Councils would provide cultural advice on islands environment

The Maui News
Monday, January 29, 2007

By MELISSA TANJI, Staff Writer

WAILUKU – Two Maui legislators and members of Maui's Native Hawaiian community launched an educational effort Friday to push a bill that would establish regional councils to advise the government and the public on cultural environmental practices.

At a news conference last week in Wailuku, Rep. Mele Carroll and Sen. J. Kalani English along with three speakers unveiled the bill that calls for the creation of 'Aha Moku Councils to be established for nine Hawaiian islands, including Kahoolawe, Niihau and Molokini.

The councils would include knowledgeable kupuna, or elders, along with skilled farmers and fishermen who are familiar with the environment.

"This legislation calls for perpetuation and preservation of the knowledge of practitioners and the restoration of healthy ecosystems through furtherance of the ahupua'a management system," said Carroll, author of the House bill. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate by English.

An ahupua'a is an ancient Hawaiian land division system that contained strips of land extending from the mountain to the ocean floor. The ahupua'a supported a self-contained ola, or "life-giving" community.

Carroll said she is "very hopeful" that the bill will pass in the Legislature this year.

English said he also would like to see it be passed.

Carroll told about 30 people Friday at the Hawaii Government Employees Association conference room in Wailuku that she and other legislators are awaiting a hearing date on the bills. When that happens, bill proponents are going to need "all the support and mana'o" to educate others about the measure.

She encouraged members of the audience to speak at the hearing or send testimony via e-mail or fax.

The effort to establish the council came from the Ho'ohanohano I Na Kupuna Puwalu series held on Oahu last year. That series of meetings drew input from Native Hawaiian cultural and traditional practitioners. Puwalu means "gathering."

Other "puwalu" meetings included bringing together cultural practitioners with educators and administrators and another meeting that included legislators such as Carroll and English.

One of last week's speakers, Maui resident Orpha Kaina, who attended the puwalu, praised the process and encouraged the community to get "moving" and "organized."

She said returning to traditional ways of caring for the environment would be positive.

"The resources were so plentiful," she said. "Today our resources are almost lost."

Another speaker, Tim Bailey, who also attended the puwalu, said he grew up in Kula farming and praised the Hawaiian traditional methods of environmental stewardship.

He said that in the 1600s and 1700s there was an estimated 1 million Hawaiians who were able to be self-sufficient and were able to protect their resources.

"How can they say our methods are inappropriate?" Bailey asked.

Leslie Kuloloio, who also attended the puwalu, asked the crowd and the community to work together to advance the bill that would bring back the old-time "talk story" about traditional practices.

While Hawaiians have recently asked others to do work on archaeology and science, Kuloloio said "it's time for us to do the work for the aina."

"It's a beginning for all of us," he said.

The bills were introduced as part of a package from the bipartisan Hawaiian Caucus, of which Carroll is the chairwoman.

A similar bill was also introduced by state Sen. Norman Sakamoto.

Carroll proposes that the advisory councils be "inclusive" and not limited to Native Hawaiians. The panels would be able to give input to county, state and federal governments on cultural environmental issues.

West Maui residents U'ilani and Ke'eaumoku Kapu are trying to reach out to kupuna and members of the Maui community to educate them about the bill.

To arrange a meeting, call the Kapus at 667-4050.

Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.

Copyright © 2005 The Maui News.

Original article URL: http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=27189

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