• Monk seal – friend or foe • Tales of dog wagging • Historic Coco Palms deserves a new vision Monk seal – friend or foe Please don’t call it Hawaiian monk seal, because it is an offense for us
• Monk seal – friend or foe • Tales of dog wagging • Historic Coco Palms deserves a new vision
Monk seal – friend or foe
Please don’t call it Hawaiian monk seal, because it is an offense for us kanaka maoli. This animal is no more Hawaiian than a Mainland resident coming here to live and puts on aloha shirt.
When we were children there were monk seals on Kaua‘i or Ni‘ihau or Mau‘i. They came here from somewhere. The most direct proof is that no Hawaiian word existed for them and they are to present in our chants and old stories, where practically all larger creatures of the ocean and the Hawaiian Islands are included. The Hawaiian terms used now Sila Hawai‘i or ‘ilio-holo-i-ka-usua are all modern creations. But that’s not the point.
These animals interfere with our traditional way of life. When we lay our nets, soon there will be a hole in it. The monk seal makes it in order to steal our catch. And he is a gourmet, too, because he bites off the tail of the lobsters and also eats the nicest fish we caught.
In human society if somebody steals your property you put him in jail, but for monk seals there is no jail – yet. According to Hawaiian traditions, if an animal causes damage to your property, you kill him and eat him. That should be the fate of the Hawaiian monk seal, too.
You are wasting a lot of money and energy on protecting these animals in human environment. They don’t belong where people live. Show us the proof that people have to submit their property to animals regularly robbing them and that is called protection.
You want to protect these animals? Then take them to Necker Island or to the Northwestern Hawaiian islands to their natural habitat, but don’t spend my tax dollars on them. Or we will take care of them according to our ancient traditions.
They will make a good pa‘ina.
Timothy Oga, Hanapepe
Tales of dog wagging
The problems and issues raised by the protests against genealogically modified organisms (GMO’s) appear to me to fall categorically into the same mold as did protests against the ferry and protests against the county/mayor form of government on Kauai.
The mold? Classic examples of the tail wagging the dog.
The fruit, the vegetable. The organism – FOOD — is made the villain. The genealogically modified organism is the product itself which is available for purchase or be given away.
“GMO” is not the herbicide or the fertilizer or their manner of use to grow, raise or produce the GMO and is being used whether the food item is GMO or not. Backyard farmers may and bio-tech companies do use them.
Throughout discussions on this subject, protesters use “NO GMO” as their battle cry but have not once identified a single GMO food product being grown and is available on Kauai as food to avoid because it is harmful or unhealthy.
Kauaians will be well served if at least one of the 50 protesters share their list of GMO”ed food-stuff grown on Kauai that is verified medically or scientifically as harmful. The FDA, I’m sure. Would be interested.
THE FERRY … The cost and convenience of travel between islands for families was derided and scoffed at because, among other things, invasive unwelcome species would over-run our island paradise. The two mongooses (?) found on Kauai after the ferry sailed to other ports must have come to Kauai the usual way but not the ferry.
THE COUNTY/MAYOR form of government. “We have given the Charter Review Commission numerous problems that exist and have existed for years but they have been ignored.” The problems cited consist of elected and appointed officials not seeing eye to eye or agreeing with the point of view of the protester. That’s why we have elections.
The most effective nitpicker/constructive critic who produces results is none other than THE SHADOW… JEROME FREITAS.
I have never seen him in attendance at any council or commission meeting.
Mahalo, Jerome and Mahalo TGI for giving him space in your paper.
Alfred Laureta, Kapaa
Historic Coco Palms deserves a new vision
Congratulations to the Kauai Planning Department, Planning Commission and particularly to County Attorney Mauna Kea Trask and Director of Planning Michael Dahilig for their persistence to deny extensions of the permits for Coco Palms.
This has been a very long and distressing history for our Island.
Now, let’s please go forward with the Hawaii Land Trust application to secure funds to research this very important and sacred area of Kauai in order to honor its past and bring a new vision for all our residents and visitors to appreciate and enjoy.
IMUA !
Marj Dente, Kapa’a
