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 The Struggle to Bring Kaho`olawe Home... Efforts to return the island to the people of Hawai`i started as soon as it was taken for military purposes in 1941. For the last 18 years, the Protect Kaho`olawe `Ohana led the Native Hawaiian and general public protest to end the bombing and return the island. Beginning in 1976 the `Ohana carried out a series of occupations of the island which brought national attention to the movement. These occupations led to arrests and in some cases imprisonment or barring of the protesters from returning to Kaho`olawe.
In 1976 the `Ohana also filed a federal civil suit which sought compliance with environmental, historic site, and religious freedom protection laws. In 1980, the `Ohana partially settled this suit with a Consent Decree which provided for access to the island for religious, cultural, educational, and scientific activities. In 1981 the entire island was included on the National Register of Historic Places. Under the Consent Decree, the `Ohana has taken over 5000 visitors to Kaho`olawe. Ancestral shrines, temples, and places have been rededicated and religious ceremonies conducted, hiking trails cleared, and cultural-use areas established. The U.S. Navy has cleared 10,000 acres of surface ordnance and eradicated the goats. Soil conservation and revegetation programs are helping to restore and revive the environment of Kaho`olawe.
 The Bombing Stops... On October 22, 1990, President George Bush directed the Secretary of Defense to discontinue use of the island for bombing and target practice. In November 1990 Congress established the Kaho`olawe Island Conveyance Commission to identify the terms and conditions for the return of Kaho`olawe to the State of Hawai`i. From December 1990 through July 1993, the Commission conducted public hearings and cultural, environmental, and ordnance studies to develop recommendations for the future of the island. The findings of the Commission confirmed what the kupuna and the `Ohana had steadfastly believed: Kaho`olawe is a significant and sacred island, a pu`uhonua and wahi pana.
The Return... Based upon the final recommendations of the Conveyance Commission, Congress voted in November 1993 to permanently stop all military training and bombing of Kaho`olawe and return title of the island to the State of Hawai`i. Congress also authorized funding for the cleanup and restoration of the island's cultural and natural resources over the next ten years, under conditions of a special Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Navy and the State of Hawai`i. On May 7, 1994, we mark the signing of the deed returning Kaho`olawe to the people of Hawai`i. The island will serve as a cultural reserve and will be held in trust for the sovereign native Hawaiian entity when it is reestablished and recognized by the state and federal governments.
The Kaho`olawe Island Reserve... In 1993 the Hawai`i State Legislature established the Kaho`olawe Island Reserve consisting of Kaho`olawe and the ocean waters extending two miles from the island. The new law provides that the Kaho`olawe and the 0cean waters extending two miles from the island. The new law provides that the Kaho`olawe Island Reserve shall be used solely and exclusively and reserved in perpetuity for the preservation and practice of all right customarily and traditionally exercised by native Hawaiians for cultural, spiritual, and subsistence purposes; for the preservation and protection of the Reserve's archaeological, historical, and environmental resources; for rehabilitation, revegetation, habitat restoration, and preservation; and for education. Commercial uses are strictly prohibited in the Reserve. Rules and regulations to manage the island Reserve and govern all access and activities on the island will be developed by the seven-member Kaho`olawe Island Reserve Commission.
Cleanup and Restoration... An extraordinary cleanup and restoration effort will be undertaken over the next ten years. Congress has authorized $400 million to clean the island and restore its cultural and natural resources. The entire island will be cleared of surface ordnance to be reasonably safe for human access. Selected areas will be cleared for specific uses including revegetation with the native species, trails and roads, cultural sites, camping areas, and educational facilities. The island and its surrounding waters will remain dangerous until the cleanup is completed; therefore access will continue to be restricted.
Cultural Use... There are few places left in today's Hawai`i where one may go to learn about being Hawaiian; Kaho`olawe is such a place. In working for the return of Kaho`olawe, many of the current generations rediscovered what it means to be Hawaiian. Restoring the island will provide a place and purpose for a new generation of Hawaiians to be trained in the rights and responsibilities of "kahu o ka `aina," or stewards of the land. It will provide a place for the Hawaiian and those who wish to be more Hawaiian to experience the intimate connection to the land, the sea, the kupuna, and the akua. Hawaiian arts and sciences such as traditional navigation will be taught to a new generation. Thus Kaho`olawe, as envisioned in the motto "Kukulu Ke ea a Kanaloa," will be a cultural learning center where traditional cultural and spiritual customs, beliefs, and practices of the Hawaiian people can be freely practiced and flourish. "E Kaho`olawe, E ho`omalamalama hou and ka mauli ola kohemalamalama" means "Kaho`olawe, the Native Hawaiian lifestyle will again shine forth and flourish at Kohemalamalama.
Public Participation... The Kaho`olawe Island Reserve Commission, through the development of rules, a land-use plan, and cultural/educational programs, will provide opportunities to the public to participate in restoration activities and to visit the island.
This information and pictures is provided to you by the Protect Kaho`olawe `Ohana. Please visit the Protect Kaho`olawe `Ohana website at http://www.kahoolawe.org.
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