HONOLULU — One by one, about a dozen stones from Kahoolawe Island were handed over to be placed upon a sacred, hand-built Hawaiian rock altar on the grounds of Iolani Palace here.
Placement of the stones with those from other Hawaiian islands — symbolizing the notion that Kahoolawe is returning to Hawaii — began an emotional and historic day Wednesday as the U.S. Navy ceremonially gave the island back to the state.
Les Kuloloio, a native elder who took part in some of the first protests to get the military out of Kahoolawe in the 1970s, wiped tears from his eyes as he handed over stones for placement on the altar, known as an ahu.
"Hawaii is for native Hawaiians," Kuloloio said. "It’s very simple, there’s no confusion about it — native Hawaiians have a birthright here."
Under federal law passed in 1993, control of the island officially reverted to Hawaii on Tuesday, but the formal ceremonies were pushed back a day to avoid a conflict with Veterans Day events.
The Navy took control of Kahoolawe after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. The 45-square-mile island southwest of Maui was used as a target and training area until 1990, when President George H.W. Bush ordered a halt after years of protests and lawsuits by Hawaiians. Congress later agreed to clean up the land and return it to local control.
Kahoolawe is sacred to native Hawaiians, who feel the island connects them to their ancestors. The island will be set aside for cultural, educational and archaeological activities, with no commercial development allowed.
Navy commanders presented Gov. Linda Lingle and Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona with American and Hawaiian flags that recently flew at the Navy’s base camp on Kahoolawe.
"It’s a very emotional day," Lingle told a crowd of about 300.
Some cultural groups carried signs decrying the continued military presence in the state, and some Hawaiian elders heckled Navy officials. Environmental and cultural groups have long fought the military over Kahoolawe and other training sites.
On Kahoolawe, despite a 10-year, $460 million cleanup effort that is scheduled to finish in March, about one-fourth of the island has not been cleared of ordnance and other military remnants.
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