The Honolulu
Advertiser covers yesterday's
Ku I Ka Pono 2005 march and rally against the proposed Stryker brigade and military expansion in Hawaii.
More than 200 Native Hawaiian activists and others rallied yesterday against the military's plans to station a Stryker brigade in Hawai'i.
The protesters, many of them dressed in red and hoisting upside down Hawaiian flags, demonstrated at a park near Whitmore Village, then marched to Kukaniloko, near Wahiawa, the site of sacred birthing stones.
Ikaika Hussey, a member of DMZ Hawai'i Aloha 'Aina, said his group views the scheduled arrival of the roughly 300-vehicle Stryker brigade as another military land grab.
More excerpt, photo and emails from O'ahu and Big Island event organizers after the break.
"We have a tradition of resistance. We know that we can outlast the U.S. military because we want to live here. We want to be in Hawai'i nei. This is our homeland," he said yesterday. "For a thousand generations we have lived here and we will continue to live here."
The groups oppose the plan, which would occupy up to 28,000 acres on the Big Island and O'ahu. They fear the brigade and the live-fire exercises that are a staple of their training will lead to the destruction of cultural sites, natural resources and the contamination of the environment.
Email rec'd from Kyle Kajihiro of AFSC-Hawaii & DMZ Hawaii/Aloha 'Aina:
The march to Kukaniloko had around 500 people, not 200 as this article claims. The car convoys that came from Kualoa, Kaiaka, Makua,Poka'i, Kapolei, and Ke'ehi were colorful and noisy. The Ke'ehi convoy stretched miles as it passed HIckam, Pearl Harbor, and Schofield before arriving at Kukaniloko. The participation of the youth and the kumu hula was awesome. See some other pics at http://kuikapono2005.blogspot.com/
Also for background on the event: http://www.afschawaii.org/kuikapono05
Groups on Hawai'i island also staged convoys and walked to a shrine at Pu'u o Ka Pele within the Pohakuloa training area. Around 150 participated in the event.
Ku i ka pono Stand for justice
Ku ha'aheo Stand proudly
Ku'e i ka hewa Resist injustice
Ku'e Resist
Ku! Stand
And an email rec'd from Jim Albertini from Big Island of Hawai'i, Moku O Keawe:
Aloha Kakou,
Yesterday's Ku I Ka Pono 2005 on Moku O Keawe was a great experience. I believe all who participated felt energized by it.
We had about 150 people come out at Mauna Kea Park and Pu`u Ka Pele. That's twice the number that came out last April. No problems. Everything went smoothly. People came with a pono, respectful, and very humble attitude. Neither Military or police were anywhere to be seen. The day was a very positive and deep sharing of a broad cross section of our community. Special mahalo to Alii Ai Moku Paul Neves, and Kaliko Kanaele and others of the Royal Order of Kamehameha. The placing of ho`okupu and further building of the ahu at Pu`u Ka Pele represented a growing commitment of people to protect the land from Stryker destruction and our unity as a people.
We stand firm in a spirit of resistance but with aloha, not hate in our hearts.
Jim Albertini
Malu `Aina Center For Non-violent
Education & Action
P.O. Box AB
Ola`a (Kurtistown), Hawaii 96760
Ph (808) 966-7622 ja@interpac.net
http://www.malu-aina.org http://maluaina.pitas.com
