KAWA, Hawaii– The people of Ka’u are awaiting a court decision on Kawa Bay as Hawaii County attempts to evict the Native Hawaiian group living on the land in order to finalize the purchase of the parcels for open space.
District Court Judge Joseph P. Florendo is expected to deliver a written ruling soon, on motions for summary judgment that were filed in two cases.
Hawaii County and the Edmund Olson Trust are attempting to kick Abel Simeona Lui and his Hawaiian sovereignty supporters off the property in order to facilitate the land purchase, which has already been approved and funded. The county has until June 30 to close on the property or it may lose $2.5 million in state and federal funds.
The county has already purchased a 235-acre parcel in 2008, and is now trying to acquire an additional 550-acres at Kawa.
Uncle Abel has been taking a stand against the sale, saying the lands are under a clouded title, and that his ohana has the allodial rights to the area.
Big Island Video News has been following Abel’s situation, first in 2008 when Lui and his supporters prevented the county from entering the property to survey the land.
Since the Kawa Bay acquisition was approved in 2009, Lui – who has bulit a house on the land – has been demonstrating along the side of Highway 11, with sovereignty signs and flags surrounding the entrance to the popular bay.
FILE VIDEO – Abel Simeona Lui takes a stand at Kawa
|
Get
the Flash Player to see this player. August 2008 – The County of Hawaii, in an attempt to survey property in Kawa`a, is stopped by native subjects of the Hawaiian Kingdom, who say the ‘aina belongs to their families. A standoff ensues between to the governments, and ends peacefully, as the county elects to leave without entering the property. |
|
Get
the Flash Player to see this player. January 2010 – Uncle Abel begins his roadside vigil on Highway 11, fronting the access trail to Kawa Bay. The demonstration would last over a year, and continues to this day. Abel now awaits a court ruling to see if he will face eviction. |
BELOW: Kawa parcel map – courtesy Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Commission
by Big Island Video News
on at
STORY SUMMARY
KAWA, Hawaii– The people of Ka’u are awaiting a court decision on Kawa Bay as Hawaii County attempts to evict the Native Hawaiian group living on the land in order to finalize the purchase of the parcels for open space. District Court Judge Joseph P. Florendo is expected to deliver a written ruling soon, on […]