ASSOCIATION OF HAWAIIAN CIVIC CLUBS
A RESOLUTION
No. 2019 – 55
HONORING AND RECOGNIZING THE PAEPAE KŪPUNA AND KIAʻI MAUNAKEA FOR THEIR STANCE TO PROTECT MAUNAKEA AND ALL ʻĀINA OF SIGNIFICANCE TO NATIVE HAWAIIANS FROM DESECRATION BY ASSERTING THEIR CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED NATIVE HAWAIIAN RIGHTS AND THEIR INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED INDIGENOUS RIGHTS AS PROVIDED BY MECHANISMS SUCH AS THE UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
WHEREAS, the Paepae Kūpuna and Kiaʻi Maunakea have devoted their time and resources, to protect Maunakea from further desecration on behalf of the Lāhui Hawaiʻi and our future generations; and
WHEREAS, previous resolutions of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs have affirmed the sacredness of Maunakea; and
WHEREAS, 38 kiaʻi, the vast majority being kūpuna, demonstrated their unwavering commitment to the protection of the mauna by refusing to clear the road for law enforcement which resulted in their arrest; and
WHEREAS, James Albertini, Sharol Awai, Tomas Belsky, Marie Alohalani Brown, Gene Kini Burke, Richard L. Deleon, Alika Desha, William K. Freitas, Patricia Greene, Desmond Haumea, Flora Hookano, Kelii Ioane, Maxine Kahauelio, Ana Kahoopii, Kaliko Lehua Kanaele, Pualani Kanahele, Deborah Lee, Donna Leong, Daniel Li, Carmen Hulu Lindsey, Linda Leilani Lindsey-Kaapuni, Abel Lui, Liko-O-Kalani Martin, James Naniole, Luana Neff, Deena Oana-Hurwitz, Edleen Peleiholani, Renee Price, Hawley Reese, Loretta Ritte, Walter Ritte, Raynette Robinson, Damian Trask, Mililani Trask, John Turalde, Pualani Kanahele, Carmen Hulu Lindsey, and Noe Noe Wong-Wilson were the individuals arrested for defending Maunakea; and
WHEREAS, Free, Prior, and Informed Consent is a principle critical to indigenous peoples that is protected by international human rights standards that state, ‘all peoples have the right to self-determination’ and – linked to the right to self-determination – ‘all peoples have the right to freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development’, which is backed by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the Convention on Biological Diversity and the International Labour Organization Convention 169, which are the most powerful and comprehensive international instruments that recognize the plights of Indigenous Peoples and defend their rights; and
WHEREAS, the Native Hawaiian community was not properly consulted on the development of the Thirty Meter Telescope, and did not give their Free, Prior, and Informed Consent to this project.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs at its 60th Annual Convention in Lahaina, Maui, in the malama of Welehu and the rising of Lāʻau Pau, this 16th day of November 2019, honoring and recognizing the Paepae Kūpuna and Kiaʻi Maunakea for their stance to protect Maunakea and all ʻāina of significance to Native Hawaiians from desecration by asserting their constitutionally protected Native Hawaiian rights and their internationally recognized indigenous rights as provided by mechanisms such as the United Nations Declaration on the rights of indigenous; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this resolution be transmitted to Governor of the State of Hawai‘i, President of the State Senate, Speaker of the State House of Representatives, Chair of the State Senate subject matter committee on Hawaiian Affairs, Chair of the State House subject matter committee on Hawaiian Affairs, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and all County Mayors.
The undersigned hereby certifies that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted in the malama of Welehu and the rising of Lāʻau Pau on the 16th day of November 2019, at the 60th Annual Convention of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs in Lahaina, Maui.
Hailama V. K. K. Farden, President
