HomeMy WebLinkAboutComm 26-060 - LOS 26-06 Aton, Kanani
Comm 26-060
3/4/2026
Dear County of Hawaii,
This tesmony is in support of the applicaon to purchase the shoreline of Hakalauiki.
The shoreline of Hakalau is crically important to North Hilo community and the greater Hawaii
Island peoples...as it has been for many, many centuries. Manamana, a cherished ŋ shing area
within Hakalau, has connually fed families and sustained cultural pracces along that thousand
year trajectory of Hawaii lifeways. The open real estate market lisng of this nearly half a mile
stretch of shoreline falls short of any asking price because this parcel is źƒƒĻğƭǒƩğĬƌĻ in value
and needs greater governance than exisng real-estate laws...needs higher soluons like the
PONC process to ensure long term public access and enable nave and community-led
restoraon eorts. This is an opportunity to protect these natural and cultural resources that
has held its importance from me immemorial.
I work for a benefactress whose mission is the invest in nave Hawaiian leaders who have
worked hard to design, develop and implement nave Hawaiian grassroots soluons to develop
more and more nave Hawaiian leadership in their communies here in Hawaii and abroad. I
am also a private consultant for public and private enes who understand the crical
importance of ensuring the iwi (nave) lens is embedded in their projects for perpetual use
and connuity toward a thriving state of their visions.
I have published creave arts: nave Hawaiian songs, chants and poems. I also published nave
Hawaiian educaonal and evaluaonal research arcles in academic journals. I danced at lapa
(performance) level hula for the Kanakaole ohana years ago, and yet, their teachings stay
deeply relevant to my life and family for generaons now. This is the staying power of iwi
leadership. This is the crical factor of nave stewardship coupled with a nave leader who
knows ŷƚǞ to transfer nave knowledge to deeply felt places within their learning community;
in turn compelling heart-felt acvaon of civic duty, responsibility and service to the land and
sea in order to truly thrive. This is the disnguishing factor of the applicon from Kmaulihou
with the leadership of the Kanakaole ohana at its core.
I strongly urge the County PONC Commission to ƦƩźƚƩźǩĻ this applicaon as the top
consideraon because of its shoreline ŋ shery, its two streams, its nave plant resources, and its
potenal as a center for community-based restoraon via a vibrant robust community of
learners who already coalesce around tradions of hula, stewardship, haku mele, and nave
insights of powerful transference of knowledge that will compel our whole island toward real
soluons to the challenges of these tumultuous mes. Preserve the shoreline of Hakalauiki for
perpetuity.
Sincerely,
Kanani Aton
Private Consultant, Project Manager, Haku Mele
Hilo, Hawaii