Page 3 - MidWeek Windward - July 13, 2022

JULY 13, 2022 3
Leaders Emphasize Need To Have Respect For Ahu A Laka
BY DON ROBBINS
ture generations of Hawai‘i.” He adds that in 2006, he presented a genealogy of 45 generations of history from
Windward state Rep. Lisa Kitagawa states, “I joined community leaders and oth- er elected officials in a news conference that shared the need for respect this week- end—andatalltimes—for those visiting Ahu a Laka, as well as concerns regarding the desecration and commercial- ization that is happening at the sandbar and in the bay.”
In anticipation of the long Fourth of July weekend, com- munity leaders and groups gathered June 30 for a press conference at He‘eia Pier to raise awareness on the cultur- al significance of Ahu a Laka — also known as Kāne‘ohe Sandbar. They discussed the importance of respecting and protecting it as a sacred place.
the surrounding area.
“You have unlicensed, ille-
Participants at the event asked Hawai‘i residents, gov- ernment leaders, visitors and military personnel to pledge to protect Ahu a Laka.
“It is a place of honor and respect. It is a place to go for ceremony and worship. It is also a place for families and family-oriented activities,” he shares.
She adds that for more than a decade, alcohol has been prohibited at Ahu a Laka during summertime three-day holiday weekends, and that the rule was instituted after a man died there during a fight in 2011 and subsequent near-riots fueled by alcohol.
Kumu hula Kawaikapuokalani Hewett (center) and other community leaders participate in a June 30 press conference about Ahu a Laka. PHOTO COURTESY KAWAIKAPUOKALANI HEWETT
Kāne‘ohe resident and kumu hula Kawaikapuoka- lani Hewett says, “The entire community has responsibility to work together to take care not only of Ahu a Laka but the natural resources for the fu-
“There is illegal alcohol, illegal parties, illegal gather- ings and, again, this should not be happening. The state and the Department of Land and Natural Resources needs to take a more active role ev- ery day.”
Windward state Sen. Jar- rett Keohokalole, meanwhile, states, “The statement from the community is that we want
people to be respectful and obey the law out on the bay. In the past, large unauthorized events by illegal tour promot- ers on these holiday weekends have trashed the bay. People
leave thousands of pieces of rubbish, bottles, cans and in- flatables to drift across the bay with no thought of cleaning up after themselves ... if you intend to make money off the
bay by bringing people out in violation of the law, you will be penalized because it needs to stop.”
gal business conducted at Ahu a Laka. Thousands of people are going there,” Hewett adds, causing harm to the natural environment.
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