If you haven't noticed already, you can keep up with just about every little detail about what we're doing through "Twitter updates" that are viewable on the left side of our blog page or by logging onto Twitter and following us. Yes, you'll learn more details than you probably cared to, but, hey, what the heck. Now that we can make Twitter updates using cell phone text messaging, you can stay up-to-date by the minute or hour on what we're doing.
Today, we mailed out 255 postcards signed by people like you, supporters and people who want the "ceded" lands protected. These 255 postcards were signed by 170 individual people. But we still need more of your help. We're hoping to go into communities like Palolo to gather more signatures for these postcards. If you're willing to help us out, please let us know by e-mailing us at kupuaina@gmail.com. We're also hoping for postcard stamp donations to help defray the costs of postage for our postcards. We've gotten more than 1200 postcards total and we're still trying to get more to let our legislators know that we want them to pass laws that will protect the ceded lands.
I've uploaded two new videos clips and am uploading a much longer one. Mahalo to the folks at ‘Ōiwi TV and Palikū Documentary Films for filming and editing to make the overall video available for us.
The first video is of Attorney General Mark Bennett doing a 15-17 minute presentation for the January 7, 2009 Kupu‘āina "Ceded" Lands Informational Session
This second video is of both the Attorney General Mark Bennett and attorney Bill Meheula responding to questions submitted by the audience at the same 1/07/2009 informational session.
Showing posts with label Native Hawaiian ceded lands. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Native Hawaiian ceded lands. Show all posts
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Ceded Lands Informational Forum
Aside from a few issues that arose throughout the event, the "ceded" informational forum was a success. Despite the quality of the online live stream, statistics from our live-stream host shows that we had 48 visitors of our live-streaming event today. Forty-eight doesn't seem like a big number, but I don't know how many people can get roughly 48 strangers to sit and listen/watch in front of a computer for over 2 hours.
Dee Jay Mailer, CEO of Kamehameha Schools, was in attendance (in her personal (Not professional) capacity along with Ann Botticelli, Vice President for Community Relations & Communications of Kamehameha Schools. Immediately after the end of our event, these two women approached me and thanked the Kupu'aina Coalition for hosting the event. Ms. Mailer described it as a "gift" that she was able to learn so much from. They both expressed appreciation for the format, the content and the speaking panelists, one of which was an unexpected, yet pleasant surprise.
A good number of notable people were in attendance. We were able to identify three Hawai'i legislators in the audience.
- Former Governor John Waihe'e also made an appearance and also became a panelist.
- Senator Russell Kokubun
- Representative Mele Carroll
- Representative Chris Lee
- Colin Kippen
- Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Oswald Stender (or someone who looks exactly like him), and
- Dr. Lilikala Kameeleihiwa.
Hopefully, we'll be able to fix the video so that it comes out much better. We did live-stream the event, but when I play it back at ustream, it doesn't play back very well and freezes up often. If you watched the live-stream event online, I'm interested in knowing how well it worked out for you. I realize that in the beginning the audio wasn't very good, but any other feedback you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
A big Mahalo nui goes out to Na'alehu Anthony and Paliku Documentary Films who brought all their video recording equipment to the law school to film this event. We're looking forward to the finished product.
I'll be sure to post some pictures up later.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Press Conference and Rally
A sheriff's deputy on site at the Capitol today said in his estimate, there was between 400-500 people present during the Kupu‘āina Coalition's press conference and rally.
Reporters from various media outlets were present. A video can be found on the KGMB9 site. CLICK HERE to watch video and read story.
Another video can be found at the KITV.com site, although, Darryl Huff does a weird job of blending together his own narration and usage of video clips from the press conference. CLICK HERE to watch video.
The Honolulu Advertiser wrote a "Breaking News" article on the event, "Groups Oppose Ceded-Land Appeal."
Sunday, November 23, 2008
"Ceded lands focus of rally"
The article below was published in today's Honolulu Advertiser.
Ceded lands focus of rally
Group urges state to drop appeal of earlier ruling barring sales
By Gordon Y.K. Pang - Advertiser Staff Writer
Native Hawaiian supporters led by a group of current and former law school and Hawaiian studies students will hold an 11:30 a.m. rally tomorrow at the state Capitol to demand that Gov. Linda Lingle and Attorney General Mark Bennett drop their appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court of a lower court ruling that bars the state from selling ceded lands until claims of Native Hawaiians are resolved.
Derek Kauanoe, a recent graduate of the University of Hawai'i's Richardson School of Law and a spokesman for the Kupu'aina Coalition, said the rally's main purpose is to draw attention to a state action that, if successful, could diminish Native Hawaiian rights and dismantle programs for Hawaiians.
Bennett said he does not agree with that conclusion, adding that the Lingle administration is in favor of settling Native Hawaiian claims and supports federal recognition of a Native Hawaiian government entity.
ISSUE AT HAND
The case, which pits the state against the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs, is expected to be heard in late February or March, Bennett said.
At issue is what the state can or cannot do with approximately 1.2 million acres of ceded lands, lands formerly held by the Hawaiian government. In January, the Hawai'i Supreme Court ruled that the state cannot sell or otherwise transfer lands ceded to the state until Native Hawaiian claims against those holdings were resolved.
The state argues that the 1959 Admission Act grants it the authority to manage ceded lands, including selling them.
But OHA and the four Native Hawaiians who brought the suit in 1994 say that Congress' 1993 Apology Resolution, as well as subsequent action by the state Legislature, effectively bar the state from selling or transferring those lands to an outside entity until the claims are settled.
Kauanoe said it is critical that the state not be allowed to sell or transfer ceded lands until the claims are resolved, and he points to the reasons listed by the Hawai'i Supreme Court.
"I think that moratorium puts Native Hawaiians on a level playing field to enter into negotiations for a settlement with the state," Kauanoe said. "If the (U.S.) Supreme Court overturns our state Supreme Court's ruling, basically the state would be able to sell lands that Native Hawaiians have an unrelinquished claim to before they even settle it."
Allowing the state to sell those lands, he said, "would be detrimental to any Hawaiian program that receives funding from the revenue of those lands."
SEEKING CLARIFICATION
Bennett, in response to Kauanoe's comments, said, "The issue before the United States Supreme Court is not the constitutionality or legality of any programs that benefit Native Hawaiians." Instead, he said, the High Court could clarify any gray area left by the Apology Resolution.
"The lawsuit that was filed more than a decade ago took the position that the Apology Resolution changed the landscape, clouded the state's title," Bennett said. "What we're trying to do is uphold what we believe to be the correct legal principle ... that the state holds good title to the land ... as was given to the state in the Admission Act."
Bennett added: "We believed, and continue to believe, that the claims that Native Hawaiians have should be addressed through the legislative process — through the Legislature and the Congress — through vehicles like the Akaka bill but not in the courts."
Kauanoe said the Hawai'i Supreme Court, because it is made up of Hawai'i residents, is in a much better position to decide the case than is the U.S. Supreme Court.
Kupu'aina is composed of the 'Ahahui o Hawai'i Law Student Organization, and faculty and students of the Kamakakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies.
Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com.
Ceded lands focus of rally
Group urges state to drop appeal of earlier ruling barring sales
By Gordon Y.K. Pang - Advertiser Staff Writer
Native Hawaiian supporters led by a group of current and former law school and Hawaiian studies students will hold an 11:30 a.m. rally tomorrow at the state Capitol to demand that Gov. Linda Lingle and Attorney General Mark Bennett drop their appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court of a lower court ruling that bars the state from selling ceded lands until claims of Native Hawaiians are resolved.
Derek Kauanoe, a recent graduate of the University of Hawai'i's Richardson School of Law and a spokesman for the Kupu'aina Coalition, said the rally's main purpose is to draw attention to a state action that, if successful, could diminish Native Hawaiian rights and dismantle programs for Hawaiians.
Bennett said he does not agree with that conclusion, adding that the Lingle administration is in favor of settling Native Hawaiian claims and supports federal recognition of a Native Hawaiian government entity.
ISSUE AT HAND
The case, which pits the state against the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs, is expected to be heard in late February or March, Bennett said.
At issue is what the state can or cannot do with approximately 1.2 million acres of ceded lands, lands formerly held by the Hawaiian government. In January, the Hawai'i Supreme Court ruled that the state cannot sell or otherwise transfer lands ceded to the state until Native Hawaiian claims against those holdings were resolved.
The state argues that the 1959 Admission Act grants it the authority to manage ceded lands, including selling them.
But OHA and the four Native Hawaiians who brought the suit in 1994 say that Congress' 1993 Apology Resolution, as well as subsequent action by the state Legislature, effectively bar the state from selling or transferring those lands to an outside entity until the claims are settled.
Kauanoe said it is critical that the state not be allowed to sell or transfer ceded lands until the claims are resolved, and he points to the reasons listed by the Hawai'i Supreme Court.
"I think that moratorium puts Native Hawaiians on a level playing field to enter into negotiations for a settlement with the state," Kauanoe said. "If the (U.S.) Supreme Court overturns our state Supreme Court's ruling, basically the state would be able to sell lands that Native Hawaiians have an unrelinquished claim to before they even settle it."
Allowing the state to sell those lands, he said, "would be detrimental to any Hawaiian program that receives funding from the revenue of those lands."
SEEKING CLARIFICATION
Bennett, in response to Kauanoe's comments, said, "The issue before the United States Supreme Court is not the constitutionality or legality of any programs that benefit Native Hawaiians." Instead, he said, the High Court could clarify any gray area left by the Apology Resolution.
"The lawsuit that was filed more than a decade ago took the position that the Apology Resolution changed the landscape, clouded the state's title," Bennett said. "What we're trying to do is uphold what we believe to be the correct legal principle ... that the state holds good title to the land ... as was given to the state in the Admission Act."
Bennett added: "We believed, and continue to believe, that the claims that Native Hawaiians have should be addressed through the legislative process — through the Legislature and the Congress — through vehicles like the Akaka bill but not in the courts."
Kauanoe said the Hawai'i Supreme Court, because it is made up of Hawai'i residents, is in a much better position to decide the case than is the U.S. Supreme Court.
Kupu'aina is composed of the 'Ahahui o Hawai'i Law Student Organization, and faculty and students of the Kamakakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies.
Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com.
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