HR210 HD1

WHEREAS, Kaho‘olawe is a sacred island to the native Hawaiian people, as evidenced by ancient chants and archeological sites, and believed to have been inhabited for more than 1,000 years; and

WHEREAS, subsequent to Kaho‘olawe's transfer from the Republic of Hawai‘i to the United States in 1898, cattle and sheep were introduced to the island, resulting in a negative environmental impacts such as soil erosion; and

WHEREAS, in August 1910, the Territorial Board of Agriculture designated Kaho‘olawe as a forest reserve and attempted to revegetate the island; however, realizing these attempts were futile in light of the proliferation of goats on the island, the Territorial Board redesignated the island, transferred it to the Commissioner of Public Lands, whereby it was leased to cattle ranchers; and

WHEREAS, in 1941, the United States leased part of Kaho‘olawe for military purposes, using the island as a testing and training range for military weapons, beginning five decades of military bombardment and control of the island; and

WHEREAS, in 1981, Kaho‘olawe was designated an Archeological District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places; and

WHEREAS, in 1993, Title X of the Department of Defense and Appropriations Act conveyed Kaho‘olawe and its surrounding waters to the State, providing for "meaningful safe use of the island for appropriate cultural, historical, archeological, and educational purposes as determined by the State of Hawaii"; and

WHEREAS, in 1993, Chapter 6K, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), was enacted, creating the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) and reserving its uses solely and exclusively for the:

(1) Preservation and practice of all rights customarily and traditionally exercised by native Hawaiians for cultural, spiritual, and subsistence purposes;

(2) Preservation and protection of its archaeological, historical, and environmental resources;

(3) Rehabilitation, revegetation, habitat restoration, and preservation; and

(4) Education;

and

WHEREAS, section 6K-9, HRS, provides "that the State shall transfer management and control of the island and its waters to the sovereign native Hawaiian entity upon its recognition by the United States and the State of Hawaii"; and

WHEREAS, Kaho‘olawe has served as the foundation for the revitalization of native Hawaiian cultural practices; and

WHEREAS, the Girls' Court Program, a gender-specific and strength-based program targeting female juvenile offenders, was granted the unique opportunity to volunteer on Kaho‘olawe as part of the KIRC's program, where they lived together, shared, and restored the land by planting native species of vegetation, cleared trails and paths, and learned about the island's history; and

WHEREAS, these young women benefited personally, spiritually, and educationally from this unique experience through learning about native Hawaiian culture and traditions, providing community service, and self-discovery about their young womanhood; and

WHEREAS, a similar program for offenders targeted at healing and teaching native Hawaiian traditions and cultural practices would greatly benefit these individuals who could also develop a cultural connection to Kaho‘olawe by increasing their knowledge and providing a purpose for them and for future generations of Hawaii's people; and

WHEREAS, according to Department of Public Safety (DPS) statistics published in 2005, approximately 44 percent of female offenders and 37 percent of male offenders are native Hawaiian; and

WHEREAS, this program would house at least 40 offenders, preparing them to become stewards of the land, learn life skills with an emphasis on native Hawaiian cultural traditions, and become acquainted or reacquainted with their rich heritage so that in helping to heal Kaho‘olawe, they would also help heal themselves; and

WHEREAS, a volunteer program for such offenders would provide a unique opportunity for the many native Hawaiian offenders and others incarcerated in correctional facilities to return home to be paroled, put on probation, or put on work-release; and

WHEREAS, volunteers in this program would have regular or instantaneous review immediately prior to and after their participation in this program in much that same way as the operation of Drug Court and Girls' Court; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, that DPS is requested to convene a task force to study the feasibility of a reciprocal healing program for offenders on Kaho‘olawe, emphasizing native Hawaiians practices for native Hawaiians and other offenders; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force be comprised of representatives from the following entities:

(1) The Director of Public Safety or the Director's designee;

(2) The Director of Human Services or the Director's designee;

(3) The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs or the Chairperson's designee;

(4) The Executive Director of KIRC or the Executive Director's designee; and

(5) The President of the Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana or the President's designee;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DPS is requested to submit a report to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2008, on the establishment of the task force requested by this measure, including any recommendations of the task force and any financial impacts incurred by the task force; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Public Safety, the Director of Human Resources, the Chair of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Chair of the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission, and the Chair of Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana.

Report Title:

Kaho‘olawe Feasibility Study; Establishment of a Task Force

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	210
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII