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Waimea, Hawaiʻi Mokupuni — Ua noho ʻo Diane Kanealiʻi ma ka ʻāina hoʻopulapula o Kawaihae no nā makahiki he 20 a ʻoi, a i loko nō o kona makemake i kekahi māla ma kona ʻāina no ka hoʻonaninani ʻana i ia ʻāina a me ka mahi ʻana i kāna meaʻai, ʻaʻole lawa ke kālā. Liʻiliʻi ka helu o nā hoa noho i hiki ke hana pēlā — ʻo ka māla ka mea nāna e hoʻonui aʻe ana i ka pila wai i pipiʻi ʻē. 

ʻO nā kamaʻāina o ka māhele ʻāina ʻo Kailapa, e laʻa ʻo Kanealiʻi, ka mea nāna i lawelawe ma ke ʻano he pelekikena a he luna hoʻokō ma ke Kailapa Community Association, ua pono iā lākou ke kāohi i ko lākou hoʻohana ʻana i ka wai ma muli o nā kumukūʻai pipiʻi loa. 

He kaumaha nō ia i kuhi ʻē ʻole ʻia ma ka wā i hāʻawi ʻia ai ka ʻāina e ke Keʻena ʻĀina Hoʻopulapula Hawaiʻi, ka ʻāina hoʻi ma ka ʻaoʻao ʻākau o Kailua-Kona. Hoʻonui ʻia ke kaumaha ma kekahi mokuʻāina he pae ʻāina i hāiki ai ka lako wai. 

“Ola kākou i ka wai,” wahi a Kanealiʻi. “Ma ka nohona Hawaiʻi, he pono ka wai.” 

Ua noke mau nā kānaka noho ʻāina hoʻopulapula iā DHHL e hoʻokō i kā ia ala hoʻohiki ʻana e hoʻolako i ka wai no nā Kānaka Maoli i hoʻokahu ʻia. ʻAʻole lākou mehameha i kēia pilikia wai ma nā ʻāina hoʻopulapula ʻē aʻe. 

“ʻO ka hapanui o nā ʻāina i hoʻokaʻawale ʻia no ke keʻena, he maloʻo loa a he mamao loa,” wahi a Jonathan Likeke Scheuer, he loea kānāwai wai Hawaiʻi a he hoa kūkā o DHHL. “No laila, ʻo nā ālaina ma ka hoʻolako wai ʻana ma nā ʻāina hoʻopulapula, a me ka hoʻopaʻa ʻana i ke kumukūʻai kūpono ma ia mau ʻāina, he pilikia laha loa nō ia ma ka hapanui o nā ʻāina o DHHL a puni ka pae ʻāina.” 

ʻO ka Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, ka mea i hoʻoholo ʻia me he kānāwai pekelala ma ka makahiki 1921, na ia kānāwai i haku mai i ka polokalamu home hoʻopulapula i mea e loaʻa ai ka ʻāina i nā Kānaka Maoli. Eia naʻe, ua hoʻohalahala ʻia ʻo DHHL no kona ʻāpono wale ʻana i ke kali ʻana o nā Kānaka he 29,000 a ʻoi ma kekahi papa helu inoa no ka ʻāina hoʻopulapula, a ʻo ka hala akula nō ia o nā kānaka he nui ma mua o ka loaʻa ʻana mai o ia ʻāina iā lākou. 

ʻO ke kumu o ka ʻūlolohi ʻana, ʻo ia nō paha ke kūpono ʻole o ka hapanui o nā ʻāina i ke kūkulu hale ʻana. Ma ka makahiki 2019, ma nā ʻeka ʻāina o DHHL he 65,000 a ʻoi, ua nele loa ka ʻōnaepuni kūpono ʻole e pono ai ke kūkulu ʻana, e laʻa nā alanui a me nā alawai. 

I kēlā makahiki aku nei, ua ʻaelike pū nā kau kānāwai o ka mokuʻāina a me ke kiaʻāina e hoʻokaʻawale i $600 miliona kālā ma kekahi wā he 20 makahiki no ka hoʻomohala ʻana i nā ʻāina hoʻopulapula Hawaiʻi a me ka hoʻolako ʻana i nā hale no nā mea i hoʻokahu ʻia. 

Nele I Ka ʻŌnaepuni ʻOle

E hoʻohana ʻia aku ana kekahi māhele o ka nui kālā no ka loaʻa ʻana o ka ʻāina no ka hoʻomohala ʻana i ke kumu wai, wahi a ka hoʻolālā hoʻokō a DHHL. Mākaukau loa nā kānaka noho ʻāina hoʻopulapula i kēia mau hana hoʻolako wai. 

“ʻO nā kānaka e noho nei ma ke kaiāulu (o Kailapa), ʻo lākou nō ka mea e hoʻopilikia ʻia nei e ke kumukūʻai pipiʻi i kēlā me kēia lā,” wahi a Likeke Scheuer i ʻōlelo mai ai. “He hopena nui nō ia.” 

Ma ka makahiki 1997, ua ʻaelike pū ʻo DHHL me Kohala Ranch Water Co. e hoʻolako i ka wai no nā home he 196 ma ka māhele ʻāina ʻo Kailapa. Lawelawe hoʻi ka hui hana i nā kānaka ʻē aʻe he mau haneli, e laʻa nā kaiāulu waiwai noho kapakai ʻo Kohala by the Sea a me Kohala Waterfront. 

ʻO ke kumukūʻai a ka hui wai e kāki aku nei ma kēlā me kēia mahina, ʻoi aku ka nui o kona pipiʻi he pāono ma mua o ke kumukūʻai a ke Kalana o Hawaiʻi, ka mea nāna e hoʻomaka ma $1.25 kālā no kēlā me kēia mau kālani he 1,000. Ua kāki ʻo Kohala Ranch he $8.58 kālā no kelā me kēia mau kālani he 1,000 i kēlā mahina aku nei, wahi a Bill Moore, ka hope pelekikena o ka hui, akā, ʻo ka helu kikoʻī, aia nō i ke ʻano o nā kumukūʻai i pili i ka hana lawelawe ʻana. 

Uku ke kanaka maʻamau ma Hawaiʻi i $171.32 kālā no ka wai no ʻelua mau mahina, ʻo ia nō ka wā pila maʻamau, wahi a ko Hawaiʻi Keʻena Kumu Wai. Nui nā kamaʻāina ma Kailapa nāna e uku nei i ke kālā he $300 a ʻoi i kēlā me kēia wā pila. 

Hoʻokonukonu ʻia ka helu uku a Kohala Ranch Water Co. e ko ka mokuʻāina Komikina Mikaō Lehulehu, a na ia helu e hōʻike leʻa i ke kumukūʻai maoli o ka hoʻolako wai ʻana i nā kānaka kūʻai, wahi a Moore a me DHHL. 

Hoʻonui ʻia naʻe ke kumukūʻai ma muli o ka pauma ʻana i ka wai a me ka uku ʻana i pili i ka ʻōnaepuni. 

Ma kinohi o kēia mahina nei, ua koi aku ʻo DHHL i nā kamaʻāina ma Kailapa e kāohi i ka hoʻohana wai ma hope o ka pani ʻia ʻana o ʻelua mau lua wai e mālama ʻia e Kohala Ranch ma muli o kekahi pilikia uila ma ka hale hoʻoholo pauma. 

Ua kāpae ʻia ka hoʻolaha kāohi wai ma hope o ka hala ʻana o ʻelua lā, wahi a Hawaiʻi News Now. 

Hoʻopilikia kēia mau hihia wai i nā kānaka noho ʻāina hoʻopulapula a me ke kaiāulu holoʻokoʻa. Ua kāpae ka papa luna o ke Kailapa Community Association i nā mea kanu a puni ke kikowaena kaiāulu, no ka mea, ua pipiʻi loa ka mālama ʻana i ia mau mea kanu, wahi a Kanealiʻi. 

ʻO ka manaʻo o ka inoa ʻo Kawaihae, he wai i pili i ka hae ʻana, a ua kapa ʻia kēia ʻāina i ua inoa nei ma muli o kekahi hihia kahiko i pili i ke kiʻi wai ʻana ma kēia ʻāina maloʻo. 

Ua ʻimi pinepine ʻo DHHL i ka hoʻolako wai ʻana mai ke kalana mai no nā kānaka ma Kailapa, akā, ʻaʻole holo ka ʻōnaehana wai i laila. Kuhi ʻo Likeke Scheuer, he “mau miliona kālā” ke kumukūʻai o ka hoʻolaulā ʻana i nā ala wai o ke kalana i kēlā ʻāina hoʻopulapula. 

Nā Hemahema Kūkulu Hale

Ua pilikia hoʻi ʻo DHHL i nā hihia wai i pili i ka ʻōnaehana wai o ke kalana ma ke kūkulu ʻana i nā hale hou. 

I 35 mile aku ma ka ʻaoʻao hema o Kailapa, aia nā kamaʻāina ma Laʻi ʻŌpua Village 4, kahi i kūkulu ʻia ai kona māhele mua ma ka makahiki 2021, a loaʻa mai i ia mau kamaʻāina nā pila wai pipiʻi loa ma hope o ko lākou neʻe ʻana i laila, akā, ʻokoʻa ko lākou kumu, a ʻokoʻa ko Kawaihae kumu. 

ʻO kēia kauhale, he māhele ia o kekahi kaiāulu nui e laha aʻe ana ma nā ʻeka he 1,000, a ua pili ia kauhale me ko ke kalana ʻōnaehana wai, no laila, kāki ʻia nā kamaʻāina ma ka helu wai a ke kalana e koho aku ai. Eia naʻe, ua ʻōlelo maila kekahi o nā mea hoʻolimalima, ua pūʻiwa nō lākou i ka ʻike ʻana, no lākou kā ke kuleana no ka uku ʻana no ka hana wai ʻana ma kekahi māhele ʻāina nui, ka “wahi lehulehu,” a ʻaʻole nō paha lākou makemake i kēlā ʻāina. Manaʻo kekahi mau kānaka ʻē aʻe, pono ke uku ʻia ke kumukūʻai e ka hui kūkulu hale a i ʻole ʻo DHHL. 

“He hemahema ko ka hoʻolālā no ke kālai a me ka hoʻonaninani ʻāina ʻana, wahi a Craig “Bo” Kahui, ka luna hoʻokō o ka Laʻi ʻŌpua Community Development Corp. a he kamaʻāina no Village 3. 

ʻOkoʻa kēlā me kēia nui kālā i kāki ʻia i nā hale like ʻole. 

“ʻAʻole kūpono iki kēia pipiʻi o ka pila wai iā haʻi,” wahi a Laura Tina, he kamaʻāina no Village 4 i loaʻa ai nā pila e kāki ʻia ai ke kālā he $400 a ʻoi. 

Ma kekahi hālāwai o DHHL ma Mei, ua hōʻike leʻa ʻo Makai Freitas, ke Komikina Home Hawaiʻi ma Hawaiʻi Komohana, “ua ʻike nō ke keʻena i nā pila he $2,000 i kēlā me kēia mahina,” a ua kuhi ʻo ia i kekahi ʻōlelo hōʻike i pili i kekahi home kikoʻī ma ka puʻu, a “ke hoʻāʻo nei ia keʻena e hoʻoponopono i kēia hihia.” 

E like ʻole me nā papahana ʻē aʻe a DHHL, ʻo ia hoʻi nā mea e hoʻolimalima ʻia ai ka ʻāina no $1 kālā no 99 mau makahiki, koi ʻia naʻe nā kānaka ma Village 4 e hoʻolimalima i ko lākou ʻāina ponoʻī no 15 mau makahaiki, a laila, hiki iā lākou ke kūʻai mai i ia ʻāina ma hope. 

Koi ʻia nā kānaka mākaukau e loaʻa mai ke kālā he 30% a 60% o ka loaʻa makahiki kūwaena o kēlā ʻāina, a ua hoʻokaʻawale kikoʻī ʻia kekahi o nā hale no nā kānaka me ka loaʻa makahiki ma lalo o ia 30%, ʻo ia hoʻi, inā makemake kekahi ʻohana me ʻehā mau kānaka e noho ma laila, koi ʻia lākou e loaʻa mai ka loaʻa makahiki he $24,990 a emi aku iā lākou. 

Ka ʻImi Haʻina ʻAna

He hoʻopūʻiwa ke kumukūʻai pipiʻi o ka wai, wahi a Doug Bigley, ke alakaʻi a me ka pelekikena o Ikaika ʻOhana, ka hui kūkulu hale kumukūʻai kūpono nāna e mālama nei iā Village 4. 

“ʻAʻole nui ko mākou noʻonoʻo ʻana, a pēlā pū me DHHL, no laila, ʻaʻole i mahuʻi ʻia ia kumukūʻai e ke kanaka nāna i koho i kekahi home,” wahi a Bigley. “ʻAʻole nō paha i noʻonoʻo ʻia e haʻi.” 

I kēlā makahiki aku nei, ua noi ʻo Kahui i kekahi hōʻoia i kēlā māhele ʻāina. Ua hōʻike ʻia, ua pilikia nā home he 61 i kēia hihia ma ke kauhale, e laʻa nā home he 17 iā luna o kekahi puʻu, wahi a Wes Mountz, ka luna hana o West Side Hawaii Irrigation and Landscape, ka mea nāna i hoʻoholo i ka hōʻoia. 

Ua hoʻēmi aku ʻo Ikaika ʻOhana i ka hoʻonaninani hale ʻana ma nā home noho puʻu he 17, a ua hoʻokomo ʻia nā ala kulu ma laila ma ke ʻano he hoʻoponopono kūikawā, wahi a Bigley. Ua emi nā pila wai o nā kamaʻāina he nui, akā, ʻaʻohe loli o nā home ʻē aʻe he 44 i nānā ʻia ma ka hōʻoia. Wahi a Likeke Scheuer, ke hana pū nei ʻo DHHL a me Ikaika ʻOhana no ke kāpae ʻana i nā wahi lehulehu ma ke kuleana o nā mea hoʻolimalima. 

“ʻAʻole au ʻike lihi i ke kumu o ko DHHL hoʻokoʻikoʻi ʻole ʻana i ka wai ma kinohi,” wahi a Kahui. 

Ke hoʻāʻo nei ʻo DHHL e hōʻoi i ka hoʻolako wai ʻana ma ka ʻaoʻao Kona o Hawaiʻi Mokupuni, e laʻa kekahi hoʻolālā no ke kūʻai ʻana i kekahi luawai i loaʻa i ke Kula ʻo Kamehameha. Eia naʻe, ua lohi loa ka holo ʻana o ia hana. 

“Loaʻa Ka ʻĀina, Loaʻa ʻOle Ka Wai”

Ma Molokaʻi, ua hāʻawi ʻia nā māhele ʻāina i kekahi mau Kānaka Maoli, akā, ʻaʻole hiki iā lākou ke hoʻohana a neʻe i ua mau māhele ʻāina nei ma muli o ka nele ʻana i ka ōnaehana ʻole a me ka wai ʻole. Ma ʻApelila e haku ana ʻo DHHL i kekahi hoʻolālā no ka hoʻomohala ʻana i ka ʻāina no nā mea i hoʻokahu ʻia ma Nāʻiwa. 

“He minamina nō kēia, no ka mea, loaʻa ka ʻāina, akā, loaʻa ʻole ka wai,” wahi a Glenn Teves, he limahana kalana kaiāulu no Molokaʻi ma lalo o ke College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources ma ke Kulanui o Hawaiʻi, a he kanaka noho ʻāina hoʻopulapula ma Molokaʻi. 

Ma Novemapa i ka makahiki 2020, ua hoʻomaka aku ʻo DHHL i kekahi papahana hōʻoi he $35 miliona no ka ʻŌnaehana Wai ma Hoʻolehua ma Molokaʻi, ka mea nāna e lawelawe nei i nā home he 500. Ua haku ʻia ia papahana ma ka makahiki 2007, a ua hala nā makahiki he 12 ma mua o kona hoʻomaka ʻia ʻana. 

“He paʻakikī nō ka hoʻokō ʻana i nā mea i hoʻohiki ʻia ma ka Hawaiian Homes Commission Act,” wahi a Likeke Scheuer.

Ua kākoʻo ʻia kēia papahana e ka ʻOhana o Harry Nathaniel, Levani Lipton, ka ʻOhana Mar, a me Lisa Kleissner.