78th Milestone: the Fight on Molokaʻi Continues & Celebrating 78 years of Aloha ʻĀina
Written by: Kencho Gurung, Communications Organizer
In April, we gathered to celebrate HAPA Board Member Uncle Walter Ritte Jr.’s 78th birthday. Uncle Walter is a legendary Kānaka Maoli activist from Molokaʻi. He emerged as a leader in the 1970s when he and several others gallantly demonstrated against the U.S. military’s bombing of Kaho’olawe, his work to protect access rights for Native Hawaiians on Molokaʻi has continued throughout the decades and is far from over.
HAPA staff and board members at Uncle Walter’s (pictured in center) 78th birthday gathering on O’ahu
In early May 2023, Uncle Walter led a march of roughly 100 Molokaʻi residents down to Kawakiu to cut the chains on a gate blocking access to the sacred space. Molokaʻi residents have treasured Kawakiu and have frequented the spot with their families since childhood. It has been a place for gathering salt and fish for countless generations.
Uncle Walter's activism has largely been centered on the preservation and restoration of traditional Native Hawaiian practices, including those related to land use, water rights, and fishing (Trask, 1991). This aligns with the broader concept of food sovereignty, which refers to the right of people to define their own food and agriculture systems.
Food sovereignty emphasizes culturally appropriate, sustainable practices that strengthen communities and respect human rights (Pimbert, 2008).
One of the key ways that Uncle Walter has contributed to food sovereignty is through his advocacy for traditional Hawaiian agricultural practices, such as taro farming and fishpond restoration (Ritte, 2012). These practices not only sustainably produce food, but also foster a deeper connection to the land and sea – a key aspect of indigenous identity and sovereignty (Kahakalau, 2004).
Uncle Walter's work on Kahoʻolawe, an island that was used for military bombing practice, is a prime example of his advocacy for indigenous rights. Alongside other activists, he occupied the island to protest the U.S. military's use of it, resulting in its eventual return to Native Hawaiian control (NeSmith, 2000). This event was significant in asserting the rights of Native Hawaiians over their traditional lands, an important aspect of both food sovereignty and indigenous rights.
The Public Access Shoreline Hawaii (PASH) precedent set by the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court in 1995 is another significant context for Uncle Walter's work. This decision established that Hawaiians have a constitutionally protected right to engage in traditional gathering practices on undeveloped private property, affirming the cultural connection between the land and its traditional uses (PASH v. Hawai'i County Planning Commission, 1995). Ritte's work, in line with the PASH precedent, underscores the importance of these rights and provides a model for their defense.
Often used for fishing, gathering limu and ʻopihi, and engaging in traditional cultural practices, PASH areas along the shoreline are considered public property and must be accessible to all community members. However, in recent years, many public access shoreline areas have been threatened by development and private landowners seeking to restrict access. Uncle Walter has been a vocal advocate for the protection of PASH on Moloka'i, leading protests, lawsuits, and community organizing efforts to ensure that these areas remain accessible to all. His work has been instrumental in preserving PASH's cultural and ecological importance and helped maintain the traditional practices and ways of life of Native Hawaiians on the island.
Uncle Walter, with a megaphone, speaking at the march to Kawakiu. (Courtesy: Jack Kiyonaga/2023)
Uncle Walter’s work is deeply connected to the idea of Hawaiian sovereignty, which asserts that Native Hawaiians have the right to self-determination and control over their own land and resources, and thus, the struggle for public access to shorelines on Molokaʻi is inseparable from the larger issue of indigenous sovereignty. By fighting for access to PASH, Uncle Walter is advocating for the rights of Native Hawaiians to maintain their cultural and spiritual connections to the land and to exercise their sovereignty over these resources.
Uncle Walter’s commitment to protecting public access shorelines on Molokaʻi is a testament to his deep love for his community, culture, and the natural environment. His work transcends boundaries, highlighting the interconnectedness between environmental conservation, cultural preservation, and indigenous sovereignty. Through his efforts, Uncle Walter reminds us of the urgent need to prioritize the rights of local communities and respect indigenous knowledge and practices. Deeply rooted in the principles of indigenous sovereignty, Uncle Walter believes that access rights to PASH are crucial for maintaining the cultural and subsistence practices of Native Hawaiians.
Uncle Walter's activism has been critical in advancing food sovereignty and indigenous rights in Hawaiʻi.
His work continues to contribute to these areas, underscoring the value of traditional practices, the importance of land rights, and the necessity of indigenous sovereignty in these conversations.
References:
Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. (2022, June). NH Traditional and Customary Practices Summary June 2022. Retrieved from https://luc.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/3.-NH-Traditional-and-Customary-Practices_Summary_June-2022.pdf
Hawaii State Legislature. (2015). Hawaii Revised Statutes - Chapter 12: Public Lands. Retrieved from https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrsarchive/hrs2015/Vol01_Ch0001-0042F/05-Const/CONST_0012-0007.html
Kahakalau, K. (2004). Indigenous heuristic action research: Bridging western and indigenous research methodologies. Hülili: Multidisciplinary Research on Hawaiian Well-Being, 1(1).
Kiyonaga, J. (2023, May 22). Gate to Kawakui Beach on Molokai is Open Again, for Now. Civil Beat. Retrieved from https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/05/gate-to-kawakui-beach-on-molokai-is-open-again-for-now/
Lyte, B. (2022, August 4). The Community Is Mobilizing Again To Buy Molokai Ranch. Will It Work? Civil Beat. Retrieved from https://www.civilbeat.org/2022/08/the-community-is-mobilizing-again-to-buy-molokai-ranch-will-it-work/
NeSmith, R. K. (2000). The Hawaiian sovereignty movement: Roles of and impacts on non-Hawaiians. Anthropological Report No. 52. Honolulu, HI: Bess Press.
PASH v. Hawai'i County Planning Commission, 79 Hawai'i 425, 903 P.2d 1246 (1995).
Pimbert, M. P. (2008). Towards food sovereignty: Reclaiming autonomous food systems. London: IIED.
Ritte, W. (2012). Traditional Hawaiian agriculture: Ho'olehua, Molokai. In McGregor, D. P., MacKenzie, M., Minerbi, L., & Andrade Jr, C. (Eds.), Na kua'aina: Living Hawaiian culture (pp. 104–111). Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
Trask, H.-K. (1991). From a native daughter: Colonialism and sovereignty in Hawai'i. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press.
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About the Authors
Kencho Gurung, Communications Organizer
Kencho Gurung grew up predominantly in South and Southeast Asia and belongs to a tribe Indigenous to the Himalayas. Kencho is a Kuleana Academy graduate, food justice advocate, organizer, volunteer, and educator. Since childhood, Kencho has fiercely advocated for racial justice, LGTBQ+ justice, climate justice, and animal justice. Kencho’s biracial identity and adolescence spent on three continents have taught her to value intersectionality, and she nurtures a tireless ambition to fight colonialism and dismantle white supremacy. She is motivated to action every single day by her love for Black and Brown communities and for Hawaiians and Indigenous People across the world.
