HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0377.224 2024-2026TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 234-25
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August 19, 2025 �4 o c
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Aloha Chair Villegas, Vice Chair Kagiwada, and members of the Committee,
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Ka Lahui Hawaii stands in strong support of Resolution 234-25 to protect Pohakuloa. For Wre sr -
than sixty years, the U.S. Army has occupied and bombed sacred, stolen Hawaiian lands at t
Pohakuloa, contaminating our aquifer, destroying ecosystems, and desecrating cultural siteF.
The continued use of Pohakuloa for military training cannot be justified under the pretense of
national defense; rather, it represents a persistent and systemic threat to the environmental,
cultural, and human security of Hawaii. Hawaii is forced to bear the destruction of its sacred
lands so the U.S. military can project power abroad and wage endless war. The U.S. Army is
occupying Hawaiian lands that were taken without the free, prior, and informed consent of the
Kanaka Maoli people. This occupation serves broader imperial interests rooted in a system of
global domination built on the oppression, dispossession, and genocide of Indigenous peoples,
from Oceania to Palestine.
Resolution 234-25 is an important step, but it must be stronger. We urge two amendments:
1. Change "unless" to "and" so it reads: Rejecting land swaps and lease renewals, and
requiring comprehensive cleanup, restoration, and bioremediation at Pohakuloa.
2. Add: Condemn any backroom deals between the Governor and the military, recognizing
that such secret agreements are unlawful and undermine the interests of Kanaka Maolt.
The Army has already proven it cannot be trusted — the BLNR rejected its Final EIS for failing
to meet even the most basic requirements. Now the people of Hawaii are demanding
accountability to ensure a livable future for our children and grandchildren.
We urge you to pass Resolution 234-25 with these amendments, and stand with Kanaka Maoli
and the public interest against the ongoing desecration and destruction of sacred Pohakuloa, and
for the return of these lands back into the hands of the traditional caretakers and lineal
descendants.
Aloha `ama Pohakuloa.
Me ka oiai`o,
Ka Lahui Hawaii �1
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