Today marks the 39th anniversary of the 1976 landing on Kahoolawe to protest the use of the island as a naval bombing range and to highlight Hawaiian issues more generally. I was fortunate to have ended up among the nine people who made it to shore that day, only to be arrested by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Eggers several hours later, escorted to a waiting Coast Guard cutter, and dropped off at Maalaea Harbor.

Kawaipuna Prejean had phoned me the week before and asked if I wanted to head to Maui with him to join in the protest. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

This protest came at the right time, and became a tipping point in the resurgence of Hawaiian cultural and political activism.

Kekoa Enomoto wrote an excellent story for the Maui News soon after the 30th anniversary back in 2006 that provides a good background.

For the record, I’m linking to some of my photo collections from that first landing on Kahoolawe, and some of the protests that followed over the following year or so.

Each photo below links to a set of other pictures, so click on any of these photos to seem more. And have fun browsing. I hope the old links are working.

The first landing, January 4, 1976. Seven of us gathered on the beach to give thanks.

April 1976. Walter Ritte and supporters before his trial for trespassing on Kahoolawe, held in the old Honolulu Federal Building, Judge Sam King presiding.

February 1976. Emmett Aluli outside federal court in Honolulu, and a public meeting at Maui Community College. In this photo, George Helm and Walter Ritte flank the door of the room at MCC.

January 1977. Rally at Iolani Palace. A new song by Liko Martin was performed publicly for the first time (“All Hawaii Stand Together). In this photo, Steve Morse and Emmett Aluli are posting a large sign with the lyrics to the song.