HAOLE NOT A BAD WORD

Letter to the Editor
The Maui News
November 28, 2001

IT IS SOMEWHAT AMUSING TO BE READING THE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS OF REACTION FROM A LETTER I WROTE ON NOVEMBER 14 IN (VIEWPOINT) OF THE MAUI NEWS. BECAUSE OF THE LETTER THAT WAS WRITTEN BY JACOB FEWX, I NOW MUST RESPOND BECAUSE IT INVOLVES MY FAMILY AND BECOMES PERSONAL.

WHEN I STARTED THE MOVEMENT TO RETURN KAHOOLAWE TO THE HAWAIIAN PEOPLE, I DID SO BY PROTESTING, NOT BREAKING THE LAW. THESE LANDS ALL BELONGED TO US AS KANAKA MAOLI (INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF THE LAND) AND WAS CREATED BY THE GODS PAPA AND WAKEA. AFTER 19 YEARS OF PROTESTING TO STOP THE BOMBING OF KAHOOLAWE, THE ISLAND WAS RETURNED TO HAWAII AND WHEN A SOVEREIGN HAWAIIAN NATION IS FORMED, IT WILL BE DEEDED TO THEM. THAT'S IN THE CONTRACT. MR. FEWX WHO IS A NEWCOMER AND CALLS HIMSELF A "LOCAL" IS PRESENTLY WORKING ON KAHOOLAWE. JUST THINK, IF I DID NOT START PROTESTING ON KAHOOLAWE, HE WOULD NOT HAVE A JOB AND WOULD PROBABLY BE LIKE THE BIRD WE CALL KOLEA (PLOVER), LIVING ON ONE LI'I (SMALL BEACH). HAWAIIANS USE TO CALL THE WHITE PEOPLE FROM THE MAINLAND "KOLEA" BECAUSE THEY WOULD COME TO HAWAII, ENJOY THE FUN AND THE SUN, TAKE WHATEVER WE HAVE TO OFFER, THEN FLY (MIGRATE) BACK TO THE MAINLAND. ACCORDING TO THE HAWAIIAN DICTIONARY BY PUKUI & ALBERT, HAOLE MEANS: A WHITE PERSON, AMERICAN ENGLISHMAN, AND CAUCASION. I AM HAPA HAOLI (HALF WHITE) WE HAVE HAOLE FOOD, HAOLE KOA, ETC. IT IS PART OF OUR LANGUAGE, NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS. INCIDENTLY IT IS SAD WHAT IS HAPPENING ON KAHOOLAWE, WITH $400 MILLION APPROPIATED TO CLEAN THE ISLAND UP, IT WILL BE RETURNED WITH ONLY A SMALL PORTION CLEARED OF ORDINANCE. ALSO, MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE WORKING ON THE ISLAND ARE HAOLE, NOT HAWAIIANS WHO SHOULD BE WORKING THERE, ON LAND THAT WILL SOMEDAY BE RETURNED TO THEM.

SOME OF THE LETTERS ASK ME TO HELP THE EVIORNMENT, OR THE HAWAIIAN HOMES PROGRAM, WELL I BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT. I HAVE "WALKED THE WALK AND NOW I CAN TALK THE TALK". WE HERE ON MAUI ARE TRENDSETTERS FOR THE REST OF THE STATE AND WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN. CHECK THE HISTORY. OVER 30 YEARS AGO I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST HAWAIIAN ACTIVIST STARTING THE SOVEREIGNTY MOVEMENT, KAHOOLAWE, PROTESTING THE SALE OF THE PAUWELA LIGHTHOUSE (NOW IT'S A COUNTY PARK), PROTESTING THE SAND ISLAND EVICTIONS, STOPPING THE BUILDING OF THE RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL OVER ANCIENT BURIALS, PROTESTED AND STOPPED THE SALE OF T-SHIRTS IN IAO VALLY, HELP WITH THE STOPPING OF THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF KAHULUI AIRPORT, PROTESTING AT KAHULUI AIRPORT WITH THE KUPUNA AND MANY MORE. MAYBE WE HAVE TO KU'E (PROTEST) AT ONE LI'I (LITTLE BEACH) TO REMOVE PEOPLE WHO ARE "LITTERING" THE BEACH WITH THEIR PRESENCE.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT ONE LI'I IS NOT A PRIVATE BEACH OR PRIVATE LAND, IT IS A PUBLIC BEACH AND WE, AND ALL OF US ARE THE PUBLIC AND HAVE SAY AS TO WHAT GOES ON THERE. REPEAL THE LAW ON THE BOOKS, GO THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS TO CHANGE THE LAW, IF NOT GIVE US A BREAK, USE CLOTHS. LAST WEEK END, FROM A BOAT OFF SHORE, WE SAW A LARGE FIRE BURNING ON THE BEACH AND PEOPLE WERE RUNNING AROUND NAKED WITH TORCHES. WAS IT AN ORGY, WAS EVERYONE DOING DRUGS, OR WERE THESE PEOPLE PERFORMING RITUALS?

IT IS TIME THAT WE TAKE BACK THE USE OF THIS BEACH, PRIMO WARRIORS WHERE ARE YOU?

CHARLES KAULUWEHI MAXWELL SR.
PUKALANI, MAUI


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