’t allow this to go through. The final word that popped in my head is “displacement,” and that’s the removal of indigenous peoples from their ancestral homelands. So this project would build 306 timeshare units; I don’t know who in this room can afford that. I know I no can. So what we are looking at is, okay, 306 timeshare units, who is actually going to be living there? How many of our population can live there? How many of them who buy into these areas will actually be native Hawaiian? Pre-contact Hawai‘i, our people were living here, we were thriving, we were vibrant. A hundred percent of us could live here, if we wanted to. Today native Hawaiians make up 26 percent of Hawai‘i’s population. We are becoming a minority in our own homelands. So why does this all matter and how does this all come together? This is a form of colonial violence against native Hawaiians by removing us from our ancestral homelands. And Kamehameha Investment Corp-, it makes me feel shame that none of their representatives are in the room today, I have great honor for some of the work that they are doing, but this work will bring this honor to the good legacy that they are to maintain. UNGER: Thank you. NAVAS-LOA: Aloha mai kākou. UNGER: Aloha. NAVAS-LOA: My name is Leinani Navas-Loa. I come from the ahupua‘a of Hōnaunau. I’m a kia‘i o Hōnaunau, and also, of course, going to be for Kahalu‘u. My husband is, actually his ‘ohana is from Kahalu‘u. He had the opportunity to be able to live down there with his tūtū until he was about eight or nine years old. And this is important for not only me but for my husband and my children because they are lineal descendants of this place. And we strongly oppose this development that is being proposed to you folks. Coming from my perspective, you know, this has been going on for so many years, so much development coming in, destroying our culture, destroying who we are. But these are the things that we need to keep close, we need to keep fighting like how we have been, but at the same time, hopefully, you folks will make the change, you folks will help us make the change, not only for us but for all your grandchildren, all your greatgrandchildren. It’s not only our families, it affects everybody. And coming, I’m also a Hawaiian studies teacher, and my job is to make sure we mālama and take care of our keiki. And they are on the top of our list. We need to keep these cultural and historical places for them and for our future. Mahalo. UNGER: Mahalo. 20 EXHIBIT C