Hawaiians put county on notice

November 8, 2009 - Hilo, Hawaii
VIDEO: David Corrigan

Native Hawaiians on the Big Island want the county to withdraw its plan to sell vacant lands in Hamakua in order to balance the government budget, and they told county representatives in a tense meeting on Thursday.

About a dozen leaders and activist in the Hawaiian community met with the county's deputy corporation counsel, Gerald Takase, property manager Kenneth VanBergen and Title Guaranty Co. researcher Colleen Uahinui - face to face - in the county council chambers in Hilo to discuss the matter.

The Native Hawaiians have raised their voice in opposition to the land sale, claiming the land that was acquired by the county after Hamakua Sugar Co. went bankrupt has a clouded title. As the Hawaii County Council debated authorizing the sale over the course of many weeks, the Hawaiians - some of direct lineage to King Kamehameha III - have been objecting.

Thursday's meeting was at the urging of some councilmembers who believe the claims of the Hawaiians, regardless of the validity, will halt the sale, creating a budget deficit for the fiscal year.

The meeting, primarily moderated by activist Shelley Stephens, gave the Native Hawaiians a chance to literally sit at the table with the county, and present their documents that they say prove their case.

At many points in the meeting, tensions rose as the groups disagreed over the interpretations of history. At one point, an impassioned Noelani Mason did as her "tutu told her" and danced a defiant hula on the very table where the two sides met.

Takase tried to stress to the Native Hawaiians that the decision to go forward or withdraw the plans to sell the land were not his to make.

The Hawaii County Council will again consider authorizing the land sale in the coming weeks.