We Stand with Kamehameha Schools
The international and local communities have long recognized that colonialism - the displacement of indigenous peoples for the extractive exploitation of their land and resources - has been a major if not primary driver of climate destabilization. Accordingly, the restoration of indigenous rights to self-determination and the healing of the unique and particular harms perpetrated against native communities - including Kānaka ʻŌiwi in Hawaiʻi - may be our best, and last, chance to create a livable, hopeful future for ourselves and our keiki, and the future generations who will call these islands home.
Unfortunately, the opposite is now happening. We are witnessing flagrant attacks on indigenous communities everywhere, from the federal defunding of Native Hawaiian and Native American education grants and programs; to the continued destruction and desecration of indigenous lands and cultural sites for corporate and military exploitation, here and across the continent; to now, a Virginian organization launching an attack on Kamehameha Schools’ admissions policy and overall mission, to use education as a means to reverse the generational burdens borne by the descendants of those who were specifically and unjustly stripped of their lands, government, cultural practices, and very ways of life, by the same interests that are now killing our islands, and our planet.
We cannot, must not, stand idly by, as an organization 5,000 miles away tries to tear down a cornerstone of restorative justice for Kānaka ʻŌiwi and by extension, the future wellbeing of all of our children.
To be very clear: this attack on Kamehameha Schools is not only a shameless perpetuation of historic injustices that plague our islands to this day, but it is an attack on all who love and call Hawaiʻi home. The legacy of Ke Aliʻi Pauahi not only provides schools and scholarships that help to create a much more enriched, enlightened, and just society as a whole, but also invests significantly in ʻāina stewardship, watershed protection, sustainable food systems, renewable energy initiatives, and cultural programs that strengthen Hawaiʻi overall - and that are key to creating a sustainable, resilient, and hopeful future for us all, Hawaiian or otherwise.
We can and must stand against this uncalled-for attack on our environmental and cultural integrity, our social fabric, and the Hawaiʻi our children and their children will inherit.
Here’s how you can help stand up for justice, for Hawaiʻi, and for our future:
1. Sign Kamehameha Schools’ petition: www.ksbe.edu/ola-pauahi
2. Spread the word: Share this petition and your reasons for signing your name with your friends and networks.
3. Stay tuned: Follow @kamehamehaschools and @mahalopauahi on Instagram for updates and further action alerts as this situation develops.
In these extremely uncertain times, every voice, every share, every signature matters - mahalo nui for standing with us, and for all that you’ve done and do for our Hawaiʻi nei.