(BIVN) – Draft rules proposed for University of Hawaiʻi managed lands on Mauna Kea are “based on imagination”, according to Iokepa Kaeo, and were slammed during a public hearing held in Hilo on Tuesday evening.

The proposed rules would govern public and commercial activity on UH-managed lands on Mauna Kea. But Kaeo, as a leader with the Beneficiary Trust Council that is active in Hawaiian Home Lands issues, has a different proposal for the rules.

“We have our own proposed change rules,” Kaeo said. “The university needs to owe money to all the beneficiaries who go to college and complete in good faith.”

Kaeo, who helped organize the Kanaka Ranger program that operates on Hawaiian Home Lands along the side of the Mauna Kea Access Road, testified:

These rules are coming out to incriminate the beneficiaries who seem to not have any access [to the mountain].

We only have one question. If the Mauna Kea parcel – the big circle and the TMT and all those other telescopes are in the middle – how do they get access? Whose parcel is that? Whose land does that belong to? That is the question. Who does those lands belong to?

Because you’re gonna call it crown, you’re gonna call it ceeded. But that belongs right in the Admissions Act of 1959. And it describes to you guys the process. And the process is very quite clear. And I want you guys to read it. I want you guys to understand and comprehend it and not just play these facade. Because there’s people dying, there’s casualties every day.

My auntie is still waiting for a grave site and there’s more people that are passing away. To restrict access would be impossible. To have 10 of my family members who will come and hana, come and gather, or do whatever they need spiritually – you guys are not allowed to monitor and regulate those things. These things come from our kupuna and Ke Akua.

And this is not a direct shot at any department, because everybody has failed. And if everybody has failed, then we all shall work together to make this succeed. But the kanaka must lead the way. Mahalo.

Big Island Video News will be uploading the entire video of the hearing.