SR72.DOC

WHEREAS, the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands by Captain James Cook in 1778 was an event of worldwide implications; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaiian Islands were immediately recognized as a strategic discovery, serving as a refueling port and midway point in traversing the vast Pacific Ocean, which dramatically and forever altered the destiny of an island civilization that had evolved for centuries in isolation from the rest of the world; and

WHEREAS, Ka‘awaloa was the vibrant village and home of Kalaniopu‘u, the ruling chief of Hawai‘i in 1778, and it was also where Captain Cook anchored his two sailing vessels in the offshore waters of Kealakekua Bay to engage and learn about life in the islands and restock food and water supplies; and

WHEREAS, Captain Cook's introduction of western civilization to Hawaii, along with its technologies, weapons, and diseases, dramatically altered the underpinnings of a simple yet sophisticated island society; and

WHEREAS, Captain Cook was killed on the shoreline of Ka‘awaloa as a result of a number of incidents and cultural missteps with native villagers; news of his demise spread rapidly throughout Europe, followed by a steady and unending flow of vessels to the Hawaiian Islands from nations throughout the world; and

WHEREAS, the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands by Captain Cook brought dramatic changes to Hawaii's ancient governance, religion, economy, and societal structure that were amplified by the fact that native Hawaiians lacked immunities to the simplest of illnesses which were nonexistent in the islands but prevalent throughout the western world; and

WHEREAS, there was no meaningful action to honor the death and remains of Captain Cook at Ka‘awaloa, and one hundred years after his death the British government erected a monument on the site where he died on a parcel near the shoreline, which was gifted by the Hawaiian Kingdom to the British counsel; and

WHEREAS, while no event or place in the Hawaiian Islands rivals the worldwide impact and historic stature of Captain Cook's discovery and subsequent death at Ka‘awaloa, no other event or place in the Hawaiian Islands can be linked to the indiscriminate loss of life and irreparable impairment that ravished the health, character, and destiny of Hawaii's native inhabitants who died at an inordinate rate from the simplest of illnesses; and

WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii has struggled for years to gain the necessary support for a plan that appropriately honors Ka‘awaloa, without the broad based support of the families of the neighboring communities and the numerous native Hawaiian organizations involved in the preservation, perpetuation, and advocacy of native Hawaiian culture; and

WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii provides a special designation to Iolani Palace and the Royal Mausoleum under the administration of the Division of State Parks; and

WHEREAS, Ka‘awaloa should be viewed as the predecessor of Iolani Palace, having been the ancient seat of governance for the ruling chief of the islands in 1778; and

WHEREAS, Ka‘awaloa was a mausoleum for Hawaii's ruling chiefs who were buried in the cliffs that buttressed Ka‘awaloa as well as grave sites and heiau within the village that required greater security and oversight; and

WHEREAS, the Royal Order of Kamehameha was established in 1865 by Kamehameha V, Lot Kapuaiwa, to honor his grandfather Kamehameha the Great who unified the Kingdom of Hawaii not long after the death of Captain James Cook; and

WHEREAS, the Royal Order of Kamehameha continues to observe and preserve the ancient traditions, rituals, and customs of Hawaii's ancient leaders and understands the sensitivities, protocols, and cultural nuances that are essential to the historical and cultural underpinnings of the State of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the Royal Order of Kamehameha is broadly recognized and acknowledged throughout Hawai‘i as the preeminent leader, responsible for sustaining Hawaii's ancient traditions, obligations, and duties in perpetuity for all future generations; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2014, the House of Representatives concurring, that:

(1) The Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to designate the Royal Order of Kamehameha as the konohiki of Ka‘awaloa, to have oversight and management of Ka‘awaloa;

(2) The Royal Order of Kamehameha, in its capacity as konohiki of Ka‘awaloa, is requested to formulate a master plan for Ka‘awaloa that honors Hawaii's most consequential historical event, the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands and its introduction to Western civilization;

(3) In the formulation of the Ka‘awaloa Master Plan, the Royal Order of Kamehameha is requested to consult with all trusts established by the descendants of Kamehameha the Great for the benefit of native Hawaiians, including the Queen Liliuokalani Trust, Kamehameha Schools, The Queen's Health Systems, Lunalilo Trust, Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the executive leadership of the Hawaiian Civic Clubs, as well as the families and community organizations of Napo‘opo‘o; and

(4) The Royal Order of Kamehameha, in formulating the Ka‘awaloa Master Plan, is requested to consult with Hawaii County, which has announced its intention to complete the second phase of the highway, a requisite of the Hokulia project that will provide a more readily available access to Ka‘awaloa, and to also consult with the major landowners in the vicinity, including the Keauhou Resort, Hokulia, and neighboring ranches; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to fund the costs of formulating the Ka‘awaloa Master Plan; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to report to the Legislature on the details of the Ka‘awaloa Master Plan no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2015; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and the Royal Order of Kamehameha.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

DLNR; Ka‘awaloa Master Plan

THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	72
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2014
STATE OF HAWAII