by Nate Yuen | Reading time: 5 minutes

An award ceremony was held at KEY Project in Kahaluʻu on May 27, 2022, for David Henkin, recipient of the William O. Douglas Award for Outstanding Legal Environmentalism. The award is from the National Sierra Club and recognizes those who have made outstanding use of the legal/judicial process to achieve environmental goals, particularly those with national significance. The award honors longtime Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, who was an ardent advocate of environmentalism.

David has deep connections to Windward Oʻahu where many of his kalo farmers clients live. David once lived in the district and was the neighborhood board for Kahaluʻu which met regularly in this facility at KEY Project.

Many community members came early to the event. These ladies are along the fiercest advocates for the ʻāina.

This is the first public event held by the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi since the pandemic. It was good to see lots of people catching up with each other.

Jun Shin and Jonee Peters checked-in guests and gave out name tags.

Great to see Linda Paul from the Audubon Society which has been a partner with the Sierra Club on palila bird litigation.

Lots of people started to arrive at KEY Project at 5 pm.

People from Ko'olaupoko, Ko'olauloa, and other districts of O'ahu came to celebrate. These ladies are mana wahine who organize the community to protect the ʻāina. It was good to see Matt Weyer and his staff who came to celebrate at this joyous event.

Vince Dodge catches up with friends.

Justice Michael Wilson chats with Robert and Reina Harris.

We were honored to have Ernie Lau from the Board of Water Supply. We have much respect for Ernie Lau as he deals with petroleum leaking from the Navy's Red Hill fuel storage tanks into Oʻahu's aquifer.

Pakele Mele played the opening set as the food arrives.

Great to see Kaukaohu Wahilani from Waiʻanae who came to play the closing set after the ceremony.

The food was from Umeke Market. We got plant-based food: kalo stew, coconut curry kalo, mock korean chicken, and brown rice.

Guests stand in line to get delicious vegan Hawaiian food.

Due to the pandemic we all ate outside under the portico and the sky. We were blessed it did not rain.

John Reppun eats and converses with other guests.

We were pleased to see Reese Liggett and Suzan Harada at the event.

Sparky and Vince ate under the portico.

Although the sky was overcast, and sometimes it looked a little dark, it did not rain.

Ernie Lau has dinner with community activists from windward O'ahu

We were blessed to have many guests from Maui: State Representative Angus McKelvey, Clare Apana, and Maui Councilmember Kelly King.

Lots of happy smiling faces waiting for the event to begin.

Last group shot before the ceremony.

Marti Townsend, now with Earthjustice, was master of ceremonies.

Chairs were spread out for social distancing, the glass doors and windows were wide open, and fans were blowing to increase ventilation.

Maui Council Vice Chair Keani Rawlins-Fernandez recites an oli to honor David Henkin.

Keani present the special lei made of pohinahina to David.

She ties the lei - po'o - head lei -- around his head.

Keani gives her warm aloha to David.

The highlight of evening was the speech by Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Justice Michael Wilson.

Justice Wilson explained the significance of the award being named after William O. Douglas -- the most liberal justice ever who was a champion of civil rights and the environment.

State Senator Gil Riviere was all ears as Justice Wilson advised the community to fight back when government misapplies the law and to use the rule of law to further environmental objectives.

As the only justice on the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court to vote against TMT in the contested case hearing for Mauna Kea, Justice Wilson is viewed by many as the "environmental" justice.

Justice Wilson told David that he admires the tenacity of Earthjustice for the positions they take standing up for the ʻāina.

Justice Michael Wilson presents the William O Douglas award to David Henkin for Outstanding Legal Environmentalism.

Lucienne da Naie spoke by Zoom. She is the person who nominated David Henkin for the award. Lucienne shared the ground breaking work of Earthjustice and David Henkin to protect Hawaii's endangered species.

Lance Collins also participated on Zoom and shared his experiences working with David on the Lahaina Waste Water Treatment Plant where the County of Maui was sued for dumping effluent into injection wells that polluted the waters off Lahaina, killing the coral reefs.

Maui Councilmember Kelly King shared background about the Lahaina Wastewater Treatment Plant. Mayor Victorino and the County of Maui had been killing coral reefs off Lahaina decades until the US Supreme Court shut them down.

Sparky Rodrigues and Vince Dodge share their experiences with David Henkin confronting the US Army.

John Reppun shared his experiences working with David Henkin on kalo farming in Waikāne and on when David was chair on the neighborhood board for Kahaluʻu.

Wayne Tanaka shared his experiences working with David Henkin on the Red Hill fuel storage tanks which are leaking and contaminating our aquifer with petroleum.

Wayne explains that the work Earthjustice does with the Sierra Club to protect Oʻahu's drinking water supply is at the heart of what we do.

David Henkin expresses his appreciation for the award and thanks everyone for coming.

Mana wāhine flock to David get their photos taken with him.

The mana kāne do the same.

I had to get in the photo too. Congratulations to David Henkin for a job well done!

A special gift -- a makau -- fish hook -- was given to David Henkin. The hook was made by Kalei Kaaukai.

A length of vintage olonā cordage is encased in the resin of this hook. Kalei Kaaukai and his ʻohana come from a long line of fishermen from Kalapana on Hawaiʻi island. His uncle Alama Kahilihiwa made ʻolona cordage to go hand line fishing for ahi and aku in the 1930's.

Olonā is the strongest natural fiber. Rope made from olonā is incredibly strong and was highly prized. A ball of olonā cordage was handed down to Kalei when his uncle passed on.

Kalei learned about the awards ceremony and was grateful for what David Henkin did for the ʻāina. Kalei gives this makau to David as an expression of his aloha.

These are slides from the Award Ceremony for David Henkin, recipient of the William O. Douglas Award for outstanding legal environmentalism. The William O. Douglas Award recognizes those who have made outstanding use of the legal/judicial process to achieve environmental goals, particularly those with national significance. The award honors longtime Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, who was an ardent advocate of environmentalism.