The History of Hawai'i
A brief history of Hawai'i
Coming soon
An article on the history of the Military in Hawai'i
"Overkill…The US Military in Hawai'i” When the word Hawai'i is mentioned, thought bubbles of white sandy beaches, flowers in alcoholic beverages and swimming with Dolphins might come to mind. For many of the inhabitants of this exquisite and endangered environment however, life in Paradise can be far from ideal. Most tourists would be hard pressed to imagine 500 tons of TNT blasting into a pristine shoreline or toxic sewage flowing into the waters of Waikiki or whales beaching themselves to escape Navy sonar testing. A mother delivering a deformed infant doesn’t come to the minds of most vacationers Hawai’i is however the, "Endangered species capital of the world". It stands to reason that the United States Military being the greatest polluter and largest emitter of CO2 on the planet might have something to do with that unacceptable fact. There are 57 known military sites on Moku o Keawe (Hawai’i Island) alone, totaling more than 250,000 acres; the equivalent of nine islands the size of Kaho’olawe. They’ve been bombing and polluting these islands with impunity for over a century, paying only 1$ a year for leased lands at PTA for example, (Pohakuloa Training Area). It is the most militarized group of islands in the world and though the Military is not known for its environmental acumen, they proudly claim to be responsible stewards of both land and sea. Many view that claim as ridiculous while others see it as nothing shy of criminal. It began with the Bayonet Constitution and Reciprocity Treaty of 1887 when the exclusive use of Pearl Harbor was granted to the US Navy. In 1893 one of their war ships, the USS Boston, landed troops in Honolulu to support a handful of treasonous sugar barons plotting to invade the Internationally recognized, Neutral Hawaiian Kingdom. The illegal occupation of Hawai'i since that time has been a relentlessly, painful thorn in the side of the Kanaka Maoli, (Native Hawaiian people). It is also much to the dismay of human rights activists, environmentalists, history students and scholars, lawyers and other concerned citizens of the world. With no proof of purchase or Treaty of Annexation, Hawai’i is not actually or legally part of the United States. US Congress passed a ‘Joint Resolution’ disguised as a Treaty of Annexation, legally binding only within its own borders. The Military therefore has no legal jurisdiction here and in any case, should not be permitted to decimate Hawai’i for “War Games” in the name of National Security. In the past hundred years they have transformed scores of fertile valleys, fishing grounds and sacred sites into barren wastelands and burial grounds for unexploded ammunitions. The once pristine Pu'uloa, (Pearl Harbor) for example, a major fish-breeding center, is now a Superfund toxic waste dump. Millions of gallons of radioactive liquid waste have been discharged directly into Pearl Harbor along with other told and untold military toxins. The leaking of 250 million gallon fuel tanks at Red Hill has put the island's drinking supply at risk. More than 2000 fifty-five gallon drums of radioactive solid waste from refueling Navy submarine nuclear reactors were just simply dumped off the Southern shores of O’ahu. The cumulative environmental impacts are too numerous to mention, and yet there is an appalling lack of accountability and no up-to-date EIS, (Environmental Impact Study). Still worse is the condition of Kaho'olawe, used for target practice for over 50 years. An EIS done specifically for 'The Target Isle" in the 80s reported tens of thousands of unexploded bombs, some as deep as 20 feet underground. When the above-mentioned 500 tons of TNT was detonated in 1965, it likely cracked the water table of the island sacred to the Hawaiian people. Today, it is still polluted and uninhabitable regardless of the Military's promised but partial $400 million clean up along with decades of volunteer restoration efforts by Native Hawaiians and the federally funded Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission. Only 68% of Kaho'olawe's surface has been cleared, only 9% to a depth of 4 feet and absolutely zero percent of the surrounding waters. Yet according to Wikipedia, this astounding destruction occurred before the Military's arrival when, “Violent wars among competing ali'i (chiefs) laid waste to the land”. Here on Moku o Keawe, live ordinance has been found on several beaches, in residential areas and even on public school grounds. At least 9 people have been killed or injured by unexploded ordnance. No one knows how many birth defects have resulted from military activity over these many decades of belligerent occupation. No one knows how many have been exposed to Depleted Uranium Oxide, the deadliest form of radiation when inhaled. The Military claims that DU is not dangerous but when DU is aerosolized during live fire training, DU Oxide dust is created, a known cause of cancer, birth defects and genetic damage. That means it is a trans generational threat, not only to the military personnel and all who live or visit here, but to all their offspring as well. Hawai'i is also ground zero for GMO experimentation, spraying nearly 17 times more pesticides compared with the entire rest of the United States. Hawai’i is also home to RIMPAC, (the world's largest US led 'war games', involving 26 nations, 45 ships, 5 submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 military personnel. With projects on the horizon like the Navy’s Hawai’i-Southern California Training and Testing expansion and the unethical TMT, (18 story telescope on the top of Hawaii's tallest and most sacred mountain), terms like ‘overkill’ come to mind. Not mention the Army’s “Environmental Assessment” published last week of “No significant Impact” to cultural and religious sites at PTA where more than 14 million live rounds are fired annually. With so many people of such honor and integrity serving the US Military, it is a travesty for it to be behaving more like pirates of plunder than protectors of peace. In any case, perhaps it is time to question why this degree of reckless destruction and illegal activity would be a prerequisite for National Security. When does enough become enough? For many, that time was a long time ago, but it most certainly is now before the next ‘perfect wave’ of Military expansion rolls in and over the rights of the Kanaka Maoli, their beloved Hawai’i and all who live and visit here.
The History of Hawaiian Activism... Aloha Aina
"The cause of Hawaii and independence is larger and dearer than the life of any man connected with it. Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station."
- Lili`uokalani, Hawaii's last Queen One of the most important elements regarding the history of activism in Hawai'i is the fact that one cannot separate the Hawaiian form the Aina, the Land. What is done to the land is done to the Kanaka Maoli. This is not to speak only figuratively, but scientifically and spiritually speaking as well. They are some of the most advanced caretakers of the land known to humankind with intricate and scientific systems of protection and regulation that kept the islands and the people in balance. Sustainability is at the very core of their spiritual beliefs and practices, long before the Western term was created to then become so overused and watered down. Suffice to say, the history of activism in Hawai'i is as old as the Kanaka Maoli. If life and its living systems are to be sustained here in these islands, the world needs to turn to and really listen to this wealth of knowledge before 'Paradise' is indeed turned into far worse than just a parking lot. The term 'Aloha Aina', translated by many as Love of the Land, is far more than a sentiment. It is a deep and profound relationship that is far too sophisticated for casual study or observation by outside visitors unschooled in the multi dimensional ways of island life. And yet as President William McKinley said in the late 1800's, "We need Hawaii just as much and a good deal more than we did California. It is Manifest Destiny". The devastating effects of that immature and uninformed perspective are so painfully visible on every one of these islands and their surrounding waters. Meanwhile, "We, the Hawaiian people, who are born from the union of Papahanaumoku and Wakea, earth mother and sky father, and who have lived in these islands for over 100 generations, will always have the moral right to the lands of Hawai'i now and forever, no matter what any court says. Lilikal_ K. Kame'eleihiwa