Without Hawaiians, there is no Hawaii
It seems to this Hawaiian they will never leave us alone.
Everything that is dear to my people is either stolen, sold, exploited on the world stage by non-Hawaiians. Examples, fishing access, hunting access, water rights, Salt Pond land rights, titles, our schools under attack.
I view all these attacks as racism in its pure form. You wonder why lots of local people don’t care for foreigners? Examples above.
Now, you might understand if you have a soul. It should be against the law to have non-citizen investment in my island home. It creates loss of native people’s lands, homes, rights.
Now, not all visitors are bad. Some are very good, who respect our way of life. But the ones who don’t should not come. We as a people also should not vote for any party that has abused our lands, water rights, etc., for the past 80 years.
Final thoughts. Without Hawaiian there’s no Hawaii. Without Hawaiians there’s no life on our lands.
If you think I have no seen foreign countries, I have. Many. And never once told them to change their ways or culture or tried to steal their lands.
To all my friends, this Hawaiian by blood is still standing.
Kawika David Cutcher, Anahola
Mickens was sincere, consistent
I admired and respected Glenn Mickens for his candor, conscientiousness, and integrity in the way he expressed his viewpoints about the way he saw things — right or wrong — with respect to the effectiveness of governmental management and procedures!
He called it with eloquence and sincere concern with consistency.
Jose Bulatao Jr., Kekaha
Racism,can’t live without it!
David Cutcher says “Without Hawaiian there’s no Hawaii. Without Hawaiians there’s no life on our lands.”
Well David, good news. In 1900 the first U.S. census of Hawaii counted fewer than 39,000 people who had at least one drop of Hawaiian blood. Census 2000 counted more than 400,000 — a tenfold increase in the first century of U.S. sovereignty in Hawaii! Census 2010 counted 527,000. Current estimates are there are more than 600,000. So no worry. Ethnic Hawaiians are thriving. There will never be “no Hawaiians.”
But just imagine that someday a horrible virus suddenly emerges that instantly kills every person who has a drop of Hawaiian blood. What a tragedy! But Hawaii would still be here, and there would continue to be life on our lands.
David says “Everything that is dear to my people is either stolen, sold, exploited on the world stage by non-Hawaiians.” David then goes on to talk about “visitors” and how there are some who can be identified as “good” because they have been respectful to Hawaiians and helped them. David seems to think that anyone who lacks Hawaiian blood is merely a “visitor” with no connection to the ‘aina and no right to be here unless welcomed by ethnic Hawaiians. But I know of haole families who have 8 generations born and raised in Hawaii. They are not mere “visitors.” They have the same connection to the ‘aina as you, and are entitled to all the same rights as you. To say otherwise is the very definition of racism — the belief that race alone determines who belongs and who has which rights. Surely that’s not what you meant to say. Was it?
Aloha Kakou,
It was recently reported in the Garden Island that 45% of home and land sales are purchased by off island and foreign buyers. That is an enormous loss of aina and housing for the local people of Kaua’i.
As well it unfavorably raises the real estate cost of owning aina and homes for local people of Kaua’i.
Many countries in the world do not allow foreigners to own land or homes in their country, even if your spouse is from that country.
Often though, a foreigner can own a condo, but only if 51% of the condos in a particular building or condo project, are owned by the local citizens.
That the USA or Hawaii allows foreigners freedom of purchase of our very country, of our island’s most important asset, the aina, a place to live generation after generation, instead of splitting off family generations, is a mistake now being realized.
For Hawaiians, no matter where they are forced to move, they will be foreigners, perhaps even to other Hawaiian Islands where they may have no other family. This applies to the families of the other cultures on Kaua’i. And then they must rely on an airline of their own namesake to pay outrageous airfare to visit back on Kauai for a limited time.
Now how can Kaua’i restrict outsiders from scooping up what’s left of the aina, well restrict the right to a water meter to only those born and raised…maybe giving the born and raised the rights to as many water meters they need that can only go to their downline family born and raised, with restriction on resale of meter or aina. This water meter availability restriction would prevent the huge landowners from subdividing their existing personal “Kingdoms” in the future and selling them to foreigners from anywhere off island.
Just look at all those sugar and pineapple lands kept from the locals back then and now, those thousands upon 1,000’s of acres just waiting to be mowed down and turning Kaua’i Paradise into an Oahu and “paved parking lot”, sung to the tune of “Pave Paradise and Put Up a PARKING LOT”.
Something must be done…We’ll never run out of Developers…some even live amongst us like sinister spies of the future. You might have even elected one or some. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure…!
Interesting opinion. I have a couple of questions though. Who is a “Hawaiian by blood”?. How do you define the term? Is it by percentage of Polynesian blood, length of residence, multi-generational but from different ethnic background like Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, Philippine, Caucasian, or some mixture thereof? Are there any 100% Hawaiian blood people left in the world and didn’t Hawaiians come from other Pacific Islands only recently, in the 1300’s? Are you using the OHA formula or the Federal Gov’t definition, or neither? Same with the term “local” that you use in your letter. What is a local? Anyone who lives here permanently? It is easy to throw around these terms to try and separate yourself from other residents of our Island but what do they really mean? Chances are you have a mixed heritage just like the rest of us.
Sorry for your feelings of loss Mr. Cutcher. You seem so nice and sincere about your feelings, but then there is the reality that you will have to deal with going forward to create as happy a life as possible for you and your family under the circumstances. The reality is that all Countries undergo change based on many factors. Hawaii underwent “change” because it was a precious gem in the Ocean surrounded by huge, aggressive, expanding, and agenda driven, other Countries like Russia, China, Japan, the United States etc. Luckily the United States won the quest to take over Hawaii or you probably would never have been born! Please also note that your ancestor “Hawaiians” who you are referring to are of Tahitian heritage. The same Tahitians who stole Hawaii from the tens of thousands of Marquesan’s from the Marquesas Islands who first discovered and inhabited the Hawaiian Islands. It was they who were the first true “Hawaiians” in the humanity chain. Your Tahitian ancestors committed genocide of the real first Hawaiians and stole the Islands from them. Please read the real History of Hawaii and you might change your perspective of “rightful ownership”. The people of Tahitian Hawaii decent like you, including those with the most Hawaiian Blood, voted for Hawaii to become a State of the United States. The vote was 96% for Statehood, which is the largest majority of Hawaiians on the same page for anything like it! Hawaii is now, and always will be a State of the United States as voted for by the Tahitian Hawaiians back when there were many “Hawaiians” with a 50%, or more, blood quantum. That vote will never change in the decades to come. In reality, the only “Hawaiians” who may have any standing to complain about these facts are those with 50% or more Tahitian Hawaiian Blood, and those people are getting extremely rare. In a few decades they will be completely gone! I sincerely hope you can find comfort and relief from your feelings of Justice and loss. How does it go? “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.” I wish you success and happiness here on Kauai. Good luck and God’s speed.
the “real” history of Hawaii? That depends on whose version you read or hear. How history unfolded might look different from say, a foreign missisonary standpoint, to that of a Pacific Islander- two completely different experiences of the same event(s), and I’m sure many more perceptions in between. The only way to get close to a “real” history, is to understand all perspectives.
Great comment gordon!
1st I would truly like to see if our courts would respect Royal Patents, before the illegal and very present military occupation of Hawaii. Am I proud to be American yes, am I proud to be Hawaiian yes, am I proud of all my other ethnicity’s yes. Would I like a hundred acres of Oahu and other lands in Hawaii that are not in my families possession, yes. A “Patent” can not be sold.
2nd Why do we pay such high and so many taxes, we are the gem, a large majority of world commerce come through Hawaiian Skies and Seas, we should be receiving taxes and not paying them for using our location and fresh water. Other nations do.
3rd The Aina or Land should not be sold to foreigners, a problem in Hawaii and the rest of America. Our forests, coast lines, etc are being sold and so are the rights of the people. “Native” and “Locals” should always come first. We know our times lines and History. If we are not already, we will be the Corporations of America, not States or Nation.
4th Why are so many people afraid to have a Hawaiian Nation, most Ethnicity’s have their own nation. We do not. Why can we not be a Nation within a Nation. Why can we not have a modern Hawaiian Defense Force. Our own Congress. Our own Republic or Constitutional Monarchy? The writer of the Constitution was a friend of our past Monarchy.
5th Federal Monies given to OHA should be made to make more money to fund this new Hawaiian Nation and keep traditions alive. Why do we not own casinos in Nevada? Farms and Ranches. Hotels. Shipping and Airlines. A true “Hawaiian Airlines” and “Hawaiian Shipping.” A real “Hawaiian Bank”
Why keep it in a bank with minimal interest gains. Not one Hawaiian or Kanaka Maoli should ever have to pay for any education or not have a job/career.
6th Kanaka Maloli should be like Saudi Citizens, wealthy, not second class citizens in our own homeland, having to work for “your” powers that may be table scraps. You can apologize and give us a vote, they don’t mean anything unless they are given from the heart with true intentions.
7th Mahalo Ke A’kua everyday!
Your argument sounds very much like white supremacists agitating for an all white America when most “white” folks are mixed and don’t know it. The tide of history is with the victors, right or wrong. I wonder, if these people working for sovereignty would instead put there efforts into the future instead of bemoaning the present and past how much better off we all would be. You cannot change the past only the future.
Wow,insert Foot in Mouth!
The North American continent was once populated by many native tribes. It took centuries but eventually they were replaced by Europeans through conquest.
Western Europeans held most of the continent while Spanish settled in the south and far west. War in Texas won the west for settlers of European desent. And Florida was added by war with Spain.
Fast forward 100 years and Hispanic people move across the border into Texas, California, Florida and Puerto Rico settling in urban locations they call barrios. Some outsiders call them ghettos. In best cases, assimilation occurs. In others, fear leads people to the say newcomers are replacing them and they move away.
Trump’s wall responds well to these fears.
In Europe, fears caused Brexit to create a border closed to unwanted peoples. Right Wing political parties are on the rise in Europe following the surge of immigration by people of different cultures fleeing war, drought and famine.
Today, native Hawaiians wanting to preserve their culture are in an impossible situation. Once statehood was accepted, all citizens of Hawaii are compelled to live by the laws of the country. Most native tribes on the Mainland had signed treaties granting them special rights. No treaty exist here. That is unfortunate and cannot be corrected.
“A “Patent” can not be sold.”
I’m curious where you found that in either Kingdom or Hawaii State law. Can you tell me or are you simply repeating what you’ve heard?
Aloha, why can it not be changed, other places in the world has, other peoples and new countries. Why can we not, you say we are lazy, why not let us show you that we can become a new Nation without violence, they way we were taken over. Why not make a treaty. Why not? Too lazy and greedy, or just don’t care really, so don’t know why we as a people are upset. Especially the educated and poor ones. Kanaka Maoli aka Hawaiians need preparations just like the Jewish people of WWII. Stop being lazy, greedy and uncaring. Wrong people, culture and land to say that too. Mahalo
A land patent is an exclusive land grant made by a sovereign entity with respect to a particular tract of land. To make such a grant “patent”, a sovereign (proprietary landowner) must document the land grant, securely sign and seal the document (patent), and openly publish the documents for the public to see. An official land patent is the highest evidence of right, title, and interest to a defined area. It is usually granted by a central, federal, or state government to an individual or to a private company.