On Maui: Hiroshima Commemoration

MAUI TIME WEEKLY, JULY 29, 2010

http://www.mauitime.com/Articles-i-2010-07-29-74029.113117_Remembering_Hiroshima_As_An_Act_of_Liberation.html

Remembering Hiroshima As An Act of Liberation

The militarization of Hawaii and its effect on our economy and collective psyche is often overlooked. Activist Kyle Kajihiro wants to change that

July 29, 2010 | 09:33 AM
Outpost of Empire
The militarization of Hawaii and its effect on our economy and collective psyche is often overlooked. Activist Kyle Kajihiro wants to change that

On Friday, August 6, beginning at 6pm, Maui Peace Action will hold a Hiroshima Remembrance Day at UH Maui College, commemorating the 65-year anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb “Little Boy” on the Japanese city. The keynote speaker will be Kyle Kajihiro, director of the anti-war American Friends Service Committee Hawaii.

Ahead of his Maui appearance, we asked Kyle to discuss the legacy of Hiroshima, the militarization of Hawaii and the current state of war and peace.

The title of your talk is “Remembering Hiroshima As An Act of Liberation.” Explain what you mean by that.

The world has been held hostage by nuclear terror since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As the country with the largest nuclear arsenal, the U.S. has used nuclear weapons as the ultimate “big stick” to intimidate, threaten and coerce other countries to do its bidding. In this way, the U.S. uses nuclear weapons the same way that a robber uses a loaded gun to get people to do something. Whether or not the gun is fired, it is still a form of assault.

Today, more than ever, the danger of nuclear weapons hangs over humanity. The nuclear survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been an important voice for peace and the abolition of nuclear weapons. Yet commemorations of these horrific events can become too safe if they don’t address the urgent issues of our time. Remembering Hiroshima must be an act of liberation from nuclear terror and passivity; it should reignite our commitment to the political and moral project of nuclear disarmament and demilitarization.

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Do you think we’ll see another nuclear weapon used in our lifetime?

I think nuclear weapons have been used many times to terrorize countries without necessarily launching and exploding them. But I am optimistic that the tide of world opinion is against nuclear weapons and will prevent their active use in our lifetime.

For those who don’t know, explain, in broad terms, how Hawaii came to be such an important place, militarily, for the United States.

The U.S. invaded and occupied the independent Kingdom of Hawai’i primarily to establish a forward military base in the Pacific as a stepping stone to Asia. From the point of view of American imperialists, once the genocide of American Indians and the taking of their land was completed, the next logical step was to take Hawaii, then the Philippines, Guam and other Pacific nations and extend “manifest destiny” to Asia. The U.S. military still uses Hawaii and its other Pacific island colonies as outposts of empire.

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What would you say is the most common misconception about—or unknown aspect of—the military presence in Hawaii?

I think most people don’t realize the social, environmental or cultural costs and impacts of the enormous military presence in Hawaii. The impact of the military on land is huge. The military controls nearly a quarter of the island of Oahu, most of it crown and government lands of the Hawaiian Kingdom that were wrongfully taken. On these lands are more than 800 documented and reported contamination sites that include depleted uranium, chemical weapons, lead, mercury, PCB, solvents and unexploded ordnance.

As with tourism, when people question the wisdom or necessity of the state’s military bases, proponents cite the economy: where would we be without those military dollars? How do you respond to this?

The military economy is so enormous that it has distorted our development in Hawaii in ways that I would argue have been detrimental to the long-term health of our economy. In many ways, the military-tourism economy is like a fast food diet. You can get plenty of calories from a fast food meal, but if that was the only food you ate, it would eventually make you obese and sick. Fast food diets are also addictive because of the sugar “high” that gives a temporary sense of wellbeing.

The overreliance on tourism and militarism as the only two pillars of the economy have resulted in destructive patterns of overdevelopment, the atrophy of other productive capabilities such as agriculture or clean energy production and the failure to invest in sectors such as education and environmental restoration that are necessary for a sustainable future. There is also the hidden environmental, social and cultural costs of militarism. In a military economy some people get paid, often very well, while others pay the price of lost land, culture and health.

What’s your take on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Obama Administration’s strategies and policies thus far?

Despite all the hype about change, the Obama Administration has pretty much followed the failed policies of the Bush Administration. The cost of the wars have just exceeded $1 trillion. The recent Wikileaks disclosures are revealing the disastrous human cost of Obama’s policies.

July 20, 2010

Resolution Opposing U.S. Imperialist Wars and Militarism

http://pma2010.org/node/176

Resolution Opposing U.S. Imperialist Wars and Militarism

Full text

Resolution Opposing U.S. Imperialist Wars and Militarism
Prepared for the 2010 U.S. Social Forum People’s Movement Assembly

WHEREAS, Pentagon spending has doubled to over $700 billion in the past eight years, and the U.S. Empire maintains over 700 military bases around the globe to wage perpetual war in its unending pursuit of profits and power;

WHEREAS, in the process, the U.S. military kills innocent civilians and destroys infrastructure, undermines democracy and human rights, threatens the sovereignty of nations, displaces farmers and indigenous people from their land, and wreaks environmental devastation;

WHEREAS, the U.S. government uses the so-called War on Terror as justification for the militarization of the U.S. border, the wholesale targeting of Muslim and Arab communities, the expansion of police departments, the prison industrial complex, and other institutions and policies aimed at silencing all those seen as threats to capitalism, white supremacy, patriarchy and heterosexism;

WHEREAS, U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have stolen more than $1 trillion away from vital needed services, such as universal healthcare, affordable housing, and living wage jobs in communities victimized by the economic crisis – especially people of color, who bear the brunt of these crises due to structural racism, and immigrants, who become scapegoats in times of economic recession;

WHEREAS, the Pentagon continues to invest billions of our tax dollars and human resources each year into developing new and more advanced weapons systems that have no civilian or military justification, while the average living standard in the United States has long been on the decline, and unemployment has steadily been on the rise;

WHEREAS, mobilizing hundreds of thousands of troops for war, and dropping tons of munitions on urban centers and rural communities not only destroy lives, but pushes the planet closer to ecological destruction by consuming a massive amount of fossil fuels, destroying critical ecosystems, and creating resource scarcity;

WHEREAS, we believe all people should have the right to self-determination and peaceful existence; that collective security comes from mutual respect, not by hoarding of the world’s resources by a few; and we must move beyond empire and militarized methods of control; and

WHEREAS, people in the United States have a stake in challenging the power of war-making institutions and converting the vast resources now wasted on war-making into productive capacity for raising the quality of life for all; and we see our futures intertwined with the futures of the people of the Global South, and believe that we have a responsibility to hold this government accountable; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that we, the undersigned organizations, united in our opposition to imperialist war and militarism, commit to building a movement for a truly just and lasting peace; and be it further

RESOLVED, that we stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are struggling under the weight of U.S. militarism and imperialism for peace, justice and self-determination in other countries; and be it further

RESOLVED, that we demand an immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, and call on the U.S. government to provide reparations to address the humanitarian crises in these countries, as well as repair the physical damage caused by its invasion and occupation; and be it further

RESOLVED, that we reject any planned attack on Iran, and call on the U.S. government to stop funding Israel’s occupation and colonization of the Palestinian people; and be it further

RESOLVED, that we call on the U.S. government to respect the self-determination of people in Africa, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East, and demand a total abolition of all foreign military bases and other infrastructure for wars of aggression, including military interventions, operations, trainings, exercises, and laboratories dedicated to weapons construction; and be it further

RESOLVED, that we call on the U.S. government to put the vast resources now wasted on war-making toward meeting urgent civilian needs, including the funding of jobs in housing, health care, education, clean energy and infrastructure repairs, and preventing the layoff of state and local public workers; and be it further

RESOLVED, that we declare October 2010 a month of people’s resistance against empire, and be it further
RESOLVED, that on October 2, we will take to the streets of Washington, DC to call for moving the money from wars, weapons and war planning to jobs, homes and education; and be it further
RESOLVED, that on October 3-7, we will mark the anniversary of the launching of the Afghanistan war with decentralized international days of action for an immediate ceasefire, negotiations and total withdrawal of all US and NATO troops.

AfroEco
CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities
Causa Justa: Just Cause
Communities for a Better Environment
Direct Action for Rights and Equality
Desis Rising Up & Moving
DMZ Hawaii/Aloha Aina
Grassroots Global Justice – Beyond Empire
Grassroots International
Hawaiian Independence Action Alliance
Labor Community Strategy Center
Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
Malu ‘Aina
National Priorities Project
Nodutdol for Korean Community Development
Ohana Koa / Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific
Palestine Solidarity Group-Chicago
Peace Action
People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER)
Veterans for Peace Chapter 27
Veterans for Peace Chapter 47 (Southwestern Pennsylvania)
West Coast Famoksaiyan
Women for Genuine Security

July 1, 2010July 1, 2010

“The Army has no plans for the removal of the legacy DU”

Mahalo to Big Island Weekly for continuing to track the Depleted Uranium contamination in Hawai’i.

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http://www.bigislandweekly.com/articles/2010/06/30/read/news/news02.txt

Army official: We never meant to clean up DU

By Alan D. Mcnarie

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 11:08 AM HST

According to a high Army official, the Army never intended to remove depleted uranium ammunition remnants from Pohakuloa Training Area and Shofield Barracks, and it has no plans to do so for as long as the firing ranges at those facilities are still in use.

“The Army requested a license for possession, not decommissioning, of the legacy DU at the affected Army installations,” wrote Deputy Assistant Secretary to the Army Addison D. “Tad” Davis IV to Congresswoman Mazie Hirono on May 26 of this year. Davis added, “Currently the Army has no plans for the removal of the legacy DU. The ranges containing DU are still in use, and most, if not all, of these ranges also contain unexploded ordnance, which is significantly more hazardous than any DU that might be present on these ranges. Should those ranges be scheduled for closure at some future date, the Army will address the DU present as part of the range closure….”

The “legacy DU” referred to in the letter is believed to be fragments of spotting rounds from cold-war-era Davy Crockett nuclear artillery. In 2008, the Army submitted an application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a permit to “possess” the DU; its original permit had expired in 1964. The NRC’s ruling on that application is still pending, though the NRC has criticized the Army’s plan to monitor the DU in the area as ineffective. (See “NRC to Army: DU Monitoring Plan Won’t Work” in the archives at http://www.bigislandweekly.com.) A sub-agency called the Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs is entertaining a petition from Hawaiian activist Isaac Harp to discipline the army over the expired permit. Hirono had asked Davis what the army had done to address public concerns about “environmental, health and safety” hazards that the DU posed.

The Army has repeatedly contended that the DU does not present a significant hazard to the island’s population. Davis’s letter to Hirono continued to maintain the Army’s position. He claimed that the soil concentration of DU at the Army ranges was estimated at 1-4 pCi/g (picocuries of DU per gram of soil), which averaged “much less than the NRC decommissioning levels of uranium in soil (14 pCi/g of Uranium 238, the major constituent of DU), and are not much above soil concentrations of naturally occurring uranium.”

“The Army has collected numerous air and soil samples, none of which indicate that the DU at Hawaii’s ranges has migrated off-range…,” Davis contended.

Not so, says Dr. Lorrin Pang, a former Army doctor and frequent critic of the Army’s handling of the DU issue.

“That’s absolutely not true. Even their own tests at Waiki’i [on the Saddle Road near Pohakuloa] found it [DU] in dust at low levels. I think the correct scientific interpretation is, it was there,” Pang told the Big Island Weekly.

Pang also challenged Davis’s assertion that “Many independent scientific studies of depleted uranium in the environment show that DU presents no significant ‘environmental, health and safety [hazard],’ especially at the soil concentrations of the DU on Hawaii’s ranges.” Pang noted that the NRC itself had criticized the Army’s monitoring protocols as inadequate; he maintained that the Army simply didn’t know, yet, how much DU was located at Pohakuloa.

“You don’t have a system in place to monitor and baseline, and then you’re gonna tell me the risks?” he asked skeptically. “Tad Allen isn’t a scientist. He’s an MBA from Harvard. If he makes these statements, he’d better refer to scientists who will defend them…

First of all, if you say, we never intended to clean it up, how much is there? You don’t even know.”

The proper scientific approach, he maintained was, “First tell me, how much [DU] is there. Then you’ve got to tell, me, what is the risk? Then you’ve got to tell me the response: if you’re going to clean it up or not.”

And the army’s own “friendly fire” studies on servicepeople exposed to DU were so badly flawed, he maintained, that the researchers hadn’t even recorded tumors, so the health risks were also not known. Without knowing either the quantity of DU or the health risk, the proper course of action was impossible to determine.

He added that that appropriate course of action might turn out to be something other than cleaning up the DU.

“Maybe they don’t have to clean it up,” he said. “Maybe they just promise never to use it again. Maybe they keep the dust down.”

Davis’s letter also provoked a response from Cory Harden, who has been monitoring the DU controversy for the Sierra Club. Harden noted that when Davis wrote , “the Army has collected numerous soil and air samples, none of which indicate that the DU…has migrated off range,” he didn’t mention testimony by geologist and radiation expert Dr. Mike Reimer, who had reviewed the Army’s proposed DU monitoring system and found that the holes in the filters on the Army’s detection devices were “ten times too large.”

She also questioned Davis’ statement that the DU disposal problem would be addressed when the firing ranges were finally decommissioned. She noted that after the military took over Kaho’olawe for a bombing range, Pres. Dwight Eisenhower had promised to return the island in habitable condition – but when it was finally returned 50 years later, massive bombing had cracked the caprock, draining the island’s freshwater supply, and most of the island’s land still had not been entirely cleared of ordnance.

What the Army actually does with the DU, however, may depend not on what it intended or intends to do, but on what the NRC tells it to do. Few expect the NRC not to grant the Army a permit to possess the DU – after all, the stuff is already in the ground – but it may well impose conditions on the Army, including a more viable monitoring program and possibly a cleanup strategy.

June 21, 2010June 21, 2010

Army tries, but fails to pacify Native Hawaiians in Makua, Lihu’e and Pohakuloa

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/06/ap_army_hawaii_native_ties_062010/

Army seeks better ties with Native Hawaiians

By Audrey McAvoy – The Associated Press

Posted : Sunday Jun 20, 2010 14:14:17 EDT

HONOLULU — The people of Waianae believe the first Hawaiians were created in Makua, a lush valley about 30 miles from downtown Honolulu. The valley is also home to three large heiau, or ancient stone platforms used for worship. So it’s no surprise many Native Hawaiians consider the valley to be sacred.

The Army, though, sees Makua as a prime spot for soldiers to practice firing live ammunition.

These widely divergent perspectives illustrate the gulf between the Army and Hawaiians that have contributed to an often antagonistic and deeply distrustful relationship between the two.

Now the Army is trying to narrow the gap. In a series of firsts, the Army Garrison Hawaii commander hired a liaison for Hawaiian issues, formed a council of Hawaiians to advise him, and brought Army and Hawaiian leaders together to sign a covenant in which both sides vowed to respect and understand one another.

“Instead of going back and rehashing the past, I’m trying to make a fresh start, trying to make that relationship positive, make things better down the line,” said Col. Matthew Margotta.

But the Army did not invite several Hawaiians embroiled in ongoing disputes with the Army to join the council or sign the covenant, prompting critics to question how effective these initiatives will be.

“You want to work together but you only want to work with people who don’t disagree with you. How good is that?” said William Aila, whose uncle was ousted from Makua during World War II and who is fighting for the Army to return the valley.

The military took control of Makua in 1943 when Hawaii was under wartime martial law. Authorities told residents to leave, and the Army and Navy began using the valley for bombing practice.

The explosions damaged homes and the community’s church and cemetery. Interviews for a 1998 oral history commissioned by the Navy showed residents were embittered by the destruction and the takeover that severed their families, who had once fished and farmed in Makua, from the land.

Today the Army still controls Makua under a lease with the state that expires in 2029.

In recent years, the Army and Hawaiians have clashed over the Army’s restrictions on access to sites in the valley. The Army cites safety for the limits, although Hawaiians say they’ve long visited these sites and understand the risks.

Hawaiian anger also mounted in 2003 when the Army’s planned burn of brush raged out of control and scorched more than half of the 7-square-mile valley.

Elsewhere in the islands, Hawaiians and the Army have butted heads over the appropriate use of lands at Schofield Barracks, which is home to several thousand soldiers in the 25th Infantry Division, and Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island.

Last month, several Hawaiians objected when an army contractor leveling land for a new Schofield training ground unearthed an ancient bone fragment. They had opposed the construction of the training ground precisely because they feared human remains would be found if the soil was disturbed.

Hawaiian tradition says bones must stay in the ground until they’re dissolved so the deceased can complete his or her journey to the afterlife.

Margotta says the covenant, signed in March, will contribute to better relations by committing future commanders to partner and cooperate with Hawaiians. This should impose some consistency even as leaders rotate posts every two to three years.

“There’s been commanders out there who have embraced the Hawaiian community and partnered with them and worked with them. And there have been others who have been not so inclined,” Margotta said. “We wanted to codify it for successive generations.”

Col. Douglas Mulbury, who took over from Margotta in a change of command ceremony last week, agrees with the initiatives and hopes to build on them, spokesman Loran Doane said.

Neil Hannahs, the director for the land assets division of Kamehameha Schools, said the council and covenant may help ameliorate conflict by spurring dialogue.

“Let’s just get together and talk before we’re at a point of crisis and conflict,” Hannahs said.

Hannahs is on the advisory council. He also signed the covenant, although as an individual and not as representative of Kamehameha Schools, an education institution and trust established by the will of a 19th century Hawaiian princess.

Aila isn’t optimistic. He wasn’t invited to join the advisory council or to sign the covenant even though he has long clashed with the Army over access to Makua and, more recently, the treatment of human remains found at Schofield last month.

“It’s great for PR,” he said, “to give the impression that things are hunky-dory here in Hawaii. But it doesn’t reflect the reality on the ground.”

The Army would do more to improve relations by leaving Makua, Aila said. He argues soldiers can train elsewhere.

Annelle Amaral, the Hawaiian liaison for Army Garrison Hawaii, said she didn’t invite people to join the council who have “site specific” concerns. She instead gathered Hawaiians who represent fields including education, business, and religion.

She denied the council omitted people who disagree with the Army, noting it includes Rev. Kaleo Patterson. The minister has vocally opposed ballistic missile testing on Kauai and pushed for the “decolonization and total independence” of Hawaii.

For some Hawaiians, the covenant fails to address the fundamental problem as they see it: the Army is part of an illegal occupation that began when U.S. businessmen, supported by U.S. Marines, overthrew Hawaii’s queen in 1893.

“Instead of having a covenant that sort of says you know ‘we promise to be really nice and do our best to protect sacred places,’ I’d rather get a timetable for when they’ll actually stop and leave us,” said Jonathan Osorio, a University of Hawaii professor of Hawaiian studies.

June 3, 2010

Video posted: Army desecration of burials angers Native Hawaiians

Army desecration of burials angers Native Hawaiians from kyle kajihiro on Vimeo.

The Army Stryker brigade expansion in Hawai’i was a 25,000 acre land grab, the largest military buildup since WWII. Many cultural sites were damaged or destroyed by the project despite community protest. Despite warnings that a vast cultural site complex would be harmed by the Army construction, on May 14, 2010, the Army unearthed human remains. Digging continued after the first bone was found. On May 27, 2010, Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners conducted a site visit to survey the desecration site.

June 2, 2010

Hawaii rally protesting Israeli commando raid

http://www.khon2.com/news/local/story/Hawaii-rally-protesting-Israeli-commando-raid/TYuDgfAt2UCv_A00H-6aIQ.cspx

Hawaii rally protesting Israeli commando raid

Reported by: Marisa Yamane

Email: myamane@khon2.com

Last Update: 6/01 10:13 pm

A Honolulu woman was among seven hundred activists taken into Israeli custody after soldiers raided a flotilla carrying relief supplies to Gaza.

The deadly raid also sparked protests across the US today, including here in Hawaii.

Hawaii residents outraged by the deadly Israeli commando raid staged a protest outside of the federal building in Downtown Honolulu Tuesday afternoon.

Sunday, Israeli soldiers stormed a Turkish ship that was leading a six-ship flotilla bringing 10,000 tons of supplies and aid to Gaza.

The Israeli Government said its soldiers boarded the ship to make sure there were no weapons being smuggled in for the terror group Hamas, and that its soldiers opened fire only after they came under assault.

At least nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed.

Hundreds of other activists were taken into Israeli detention, including Honolulu resident Ann Wright.

“I’m glad she’s alive it looked like she was walking and not suffering severe injury she was obviously defiant because her hand was up and she was doing the peace sign. I’m also concerned because she has physical problems in her legs,” said friend Carolyn Hadfield.

Wright is a retired US Army Colonel, and a former State Department official who publicly resigned in protest of the US invasion of Iraq.

This is video of Wright in 2007, protesting the Iraqi War, in front of the White House.

“We are the people that are saying stop this war and stop it now,” said Wright in 2007.

More recently, Wright turned her efforts towards Gaza.

“She said the main reason she became involved in this particular issue because it was so clear the US taxpayers were funding a genocidal regime in Gaza and those were her words,” said Hadfield.

Hadfield helped organize this protest Tuesday afternoon — to not only get the message out, but also in honor of her friend.

“I’m very proud of her. I’m proud of her courage,” said Hadfield.

The Israeli Government said tonight it’ll deport almost all of the activists within the next two days, but will still detain about fifty of them for their investigation.

June 1, 2010

Honolulu woman detained in Israeli raid on Gaza aid flotilla

http://www.starbulletin.com/news/breaking/95371634.html

Honolulu woman detained in Israeli raid on Gaza aid flotilla

By Star-Bulletin Staff

POSTED: 01:32 p.m. HST, Jun 01, 2010

Honolulu peace activist Ann Wright was one of about 700 people taken into custody by Israeli defense forces after a raid on a flotilla of boats carrying aid to Gaza that left nine people dead, friends of Wright’s confirmed.

Kyle Kajihiro of the American Friends Service Committee, and Arnie Kotler, publisher of a book on Gaza by Wright, said they recognized her in a video of the detainees being led into detention in Ashdod. The video was posted on YouTube and several Israeli newspaper sites.

News reports said all detainees would be deported immediately, reversing an earlier plan to hold about 20 of them on criminal charges.

Joanne Moore, a spokeswoman for the State Department, said it had no information yet about specific Americans who may have been detained.

The raids have met widespread condemnation from the international community.

Wright’s plans to join the flotilla were well-known. She has been active in Gaza issues over the past two years, Kotler said.

Wright published an article Thursday on the website CommonDreams.org describing the trip. She predicted that the Israeli Navy would fire over the bows of the boats, or possibly ram and try to board them.

Israel has said its commandos fired on passengers aboard the lead vessel when confronted by knife- and club-wielding activists, a characterization denied by the activists. The flotilla was organized by a group called Free Gaza.

Local peace groups will be holding a rally outside the Federal Building on Punchbowl Street protesting the Israeli action today at 3 p.m.

May 28, 2010May 28, 2010

Army desecration of burials angers Native Hawaiians

Yesterday, a representatives of Native Hawaiian organizations and other supporters went on a site visit to the area in Lihu’e (Schofield range) where the Army desecrated the burials of at least two individuals, including an adult and a child. Poi pounders and other cultural implements were also found at the site.

The Army’s propaganda spin machine has sought to make the desecration into “protection” and a cultural access into “consultation”. The Honolulu Advertiser article at bottom is inaccurate. It states that “All work was immediately halted.” But this is a false statement.

After the first bone was unearthed, the contract archeologist working for Garcia and Associates (GANDA) ordered the earth moving work to continue for another half-hour until more bones were found, in violation of federal and state laws that require all activity to cease when bones are unearthed.

The desecration of the sites in Lihu’e is happening on a massive scale. But since these areas are in live fire ranges and off limits to civilians, the destruction is largely invisible to the public. Below is the press release from Native Hawaiians who visited the site and performed ceremony for the ancestors that had been unearthed by the Army.

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May 28, 2010

Hawaiian Community Angered by Desecration of Burials at Schofield Barracks

Lihuʻe, Oʻahu. Representatives from several organizations concerned over the U.S. Armyʻs recent disturbance of ʻiwi kupuna (ancestral remains) visited the site on Schofield Barracks where a cultural complex was disturbed by Stryker-related construction. They were told by Laurie Lucking, cultural resource manager for U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii, that the area where the ʻiwi kupuna was unearthed would be “closed forever.” But military construction and training continue to destroy many other cultural sites in a large expanse of land sacred to native Hawaiians.

Leimaile Quitevis, former cultural monitor who documented many of the sites in Lihu’e and a member of the Oʻahu Island Burial Council comments on the significance of the cultural site complex. “Hundreds of archaeological site features have been identified in the immediate vicinity of Stryker Brigade construction. In addition, more than 300 surface artifacts were collected by Army representatives. The massive amount of cultural properties located in this area help to paint the picture of the pre-contact land use of Lihue. The significance and importance of this landscape to Kanaka Maoli is limitless. Lihuʻe was once the ruling center of Oʻahu, hosting famous rulers and infamous battles. This history is important when evaluating and assessing the historic properties that have been identified. These sites are not isolated ‘archaeological sites.’ They are features, pieces of a puzzle, and parts of a whole. These sites are part of a complex that laments and praises the history and culture of our ancestors. Several bone fragments have been documented throughout the project area. None of these bones have ever been positively identified by a qualified osteologist. In addition clusters of artifacts are treated as isolated finds rather than actual sites. To date this project has damaged numerous petroglyphs, desecrated a minimum of two individual’s graves and breached the site protective measures of Haleauau Heiau.”

“The Army failed to do adequate cultural site investigations and consultations before drawing up and proceeding with its Stryker brigade plans,” said Summer Mullins a representative from Kipuka, one of the three native Hawaiian groups involved in the 2004 litigation against Stryker expansion. This was the first time that she and many others were given access to the area once recognized as the seat of government for Oʻahu aliʻi. In the past, groups had made several requests for access that were ignored or denied by the Army.

She added, “This desecration was completely avoidable. It was not an ʻinadvertent discovery,’ as the Army claims. They need to be held responsible for their actions. The Army failed to listen to the strong concerns raised by cultural monitors and community members years ago about the cultural importance of the Lihu’e area. Our wahi pana and wahi kapu are not appropriate training areas.”

“When our Kanaka Maoli people say do not disturb an area but their advice is not heeded, this does not constitute ‘proactive dialogue.’ Desecration was predictable. We are faced with the problem that the Army occupies a vast area that physically retains important cultural sites and burial grounds. No matter what, access to these sites must be guaranteed to our kanaka maoli people. It is their traditional right to visit, care for and continue passing on history to the next generation,” said Terri Keko’olani of the American Friends Service Committee.

Representatives were angered by the Armyʻs initial claim that they were protecting the discovery, as their actions painted a completely different picture. “The assertion that ‘all work was immediately halted’ is false. The contract archaeologist for Garcia and Associates (GANDA) ordered digging and grading to continue after the first ʻiwi was found, a violation of Federal and State laws that call for all activity to cease. Earth moving activity stopped only after more bones were exposed,” added Leimaile Quitevis.

According to Tom Lenchanko, spokesperson for lineal descendants of the area, “The families object to any process where our human remains are damaged, with no sensitivity to the lands of our Lo Aliʻi – Lihuʻe, Wahiawa and Helemano encompassing over 35,000 acres that is Kukaniloko. This is our national treasure. Our kupuna are all over that aina, and the military is blatantly disrespecting our ancestral burial sites.”

“This is Hawaiian land, we all know that the US military has no moral or legal authority over our lands or resources,” said Andre Perez of Hui Pu. “Relocating the bones of our ancestors for warfare training is unacceptable. It is the military who needs to relocate.”

Noelani DeVincent, kumu hula and member of the Wahiawa Hawaiian Civic Club was heartbroken to see this sacred place ripped apart, “It was a really emotional experience to see such a huge wrong being done towards our people. It is our kuleana to right this wrong, but how can we trust the Army will take care of this place?”

Leimaile Quitevis added “Our kupuna are calling us to look to the lands of Lihuʻe. We must kukulu kumuhana (pull our strengths) and work together to defend the bones of our ancestors and the rich history of this ʻāina.”

Other participants in the cultural access include Kai Markell and Kamoa Quitevis of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, William Aila of Hui Malama i Na Kupuna, Melva Aila of Hui Malama o Makua, and Kyle Kajihiro of the American Friends Service Committee.

Photo by Kai Markell at Lihu’e complex, Schofield Barracks. Many significant cultural sites are being destroyed by current Stryker-related construction.

Photo by Kai Markell at Lihuʻe complex, Schofield Barracks. Concerned Native Hawaiianʻs and community members inspect damage to cultural sites caused by Stryker-related construction.

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http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20100528/NEWS25/5280343/Army+consults+agencies++on+relocation+of+bones

Posted on: Friday, May 28, 2010

Army consults agencies on relocation of bones

Advertiser Staff

Army officials yesterday said they invited representatives from the State Historic Preservation Division, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, O’ahu Burial Council, ‘Ahu Kukaniloko and Hui Malama I Na Kupuna O Hawai’i Nei to visit a Schofield Barracks construction site where human remains were discovered earlier this month.

“Now that the remains have been found, the decision must be made whether the remains should stay where they were found, or whether they should be relocated to a more appropriate site where they would not be disturbed again,” Laurie Lucking, cultural resource manager for U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii, said in a statement.

Lucking said the remains were found in an Army training area where military vehicles will be operating and performing exercises “and we are seeking recommendations from the representatives on this matter.”

The Army said it will publish a general notice to allow claimants an opportunity to consult with the Army on the final disposition of the remains once a decision is made on whether to move the remains from their location.

An Army-contracted cultural monitor from Garcia and Associates was on site when a single bone fragment was found on May 14 in a mound of earth that had recently been excavated. All work was immediately halted.

May 19, 2010June 28, 2010

Wai’anae Environmental Justice summer youth program accepting applications for 2010

Applications are now closed. Download application forms here.

Ka Makani Kaiaulu o Wai‘anae

A Summer Youth Environmental Justice Training Institute

Aloha Kakou

We are Ka Makani Kaiaulu o Wai’anae. We are learning how to promote environmental justice in Wai’anae.

We know there is a problem – environmental racism.

We swim and play in these waters. We eat food from the land and sea here. We all have family members who are sick with asthma or cancer.

We want environmental justice.

1. Stop or reduce all harmful impacts, not just the streams, but the sources of contamination: landfills, military and industry.

2. We want the clean up of all the contaminated sites.

3. We demand a healthy environment for our community.

A healthy environment is a human right!

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Ka Makani Kaiaulu o Wai’anae is a summer youth environmental justice organizing training institute for youth from the Wai’anae coast to learn cenvironmental justice and ommunity organizing skills.

The program is geared to youth (age 15 – 19) from Wai’anae who care about the health and well being of their families, communities and the ‘aina. Applicants must be committed to learning community empowerment skills and using those new skills to help their community and the environment become healthier.

We will learn about issues affecting the Wai’anae community, social justice movements in Hawai’i and around the world, the basics of making positive social change, and digital story telling as a medium for shaping the vision and plan for the future of our community.

The Ka Makani Kaiaulu o Wai’anae Institute runs four weeks – June 21 through July 16, 2010, weekdays from 9am to 2pm.

Most activities will take place at the Leeward Community College Wai’anae office (86-088 Farrington Hwy, Suite 201, Wai‘anae, HI 96792, Phone: 696-6378). The class will take field trips to help students better understand the issues affecting Hawai’i and the depth and scope of doing this work.

Why should you join other students this summer in this life changing experience? Wai’anae is under attack. It is an assault against the community and against the ‘aina, with military bombs and toxic chemicals, contaminated landfills, water pollution, chemical weapons, destruction of cultural sites, rising costs of living and growing numbers of houseless families. The Ka Makani Kaiaulu o Wai’anae Institute will give the selected candidates a way to learn skills for making grassroots community change and a forum to present their ideas on how to improve conditions for peace and justice and environmental sustainability.

Program eligibility

Must be between the ages of 15-19.
Must be self-motivated and able to work well in a team towards a common goal.
Must have the desire to protect the environment and the health and well being of the Wai’anae community.

Participants who successfully complete the program will receive a $200 stipend.

Program Sponsor

AFSC is a non-profit international human rights organization focusing on peace and social justice. We have worked in Hawai’i since 1941 and have been active in the Wai’anae community since the 1970s. We promote human rights and justice for Native Hawaiians, non-military career alternatives for youth and the restoration and clean up of lands that have been damaged by the military, such as Kaho’olawe and Makua.

American Friends Service Committee – Hawai’i Area Program
Attn: Kyle Kajihiro
Ka Makani Kaiaulu o Wai’anae
2426 O’ahu Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96822

Fax: 808-988-4876

Email: kkajihiro@afsc.org

Mahalo to the Ka Papa o Kakuhihewa Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation, the Hawaii Peoples Fund and the Kim Coco Iwamoto Fund for Social Justice for their generous support of AFSC’s youth programs.

May 16, 2010May 16, 2010

Hilo peace activists threatened with arrest at Hilo Armed Forces Day events

Press release: May 16, 2010

Peace Activists threatened with arrest at Hilo Armed Forces Day events

further contact: Jim Albertini 966-7622, ja@interpac.net

“Over a dozen peace activists were threatened with arrest for offering peace leaflets and peacefully sign holding at Armed Forces Day events in Hilo on Saturday, May 15th. The activists held signs reading “Rescue the troops from War”, “Stop the War”, “End U.S. Occupation”, etc. along Hilo’s airport road fronting the Civil Air Patrol Area of Hilo Airport from 10-11:30AM,” said Jim Albertini of Malu ‘Aina.

Albertini said “head of Hilo airport security Steven Santiago called police and wanted the protesters arrested if they did not leave the area where they were holding signs visible to those arriving for the Armed Forces day events and flights in and out of Hilo airport.” According to Albertini, “Santiago, wearing an Army cap, also wanted peace activists arrested for offering peace leaflets to people walking from their parked cars toward the military displays.”

Albertini said “peace activists stood their ground and refused to leave the area to a more remote designated “free speech zone” citing their first amendment free speech rights. Higher ups in both the police department and State transportation were called and eventually the protesters’ rights were recognized.”
(Copy of the peace leaflet below)
—
Jim Albertini
Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action
P.O.Box AB
Kurtistown, Hawai’i 96760
phone: 808-966-7622
email: JA@interpac.net
Visit us on the web at: www.malu-aina.org <http://www.malu-aina.org>

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Rescue the Troops from War!

It’s not just the troops that need rescuing from war. It’s all of us — all of humanity, and the earth itself. The world is spending Trillions of dollars on wars and militarism which is contributing to our global crisis with unprecedented human and environmental needs going unmet. The U.S. spends almost half of the world’s total military spending. www.globalissues.org/article/75/world-military-spending <http://www.globalissues.org/article/75/world-military-spending>

Besides the current wars consider the following: :The ongoing global financial crisis threatens global economic collapse; there is a global environmental crisis that threatens the sustainability of life on the planet; an uncontrolled oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has no end in sight. Trust in religious institutions and governments to solve problems appear at an all time low. Amid unprecedented concentration of wealth in the hands of a few, billion dollar bonuses and bail outs, ordinary people are hurting. Look at the number of unemployed, foreclosures, homeless, and mounting debt. People are afraid, angry, and confused. Many don’t know where to turn.

In the face of such crises, we need a new local and global vision of justice, peace, and caring for the earth, a vision that rejects violence as a solution to problems, a vision where the means we use must be in line with the end we seek. The choice is now between embracing non-violence or non-existence. And a big question locally and globally is can we recognize and end our addiction to war? Or will we remain in denial?

The U.S. is now in its 9th year of war in Afghanistan, 7th year in Iraq, and now war in Pakistan.
Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed (Officially acknowledged) In America’s War On Iraq: 4,715 icasualties.org/oif/
Many troops are in their multiple year deployment.
Cost of War in Iraq & Afghanistan $992,517,275,108 http://www.costofwar.com/
The Number Of Iraqis Slaughtered Since The U.S. Invaded Iraq “1,366,350”
www.justforeignpolicy.org/iraq/iraqdeaths.html <http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/iraq/iraqdeaths.html>
The number of casualties in Afghanistan and Pakistan are increasing daily and there is an increasing threat of a US/Israel attack on Iran.

1. A majority of Americans says the war in Afghanistan is not worth its costs, the Washington Post reports. 56 percent of independents say it is not worth fighting, up from 47 percent in December. Among Democrats, 66 percent say it’s not worth it, including half who feel that way strongly.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/behind-the-numbers/2010/05/on_afghanistan_a_negative_shif.html

2) Shootings of Afghan civilians by American and NATO convoys and at military checkpoints have spiked sharply this year, becoming the leading cause of combined civilian deaths and injuries at the hands of Western forces, American officials say.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/world/asia/09afghan.html

Cut off the war funds! Bring the Troops Home Now!

1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties. 4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, etc.
5. Seek peace through justice in Hawai`i and around the world.
Contact: Malu `Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box AB Kurtistown, Hawai`i 96760.
Phone (808) 966-7622. Email ja@interpac.net http://www.malu-aina.org
Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet (May 14, 2010 – 452nd week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office

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Hilo activist Danny Li writes on Indy Media Bay Area:

At the Hilo International Airport, 14 progressive Peace activists stood proudly with their anti-Occupation signs and placards. The Airport Security initially tried to force the peaceful group onto a “Designated Protest Area” some 500 yards away from the public entry to the military event. For over half an hour, there was a tense standoff, as Airport Security head Steve Santiago threatened to arrest the protestors, who valiantly stood their ground and insisted on their First Amendment right(especially because they had brought a copy of the Application for demonstration that was previously faxed to the Airport authorities). Two of the anti-war activists also insisted on their right to pass out informational leaflets to the Public.

Finally, after a police lieutenant and an Airport superior were called in to negotiate with the Peace activists, the potentially ugly confrontation resulted with a small but important victory for the anti-war activists. They were allowed to continue their sign-holding at the entry to the military event, and they could pass out the leaflets unimpeded to the Public (subsequently, some 250+ copies of the “Rescue Troops from War” leaflets were handed out).

It was A Good Day to continue Working for Peace in Hilo, Hawai’i on May 15, 2010!