July 17, 2019

A day forever marked in Hawaiian history and a day that was a wake up call for people around the world. 38 kūpuna sat down on the road that day with the intention of not only protecting the Mauna, but also the younger kiaʻi who still have aspects of their life that could be disrupted by being arrested. They sacrificed themselves willingly in order to defend our futures and our ʻāina. For every kupuna that sat down that day and was taken by the police, without word another kupuna would sit down and take their place.

As the kūpuna continued to be taken by the police, the mana wahine took it upon themselves to link arms and were ready to take the road next. Linked arm and arm with the bravery of their kūpuna driving them. This day not only showed the resilience of our people and community, but also how strong and brave our people are even when faced with threats of the National Guard. Not only were Hawaiʻi island police and DLNR present, but Honolulu and Maui police were flown over for us as well. They also brought their military LRAD (Long Range Acoustic Device) and threatened to use it on nonviolent peaceful protectors.

This was the day that changed Hawaiʻi forever because it showed us how far the state is willing to go to protect private corporations over the local and native people of Hawaiʻi. These are the things that remind us of why we remain committed to protecting our land, home, water, and people.

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