HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0315.023 2020-2022 From: Taz Rosam & Caitlin Kryss
P.O. Box 711687
Mountain View, HI. 96771
To: Hawaii County Council members
RE: Support for Resolution 161 to provide PONC funding to protect Kiolaka'a
Dear Hawaii County Council members,
I am writing in support of the protection of Ka'u's Kiolaka'a lands through PONC funding.
These lands truly need to be protected.
I am a public school teacher, and I was born and raised in Ka'u. I live in Puna now
because work has brought be here, but my heart is in Ka'u. I want to tell you what this land in
Kiolaka'a means to me. This land is a symbol of one of the last freedoms of Hawaii's people
and the lifeblood nurturing the health and vitality of our native plants and animals. To us, the
people of Kau, this land is our freedom. It is raw, natural beauty, gives us the space to feel
free, to enjoy the free, clean air and water; the free, open space. Local people feel the weight
of the wrongs of the past, and with every piece of open space that is lost to development, that
pain is felt deeper. This place restores that sense of freedom, and for many of us, we visit these
few remaining places to feel that freedom as a means of getting by, of merely just surviving in a
world of pressure, loss, and futures that may not appear as bright as they once did in my
younger days. We need Kiolaka`a to be protected to give us strength to draw from, and hope to
keep us moving forward, serving our communities, and nurturing future generations. Many of
my earliest childhood memories of feeling deeply connected with place, with the natural
beauty of Ka'u, came from Ka'alu'alu Bay, and the land of Kiolaka`a, and I want to continue to
be able to show my daughters, ages 6 and 8,the same untouched, pristine natural beauty and
heritage that I connected with when I was their age. My older daughter, Ariala (8), understands
this land may be lost, and she took it upon herself to write this letter to you, Council members:
Comm. No .
Ref. To:
Ref. Bate 2021.
ii
t ..
d•t� iO
•.. i : •
2
t �
£
- f
k
5
I
� y y
....» -.. .. ,. -..by
f
p*fr
55
y »
i
a'
r�,A
She is one of many children of the people of Ka'u, and she understands the gravity of
this decision. Children now only hear about environmental loss and degradation, disconnection
i
of indegenous people from their native lands, injustice and abuse of power. They have so few
stories that give them hope. Please give my daughters, and all the children of Ka`u the promise
of enjoying the freedoms of the natural beauty of Kiolaka`a. To these children, this is land they
know and love, that they see connected to the hearts of their parents and their grandparents.
To them, it is a source of pure, childhood joy and it needs our protection. When children have
these places in their minds and in their hearts to draw from, they grow up to become the
cultural and environmental stewards our islands desperately need. Please consider their needs,
and their futures. I urge you to chose to protect Kiolaka'a.
i
I also want to extend my deep mahalo to the many dedicated people who are committed to
protecting our special, unique, and precious island home.
i
E malama 'ia na pond o ka 'aina e na 'opio
The traditions of the land are perpetuated by its youth '
Mahalo nui,
i
Taz Rosam, Caitlin Kryss, Ariala and Aliya Rosam
i
I
I