On September 10, 2015, President Kīwaha submitted an OFFICIAL LETTER TO DLNR (Department of Land and natural Resources) Director Suzanne Case, and Deputy Director Kekoa Kaluhiwa, in opposition to the continued and unlawful arrests at Maunakea of peaceful Aloha ʻĀina activists who are standing in opposition to the further desecration of the mauna through the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope. The letter also expresses the opposition of the Foundation to the enforcement of “emergency” rules in violation of Article XII of the Hawaiʻi State Constitution.

Article XII of the State Constitution (1978), states, “The State reaffirms and shall protect all rights, customarily and traditionally exercised for subsistence, cultural and religious purposes and possessed by ahupuaʻa tenants who are descendants of native Hawaiians who inhabited the Hawaiian islands prior to 1778, subject to the right of the States to regulate such rights.”

“While the State has the authority to ‘…regulate such rights…'”, writes the President, “…it certainly does not have the authority to create and establish rules which eliminate the practice of cultural and religious customs – especially on Mauna Kea, which has historically been, and continues to be, a sacred site for the native Hawaiian people.”

He continues, “To enforce such rules, and arrest peaceful activists who are exercising Constitutionally-protected rights, is HEWA LOA. It is wrongful on the part of the State and the Department of Land and Natural Resources.”

The Foundation, while being unable to provide assistance to those arrested and other affected individuals, continues to advocate that the State of Hawaiʻi and DLNR end the enforcement of, and abolish, the “emergency” rules now in place atop Maunakea; and, to refrain from seeking criminal charges against those who were exercising their Constitutionally-protected rights.

Copies of the letter were forwarded to state Senator Josh Green, and state Representatives Nicole Lowen and Richard Creagan. To view a copy of the letter, click the link above.

HŌNAUNAU, HAWAIʻI – On April 8, 2015, the Rev. Wryen K. C. Kīwaha, President and CEO of the Kealamākia Foundation, submitted an OFFICIAL LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER of Canada, the Right Honorable Stephen J. Harper, in opposition to the unlawful $1.4 billion construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope at Maunakea. Currently the government of Canada, headed by Prime Minister Harper, is formulating a budget for consideration by the House of Commons; which as of today, according to the PM’s office, will include significant funding for the Thirty Meter Telescope. The President’s letter includes references to the commitment of the Canadian government for the preservation of Canada’s beauty and natural resources, as well as its commitment to the peoples of the First Nations, as an understanding he hopes will guide the PM towards reconsidering Canada’s involvement.

In a statement released an hour ago (4/8/15, 10:30 AM HST), President Kīwaha said:

The letter to the Prime Minister was drafted yesterday and sent this morning. It is truly disappointing, however, that two hours ago, the Prime Minister announced that the budget of Her Majesty’s Government will include funding for the Thirty Meter Telescope. I am, however, optimistic that the letter will be received by the Prime Minister before the House of Commons meets to decide on the budget.

Because of the question of the continuity of the Hawaiian Kingdom and the prolonged and illegal occupation of a sovereign state by the United States government, the construction of the TMT is illegal and a violation of international law. As such, Canada now becomes a party to these violations through its support of the TMT.

The involvement of the Foundation should not be construed as being political. Instead, it is because of our commitment to education – in particular, Hawaiian culture, language, and history – that the Foundation is taking these small steps to support the protest of the unlawful construction of the TMT. Preserving Maunakea and other significant sites throughout the Hawaiian Islands for future generations is a priority for our Foundation.

A copy of the letter is provided in the link above.

UPDATE: The President has submitted a letter to the office of Mayor William P. Kenoi; but, has ordered that the contents of the letter be filed and sealed until further notice. A copy will therefore not be provided for public viewing.

HŌNAUNAU, HAWAIʻI – In the recent media debacle concerning the Hawaiʻi County Fire Department, the President of the Kealamākia Foundation wrote and sent an official Letter to the Fire Commission of Hawaiʻi County seeking truthful answers about the letter of no-confidence against current Fire Chief Darren J. Rosario; as well as the suspension of battalion chiefs Steve Loyola and Ty Medeiros of West Hawaiʻi as a result. News about the letter and the subsequent suspension and investigation broke to the public in a report by Hawaiʻi News Now.

It seems to us that the move by the Fire Chief to suspend these two veterans of the department and initiate an investigation was not done out of a sincere desire for answers as to the legality of their actions,” said Wryen Kīwaha, the Foundation’s co-founder, President, and ex-officio Trustee. “…but, rather as an act of retaliation.”

In a statement, the President said, “My concern is not so much about the criticisms brought forward by the battalion chiefs against Chief Rosario. My concern was that, rather than call for an investigation themselves and allow Mr. Loyola and Mr. Medeiros to present their case, the Fire Commission dismissed it as an internal matter where they had no control. Is the Fire Chief not accountable to the Commission? And, if there are criticisms against him, shouldn’t the Commission hear them to ensure that their appointee is doing his job effectively?”

There was also some concern as to whether or not it would be appropriate for the Foundation to submit an official letter in regards to an internal matter within the Fire Department – a government agency. In weighing the concerns, the President proceeded with the drafting of the letter.

In the letter, the President explains, “One of the primary objectives of this Foundation is to advocate for the health, safety and overall well-being of our children; and, if at any time we believe that such health and safety is being threatened, we must stand up and speak out. It is not the intention of the Foundation to involve ourselves in the internal affairs of the fire department; nor, to give an implication that the accusations brought forward are true. We are, however, with public safety in mind, seeking that the Commission take the necessary steps to immediately address this matter. If their is any wrongdoing, it must be stopped.”

In closing, the President adds, “We join together with all those throughout this State and County who are simply seeking truthful answers about this matter. We understand that you are commissioners are prohibited under the law to provide information as to the investigation; but, we certainly deserve better answers than those which we have been getting thus far.”

The President encourages members of the public and other organizations to join in a letter-writing campaign to the Fire Commission seeking answers in regards to this matter and to have the Commission initiate an investigation. “Whether or not there is merit to what Mr. Loyola and Mr. Medeiros are saying – and, I am not taking sides – the Commission needs to do its job and formally initiate an investigation by an independent and impartial party into this matter. An investigation initiated by the Fire Chief on a matter that involves himself cannot be independent and impartial. The result will always be biased.”

To read the full letter, click on the link provided about. The letter is in PDF format.