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Sacred Ground

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

Sacred Ground

National Park Service collects public input for Kalaupapa plan.

By Melissa Kelsey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most Molokai residents want to keep Kalaupapa the way it is, but preventing change will not happen by accident. The National Park Service (NPS) is creating a General Management Plan (GMP) to describe the path it intends to follow in managing Kalaupapa National Historical Park over the next 15 to 20 years. Pressure from outside groups to provide greater access to the settlement due to the canonization of Father Damien is just one challenge the peninsula faces, according to Steve Prokop, the park’s superintendent. Kalaupapa also faces an aging patient population, and the Molokai community questions how the park will be managed after the patients have passed on.

The Kalaupapa Patient Advisory Council, a formal governing body consisting of patients who live at Kalaupapa, currently plays a significant role in managing the park and providing direction to NPS management.

“We want to make sure that input from the patients is paramount in developing the General Management Plan,” said Prokop.

For the past several weeks, NPS representatives have been collecting input from the public on the future of Kalaupapa settlement as the first step of a multi-phase process to draft the GMP. At public scoping workshops on Molokai, Maui, Oahu and Kauai, the NPS has gathered mana`o from community members. The last few public scoping meetings will take place on Hawaii Island during the end of May.

Keep Kalaupapa, Kalaupapa

The trail to Kalaupapa is sacred from the moment one begins the journey down, shared Molokai resident Lori Buchanan in her mana`o at one of the topside NPS public scoping meetings last Wednesday.

“The essence of the park is the spirit and the `aina,” said Buchanan.

There are no overnight accommodations for tourists who visit Kalaupapa. That’s because Kalaupapa is too spiritual of a place for tourists to spend the night, according to community member Julie Lopez.

“Too much has gone on there and I think it has to stay very special,” she said at the meeting, speaking against bringing hotels or hostels to Kalaupapa, even in the future when patient privacy will no longer be a factor.   

In remembrance of the hardships patients at Kalaupapa endured over the years, the place should be honored, said Annette Pauole-Ahakuelo.

“I really think you cannot get any closer to heaven than Kalaupapa,” she said.     

Throughout the meeting, patients and Molokai community members alike expressed the need for the GMP to address how the patients’ stories will be recorded for future generations.    

In fact, preserving the stories of people who lived in Kalaupapa should be the park’s most important goal, according to Sister Herman Julia Aki, a Sister of the Blessed Damien Catholic Parish on Molokai. Aki said one way to preserve stories is to interview patients who are still living and compile interviews that have already taken place.

“I value the stories, and not only the stories, but the history of those who have passed before us and those who have suffered as we walk the grounds,” said Clarence “Boogie” Kahilihiwa, a patient at Kalaupapa.

Molokai residents added it is also important to preserve the history of the native Hawaiians who lived in Kalaupapa for hundreds of years before the first Hansen’s disease patients arrived.

“There are graveyards in Kalaupapa, but there are also heiau,” said Kalaupapa resident Shannon Crivello. “Father Damien learned the culture and spoke the Hawaiian language.”    

Some of the other topics public scoping meeting attendees discussed in their mana`o were the park’s visitor capacity, protecting native Hawaiian gathering rights and feeding Molokai’s economy.      

A maximum of 100 people are allowed to visit Kalaupapa settlement each day under current park management, and Molokai community members who voiced their opinion at the meeting did not want that number to increase.

Community members affirmed the need to uphold native Hawaiian gathering rights, but disagreed on the specific mechanism to do so, specifically in regards to whether or not permits should be required to gather and fish.

“I believe in permits because you have to control the resources that are there,” said Fern Hamai, daughter of former Kalaupapa patients.

However, Cora Schnackenberg, a topside resident, expressed concern that permits would involve expensive fees that are unaffordable for the average resident.   

The NPS should provide jobs for native Hawaiians and contribute to the economy of Molokai, according to Crivello.

“Kalaupapa is going to be the next place where jobs will be available for Molokai,” he said. “If there are qualified native Hawaiians, they should be getting the jobs.”

Crivello recommended that the NPS post its Kalaupapa job openings for the Molokai community and make connections with students so that Molokai residents can pursue specific qualifications applicants need in order to be hired.  

Government Accountability, Molokai Style


The majority of Kalaupapa patients and residents expressed strong support for the NPS and its mission and presence at the settlement.

“I know and believe that the National Park Service is going to take care of the future of Kalaupapa,” said patient representative Meli Watanuki. “For myself, I would like the National Park Service to stay down there forever.”

Molokai resident Joyce Kainoa views the NPS as a clear ally to prevent development and protect the peninsula.

“Molokai is considered the most activist island in the state, and I find that the National Park Service is one partner we support,” she said.

However, some topside residents wondered what the mechanism will be for the Molokai community to maintain a central role in the NPS decision-making process for Kalaupapa settlement after patients are no longer there to help govern.

The Hawaii State Department of Health, which currently manages essential community functions such as the gas station, guest housing and the peninsula’s only store, plans to leave Kalaupapa settlement when there is no longer a patient population and it plans to transfer those duties to the NPS.  

While the GMP is intended to guide the NPS to make decisions about the park on behalf of the community, park managers will still legally retain flexibility to respond to individual situations. In addition, the NPS cannot implement the GMP without adequate funding, according to NPS documents.

“Where is the quality control to ensure that the management plan will be implemented in the way it is supposed to be?” asked Buchanan.

“I want enforcement for them,” she said, expressing her views that the GMP itself does not provide an adequate mechanism for keeping the NPS accountable for its actions, especially since the Department of Hawaiian Homelands owns a portion of Kalaupapa peninsula land and the NPS only manages it under a lease.

Molokai activist Walter Ritte, representing the cultural land trust Hui Ho`opakele `Aina, recommended that task forces be created to address a variety of concerns held by the Molokai community and create long-term partnerships for making decisions.

“We would like to see an upgrading of what you all have started,” he said, adding that the GMP public scoping process only scratches the surface of how the NPS should handle community input.   

Bureaucratic System


While Kalaupapa National Historical Park has unique needs compared to other national parks in the United States, it is not the only park to develop a GMP. All national parks in the United States that are part of the NPS system are required by law to create a GMP, according to the NPS.

The purpose of the GMP for each national park is to make sure that the values and goals of the NPS are in line with the needs and cultural values of each park’s surrounding community. Managers are supposed to utilize the process of drafting the document to discuss park issues with the public, including how the park’s resources will be preserved, how many visitors will be allowed to the park and how this will be enforced, and explain any development plans or lack thereof and possible changes to park boundaries.




Getting Connected

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

Share your mana`o on Kalaupapa’s future with the National Park Service (NPS). While the NPS wants public feedback at all times, they are currently specifically seeking community input on the development of the park’s General Management Plan (GMP). After July 15, they will begin the process of compiling the feedback they have received. In 2010, the NPS plans to draft several possible scenarios for the park’s future and present them to the community. The GMP is scheduled to be completed in 2012.

The following are some ways individuals who missed the public scoping meetings can share their mana`o:

Send a letter to:
Steve Propok, Superintendent
Kalaupapa National Historical Park
P.O. Box 2222
Kalaupapa, HI 96742

Send an e-mail to:
KALA_GMP@nps.gov

Call the park at:
(808) 567-6802 x 1101

Submit comments online at:
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/kala

To stay engaged in the process, residents can check the website listed above periodically, where the NPS will be posting community feedback from public workshops on the different islands.


Island Earth

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

Island Earth

Celebration brings community together to share knowledge of `aina.

By Melissa Kelsey


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bleachers outside Mitchell Pauole Center were packed full with people watching films about the environment created by Molokai’s own keiki at Molokai’s 17th annual Earth Day celebration last Friday evening. From the serious to the hilarious, kids got creative during the Public Service Announcement contest, aimed at educating both students and the public. Aunty Moana’s hula halau, the Hawaiian language immersion program at Molokai High School, and the local music group Six Pac also provided the night’s entertainment.     

“For us, Earth Day is an introduction to conservation for the community,” said Ed Misaki, the Molokai Program Director at The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the non-profit that orchestrated the festivities.   

Throughout the complex, keiki explored the festival wearing painted faces of cats and dogs, painted by volunteers from the Molokai Humane Society.

“Parents bring the children, and four or five years from now, the kids may want to volunteer with somebody,” Misaki said. He explained that one of the event’s purposes is to introduce keiki to the importance of caring for the environment in hopes that someday they will want to be involved.   

Inside, the building was crammed full with eager attendees perusing the myriad of interactive educational display tables, covering topics ranging from invasive species to hunting. Community leaders, students and environmental professionals from Molokai, Maui, and Oahu were represented in their efforts to educate the public on protecting the `aina.

“This is my first Molokai Earth Day, and it blew me away how many people attended,” said Noelani Lopez, an educator from the Lelekamanu program at Papahana Kuaola, a non-profit located on Oahu that educates grade school students about geology, native Hawaiian plants, and native Hawaiian animals.

“People seem connected to the land and already know a lot about the environment,” said Lopez, describing event attendees who visited her table.

Directly across from Lopez, Molokai resident and Aka`ula student `Olana Chow, 14, educated passersby about the dangers of polystyrene, known to most people as Styrofoam. Having conducted research on the topic for more than two years, Chow used her Earth Day booth to encourage individuals and businesses to boycott polystyrene and switch to environmentally friendlier alternatives.

“The reason I am trying to raise awareness is because the health and environmental effects of polystyrene are damaging. It takes 100 years or more for Styrofoam to biodegrade in a landfill,” said Chow.

Although Earth Day was coordinated by TNC, the event’s planning committee consisted of individuals throughout the community. Vendor fees, donations from local businesses, t-shirt sales, the Molokai Environmental Fund, and the TIDES foundation provided funding for the festivities, according to Misaki. 

The theme of this year’s Earth Day  festival was “Molokai Cares,” in honor of the group who started the event. Misaki explained that Molokai CARES (Conservation and Recycling Ensures Sustainability) founded the first annual celebration in 1993. The group, a grassroots organization to promote recycling on the island, dissolved soon after founding the festival. Before disbanding, Molokai CARES donated a lump sum of extra funds to TNC, under the condition that TNC would agree to continue the Earth Day event annually. In 1995, TNC hosted Earth Day for the first time. Throughout the years, they have made a series of changes and improvements to increase community attendance, including changing the location from the Kaunakakai School cafeteria to the Mitchell Pauole Center and making the event an evening event instead of a midday event.   

Who turned the lights out!?

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

TheMolokaiDispatch.com is Back

As many of you may have noticed, the Molokai Dispatch website has been down for the past several days. It seems that our host provider decided our website caused a bit too much “action” on their shared server. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, consider yourself lucky.

Experiencing this kind of “technical difficulty” is certainly not something we hope to repeat and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience the outage may have caused you. For those who had wondered about the health of the newspaper industry on Molokai, fear not, we’re doing quite alright and have no plans of doing anything else but bringing you weekly news from the Friendly Isle.

Kalaupapa Quiet Hours

Friday, April 24th, 2009

In respect for patients, staff, and other Kalaupapa residents, quiet hours will be enforced throughout the peninsula daily from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., effective immediately, according to Tim Richmond, acting Administrator of Kalaupapa.

“Everyone should be aware of their neighbors,” said Richmond, highlighting the importance of being considerate to others.   

Some exceptions will apply, including New Year’s Eve and the block party. If people do not comply with quiet hours, residents should direct complaints about noise to the National Park Service rangers.      

Oh Deer

Friday, April 24th, 2009

National Park Service drafts Kalaupapa feral animal control plan.     

By Melissa Kelsey

In a place as remote as Kalaupapa, the feral animal population can easily get out of hand. Recently, the peninsula has seen an increase in animals due to fencing failures, including areas surrounding Kalaupapa Airport.

The animals are getting through the barriers by passing through cattle guards, going under fences, and squeezing around fences by salt flats, according to Guy Hughes, Natural Resources Division Chief at Kalaupapa National Historical Park.

“Feral deer at the airport are a security concern,” commented Molokai resident Desiree Puhi at the Kalaupapa town meeting last Tuesday. “The last thing we want is for the 2:15 flight to run into some deer.”     

To improve the situation, the National Park Service (NPS) is planning a series of fencing projects, scheduled for this summer.

Voices for Kalaupapa

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

Ka ‘Ohana takes a stand on the General Management Plan

Press Release

The Board of Directors of Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa has prepared a preliminary Position Paper that includes recommendations for Kalaupapa National Historical Park for the General Management Plan process that’s getting underway. Park Service officials will hold public scoping meetings beginning this week.

The paper can be viewed and downloaded on the ‘Ohana website – www.kalaupapaohana.org -- by clicking on “Position Paper” in the main menu.

From 1866 to 1969, Hawaii residents affected by leprosy were forced to their homes to be isolated, most often at the place known as the Kalaupapa peninsula on the north shore of Molokai. In the mid-1970s, fearing developers would force them to be relocated again, residents asked the National Park Service to preserve their lifestyle and their history. The Park Service has been at Kalaupapa since 1980. 

Unforeseen Circumstances

Thursday, April 16th, 2009

Unforeseen Circumstances

Mango Mart closes its doors for good.

By Melissa Kelsey

People are quick to blame the economy these days, but that’s not always the answer. On Friday, April 3, Mango Mart’s sudden departure from Ala Malama Street created another vacant storefront in Kaunakakai -- and not because of slow business.

The convenience store, which sold affordable food and household goods in bulk, closed as a result of one of the owners, who lives in Oregon, being ill, according to the shop’s former General Manager Karen Buhr.

Buhr said employees found out about the closing on March 31st, and spent the next three days selling leftover merchandise and cleaning the store.

Mango Mart, which also provided a DVD rental service, employed five full-time workers and five part-time workers at the time of its closing. Buhr said that all of the full-time employees and two of the part-time employees have filed for unemployment benefits.

The shop donated $473.00 worth of unsold groceries to the Molokai Women’s Shelter, according to Buhr. In addition, unsold DVDs were donated to the Molokai Women’s Shelter, the Molokai Youth Center, and Molokai General Hospital.

“The closing was so sudden, but we had no choice due to the owner’s illness,” said Buhr. “We would like to thank everyone in the community for their support.”



Sust-`ĀINA-ble Molokai

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Future of a Hawaiian Island Initiative Kicks Off

Want to know what the future holds for Molokai? One thing is certain – Molokai’s first sustainability conference in July. If you’re interested, check out the booth at this year’s Earth Day on April 17.

Press Release

Organized by a grassroots hui of Molokai residents, a new Sust-`?INA-ble Molokai initiative focused on achieving “the collective dream of a sustainable Molokai” will kick off at Earth Day on April 17 with pre-registration for a two-day Sust-`?INA-ble Molokai: Future of a Hawaiian Island conference scheduled for July 17 and 18.

The conference will provide an opportunity for Molokai residents to learn, talk story and participate in the initial steps of sustainable community building.  Organizer Malia Akutagawa says the event is designed to “educate people and build momentum for the community to create its own future and be part of its own solution”. By integrating the concept of “Molokai '?ina Momona” with the word “sustainability”, the ultimate goal for Molokai is “Sust-'?ina-bility”, a model of abundant island living rooted in traditional knowledge and supported by modern technologies. The Sust-`?INA-ble Molokai initiative will build upon the vision outlined in the living document Molokai: Future of a Hawaiian Island, with the objective of creating and implementing a long-range sustainability plan for the island.
The conference will showcase Molokai residents living sustainably in addition to featured off-island speakers including keynote speaker and master navigator Nainoa Thompson, Aimee Allison with Green For All, Gary & Kukui Maunakea-Forth of MA‘O Farms, and representatives from Waipa Foundation on Kauai, among others.  Conference attendees will have the opportunity to learn about practical ways to live sustainably, through expert presentations, panel discussions, Q & A sessions, interactive breakout sessions and demonstrations.  Topics will include food security, alternative energy, waste management, traditional resource/ahupua‘a management, green economies, green building, indigenous knowledge, education, and permaculture. Pre-conference and post-conference ho‘olaule‘a are scheduled for June and August, and a “My Sustainable Molokai” art/essay/poetry contest for grades 7-12 begins this month.

Local non profit Ka Honua Momona International is serving as a fiscal sponsor of the conference, and conference organizers are currently seeking volunteers and monetary donations to help fund the two-day event.  Please make checks payable to Ka Honua Momona, Intl. with “Sustainable Molokai” in the memo line.  Donations may be sent to PO Box 482188 Kaunakakai HI 96748.

Space is limited at the conference; pre-registration at Earth Day is encouraged. Registration fee is $10 for adults until June 19th, and $25 after June 19th. Children under 18 are free.

For more information, or if you’d like to volunteer, please email kdavis@qlcc.org

Governor’s Molokai Community Advisory Council to Discuss Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

The Governor’s Moloka‘i Community Advisory Council will meet on Tuesday, April 14, 2009, 3 p.m. at the Kulana O‘iwi, DHHL / OHA Conference Room, 600 Maunaloa Highway, Kaunakakai.  The public is invited.

Joshua Strickler, facilitator of renewable energy projects, from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, will discuss the Lingle-Aiona Administration’s work to achieve energy independence through the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI).  Strickler will address the recent agreement between Castle & Cooke, First Wind Hawai‘i, and Hawaiian Electric that could lead to large wind farms on Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i which will provide clean energy to O‘ahu.  Noelani Kalipi, director of government and community relations for First Wind, will brief the council on the company’s wind farm proposal for Moloka‘i.