HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0493.091 2000-2002 + ' - -
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Bobby Sean Leitliead -Todd ~ 10 July 2002 •
Craair, Paanning Committee.'
. Count~=,Coun~il •
~?5 Aut~uni Street .
Hilo, lla~wa'i 96720 Re: ~ Bill #..163 -
Deax Chair Leithead -Todd and Members of the: Planning Committee:
Please support Bill # 163 and the proposal for open space along the Kohanaiki coast.
- This. Bill is amportarit becarxse: i~ .benefits oiir community and our cnvironmer~3 •and result
;n imrrreasurable. lozig-teem aeon®rnic rewards to the residents of the. County-of I-lawai'i
<<<d the District of North Kona,
~}:~e sFears .ago Councilman Tyler suggested that I visit Kohanaiki and meet members of .
> €;Ftzana (PKO). Thereafter, l had flee great privilege of meeting Angel I~i1a~~, his wife
<<z~, I~:are:~ ~ncl .Gary l?off {~r;d spending little. tiavne with therm at "fine Ti°ees." The
~ s~~~;tirrg was profoundly inspirational. T -have since brought friends from the A~Y~ainland to
~,~isit I~ohanaki and meet the t3hana: Respite bumping along ~ 1?areiy passable ~.eep road
and: arriving. at an unprepossessing beach, the, experience of the people and rlre piece is
magical. It is a place where without administrative or physical :n~rastructttre; ?self
selected group is rejuvenating ~ worFdview unique perhaps to our fragilL archipelago.
Unique means "without a like or equal." To the extent Hawaii remains.lu:ique it tviil
' remairF valuably:. To the e~ten+ that our land use, patterns become indistir~gui~hable from
the rest of the world, we wig' have foully debased 4,:he land, our most preesous .asset.
Nothing is more obvious tha15. the dixect connection betweert the "econoniie" valta~ of
. land.and-..the preservatiori_of its iziherent uniqueness. The shoreline setback wixl go a long
way toward a~corrxplishing this goal, _
Because my expasure *.o the' protect Kohanaki Ohana has -been profoundly moving, I
have -spent some tune in tempt toarticulate. °some of :the thoughts and ctnotions
evoked by that expe~ienc , e ~e the enclosure.
Mahe
~ ~ ~ t~;~
~ n
' an . lobar? sod -
cc: Councilman Curtis Tyler ~
I'lar~:~airig Director Chris Yuen '
~',ngc'1,Pilag® 11~ .
Karen Eoff T.
' T/ 31st.~_ .1.;;7 F. 3 /4 ~..a ;.r,..,. s, ~
~~ahana~i _ .
aka I~a~
Thoughts on the proposed Sraoreline Setback`for the Kohanaiki ahupua~'a '
Should the ~'our}ty of H~wai ' i establish an open space set bacl~ protecting tl~e Kohanaiki
shoreh.ne? ,
. ~ Perhaps the discussion should begin. with an investigation of precedent. And perrzaps -thee . -
rele~ar}t precedent should be our laws, our customs, and our personal experience.
"Those ignorant of the lessons. ofhistory "are, bound to repeat them.
The farther back we can loop the, farther forward we-can see."
. Winston Spenser Churchill '
. , What better precedent than the preambleof the Constitution of the State of I-Iawai' i?
e~~~?e, ties ` _ people a>~ aw~i' i... agrizatif~ai ®f our 1<Ia~=~ian heri~a~c ,end
. u~aseia~eness as ~n islar~si State, ~edieate oar eff®rts~'t~ I'~ill~li tii~ I~ii~sca;phy
€ieca°eecl b3= ties ~-lE~;~v~~:' i State arfl~tim, -
. Ua rta~st lea ca .o ka ~i~a~ i ka pono."
. The Constitution of the State of.Hawai' i, Preamble '
Rephrase the question.
Is a ~h~a~-eiine setiaaei~ Po~.~~
Perhaps we might adaress the question in an historical .context. Ho=~~ was the Kona '
shoreline used historically and during our lifetime?
"An environmentalist is someone who wants the world to remain as it was when
he or she was a child," .
dill Mollinson ,
When I was growing,up, Kailaa was our gathering place .
-There s~aas~ afn old pier when y~?:z could swing off a rope and-dive under pilings.
There ~;~as .a little bead: where: they loaded cattle- but where-you could swim into the bay ,
and- di for shells
Next to-the pier was a gym
Next. to the, gym was a beach
Where older. children and young meri could-launch tlieir`racing canoes
Where k ittle naleed children could play .
l ~ .
While the kupuna watched over them
~Jhiie they picnzcked, Inlayed zr:usic and talked story
~~Vhere the children learned that they ~vere;part `of a larger Ohara
Where everyone-.got to know orae another
before I was born
There ~:as rao pier
No seaviwall
~ailue ~~vas the home of Kamehamelia I
llis liah; his fish ponds; his canoe sheds, his heiau
All were- set back from one of she :most beautiful. beaches in the islands
What .advice does the Constitution .of the .State of Hawai'~ i proffer ~bottt places like
Kai-lua?
. ~`T~ae State.~s~all have -the p~~er to s®nserae and. ~e~~el~.Is ub~ects and ~a~aces
of histo~ie or eaaltati~al interest and pr®via~c f®r ~aahlic si~litaess an.~.~shy~ieal
g®od. order. ~o~ ~'hese '•iata~poses private ~Sroperty sYta11 he sub;~cct of
r~aso~iabte r~g~aiatim~"
The Constitutipn. of the State of Hawai' i, ARTICL~, tX section 7
. Was it pono~ to demolish I~arr~ehameha's hale?
Was. it pono to fill the ash porids to riake ~ lumberyard? "
Was it pono to demolisk the canoe hells to make. room for shops?
;`for the ben~t~t pt°ese~a~ agid 1<'e~taare geiteration~s, the. State aai<~ its ~®iitisa~
~ sailaslivisi®hs sigall c€r~ser~e stall protect Havvaa' i§s ~aa#aar~l l~e~a~t~~ an€i all
• ~ natatral •resources ....~iad s~aall pr:omtste' the rleve~®pment and utili~atie~n of
these resources apt ~ trt~t$~rea~ ~aaasistent avath them cora~st°rat~~rt and ia~ `
. . furtherance of the: self-s~affie~ency ®f ~lae State" ~ ~ .
The Constitution of tire. State of Hawai' i, ARTICLE XI r.ection 1.
. Was it pond. to build a sea wall at 4.he price of the.beaeh? "
Was it pons to demolish the ~_vm rex~~ to the old pier?
• .Was. it pono to -build a new pier. for. cruise ,ships and barges and .charter boats at the
.expense of that. little `beach? : .
.Was _it Mono to :build. a tilt up concrete hotel on that. last remaining bit of beach?
- Was it ~ono~to move the: caned c4ub'so the hotel guests could "feel safe"?
...Did the Iittle.naked.children offend them?
Or did they-fear the swage paddlers; (myself included)?
Is it pono that Kailua is a gathering,plaee no more?
Did ~ve:.conserve and pr®teet:our resources?
Webster's defines resource as: ,
"r'~ natural source of wealth" ~
2
What would be .the value of . Kailua today had we followed .the dictates of the
Constitution?
Would it be a natural source - of wealth -for all the people of Kona and the County of .
Hawai' i? -
- Or -
Are we better off without the beach so we can,have a sea wall and hotels and, restaurants
and tee -shirt shops and a place where launches can disgorge cruise ship passengers?
In Kanzehameha°s time Kona had another great source of wealth, the fishponds that ran
for mils~s along what is now Keahole. These. ponds- could .store enough, ppoteir; to `provide -
a stead~,~ supply for Kameharneha's-warriors. A1tliough these ponds -were destroyed by
- -nature ;Wore than two hundred. -years .aga; tli~s area now includes. ~ a National I?arlc arid-
fishponds (where perhaps the .great King is buried), and NELHA where we are
investigating natural onergy, a~uaculture and biointensive agriculture -key clements• in
~Hawa.i'i's eeanomic future:. 13et~veun the -Parr and NELHA is~ :a c~3~ious lifitl:€; place
known inastly to locals; whsr~ many of those acMvities that. used to occur iii Kailua aceur
today. It is iwt a National, State or County :Park, it is just a place selected by the
cdmmur~ity and cared for b~° the Dhana where customs- and practices once coniinon
throughout the- islands. still occur today in what seems to be a "normal"' or "everyday"
manner. Tha$ place is:
K®hana ik~ ~ .
• A barren. spit of a a, blasted by wind and sun, almost treeless, forbidding .
A .place d%sturbing and "unsafe" to malahnis ~vho want to plant--grass-and ornamental - ~ .
.:Cress and shrubs acid ``clean up"' the local riff riff who seem to hang out. there
41 remote, place
. Difficult to :access
But a gathering place rrorrethe?ess
Perhaps a gathering. place with a special. meaning
bb~e ala eh~ aka kena ~ -
A mist. pathway that"
f ukui & Elbert
What is in a Hams? Haivaiiari. has more words with multiple .meanings than. any ®ther
language. It is "unsafe" for a Paauilo .haole ~to presume knowledge of the nuances of a
1-lawaiian word,,-but. with the. assistance of Mary Kawena.I'ukui and Samuel III. I?Ibert,
• one might speculate. -
Kohana ~1 'b4t.,itt~e naked place"
A place ~`vithout trees ~ .
A place without protection
A place.;
or little. naked children, to play - .
A place ~vherc kupuna-watch the children of the ®hana -
• -3
" loo Harass' iiri "Tll®~e little laaaaai ed cl~aildren~s
Those tattle orphans
.Those. lithe orphans of war '
. ,.Those ~zittle orphans we adopt as our.own.
That place where. the Ohana adopts all children
~n ~lan raa il£i "Thai piece of saraall lbreatlas" '
The first small breaths of fife
The fiirsfi liitlo breaths of infaa~ts
Our first little breaths that become big new {or old) ideas '
l~0 1$ana iki ~`Tla®se lithe acts ®f ~sagic"
That place. ~wliere gather:, ~ ~ . .
few intrepid souls who against overwhelming opposition
As if by Borne little act of magic are reestablashin~ their ancient raghts
. 1'3nd moot to,perpetuate customary anct *•:raditi~ona rituals of their Hawaiian heritage ,
. ~~®laaata ilci -i'oda~'
Is the ~~ace where little-kids cars play on the/beach'
Watched ove~~ by Kupuna
Wher~`larger children and mer and wozn~en of all ages can swim and surf
Where people. can-get together to eat, talk story, and play. rz~usac, '
Where.people.can study the ah~z and find-the fishing grounds ~ .
Where lalau who know the olcl~ways .can teach: us about the old songs,. the canoe,, the:
ahupua'µ, the customs and the many meanings of Hawaiian words
Life
Pono ,
Like .
. Aloha
• So perhaps this curious place is a resource.
. Webster's has several other definitions of resource: •
. ~"A source of information or expertise"
. ~ ~ place to learn lIawaiaan.history, culture, traditions and art
. ~ ~ Qr how to surf, .hiay rnusie; dance or swim
"dome ping to'wliien .erac has recourse in difficulty"
~l place to meet. fiends s~hp share-our values and who will stand: with u5
' In tames of need
"~ossr'~.ilaty of relief or recovery" "
. A place to spend an la®ur,. an afternoon or a weekend
means of spending. orac's leisure tune"
' Surfing, swimming,• playing •music, talking story, .eatiiag with family and
_ ~ friends
"An ability to inset and handle a stuat-ion"
A place to gather. and discuss our .land, :our lives and our. future
4 •
What shall :we do with this place?~
.Are those driving along the l'~~hway going to look down and see?
Asphalt
• ..Concrete .
Stucco .
Red tilt roofs .
.Fast food franchises
Big box retailers
Tilt up industrial bniidings ~ •
And tee~hirt shops?
At night will ~we daze at *dhe sky? .
. And see the reflected glow of I~alogen;streetlights?
~*ilebste's has another definition of resource:
- "~h%ealth"
or
• ~ ``Money value or exchange value"
-Will we exchange this place for money?
' This raises 'the target question, mill vie heed our cultural and Constitutional covenant to
comserve and .protect "our natural resources; those, resources so storied in ' egerd and song? .
What ~vili .we do with this .specie' place- f rst populated by an extraordinary race that. • .
evolved ~ unique way of life and ~vho by necessity had to. learn to dive light ort the land?
t~Vill we respect and lean: frame -that race whose language; traditions, customs and. ideas
are embraced and protected b~~ the Mate.Constitution?
i6'li'he State shall hake the p®wer p~-~serve and level®p the cta~ta~ral,
er°eatave and tras~ita®n~l arts its varaa~us c~I~.nic g~®u.psa":
- :The Constitution. o~fthe.=State of ~iawai' i, ARTICLE ~IX section 9
The .Sete shall p~-®~aa.®te tl?e .study of ~l~aevaigan c~alture,~ has#agy aa~al
langnage."
The Constitution of the State of Hawai' i; ARTICLE X section 4
-And roost significantly: .
. ;~~he ~tatc i°eaf~~-s Arad shall- pa-otect all rights, ce~st®.aaral~ ._aa~d
traclflti®.~nall3r exerca~cd fc~r saab~sstenc~,, cultural -anal . rclagaous p~=~li€~scs and
Isossesse€l ~h~T a~a~p~aa~a tcarants ~~vho'aa-c +~escendaa~ts:,~afraatav~ ~w~~iart~ whys .
i~alaal~teel the a~~a~h ~s'Iands:prior to ~77~ subject tm the ~°ight' of tic ~ta#e
t"m reg~l~tc ~~aeh ~aghtsbg'
7•he Constitution of the State of Hawai' i, Article XI~I section 7 ~ ~ '
' ~ 5
• .Should our. planners; our commissioners and our- council members seek to ~cknowiedge
. ~ lineal deseendarzts the l~ohanaiki shoreline would be a good place to Iook; .end n Their
investigation, the Constitution. urges their to include not just lineal descendants, but the
. entire community.
"The ease of eorrB.ana~raagy expertise ~~aull be ~ encouraged as a saratabfle and
. essent%al weans an f€r~'thence bf the-sl•Iuwaiiari edue~timrs ~arargra~~.s~ .
i he Constitution of the State of Hawai' i, ARTICLE X section 4
Furthermore those elected end appointed governmental officials should acknowledge
certain inalienable rights bestowed on each member of the community. .
• 46~ach perk®at has ~hc right clean anc~ ~aealthfui ~nvirongnent ,a, iracl~a~%ng •
ec~~ser~~at~un, pr®te'ctiun ansl enhance~aaent a~f re~tural res~u~-ces. ;:ng~ Viers®ar
naay enf®r~e:~lais ~°i~ht ~~aans~ any paw' pt~bllc or pa°i~agc. ~ -
The C;onStit}ation~ of the State of Havi~ai' i, ART"ICL~' XI section 9
Some=Nhere lines must be drawn
Perhaps we should begin like- orphaned children in a little barren place , .
Drawing lines behind the kah~:~ 1cai, behind th,e anchialine. ponds with opae ula, behind the
ahu
Perhaps we can preserve Kohanaiki . ' ~ ~ ~ •
As
~ place where the community is welcome ~ .
place difficult to get to but.a community resource ~ ;
Webster's has yet. another def~ztition of that word.
"A s®urce of supply (perhaps of knowledge 8z ideas)
. or support" ~ (perhaps for community efforts)
"~~II peablic nataaral resou-pces are leeld iar :trust by •tlae Sate for the henefit of
the pemple" - -
The Constitution of the State of Hawai' i ARTICLE. XI 4ection 1 .
Finaiiy, and from a legal perspective, equally importantly, the shoreline rrrust be ~ '
.protected because:-
"Hawai' i is one of only two:, places in the world where anchialinc ponds are
found: °I'he anchi~liue ponds. and wetlands at Kohanaiki are scamp o~ the last
remaining -arid most extensive examples of .ancient ~quaculture systems in .
;=~awai'i.:. the wetland habitat is .Borne to many remarkable and endangered .
species including the
Ae`o,I'o,-Rona, Awa, Opelu, ~pae ula,..'the strand vegetation includes rare acid
traditiQrxal. medicinal plants such as hind Nina, noni, pohee hue, ilima, naupaka, .
and l~ou"~ •
PKO newsletter. -
- ~ 6 .
So we return to the question, When we decide the future. of the shoxehne, did we .act as
stewards of the land? I~id we:
. reserve tlrc ra~;ht t® a®ntrol fur s6estany, to nurture the integrity ~f ta&ar
~e®ple and catlt~ar~, end, t® •lareseY°v~ the qualgty of life that sl~sa~-~"
The l,onstitution of the- State of Hawai' i, Preamble
Was our action
~®n~
Qr
In the ~.:ture will .it be said of:
This ~1~ce
This.I3istriet
..This County
That:
`rThey came in such numbers that they destroyed the. very thing that came for
And- inevitably they .gradually changed it.to where they came from"
. And in'the end we inevitably became. indistinguishable from them
No mo:e Hawaiians ~ ~ ~ ~ .
No more Aloha
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