A Christmas confrontation in Laie between the real estate arm of the Mormon church and a Hawaiian family trying to protect their kuleana land rights and burial sites ended with several arrests after police used pepper spray against four kupuna engaged in a nonviolent protest.
The group, accompanied by supporters, was expected to return to the disputed site early this morning and attempt to stay until Wednesday. An alerts about this morning’s action was sent overnight via Twitter.
Dawn Wasson, a spokesperson for the family, said she and others have fenced the property and intend to block access to the site for 24 hours in order to stop the church’s attempt to take title to the property through “adverse possession”.
The legal status of the family’s claim to the property is not clear. Wasson points points to original Royal land patents and genealogy to support the family’s claims, but Hawaii Reserves Inc., the Mormon’s real estate affiliate, reportedly says it has valid deeds to the area.
Wasson has long advocated the right of Kuleana landowners to reclaim their family properties.
Wasson explains more of the background in a short video posted on Maoliworld.com.
The pepper-spray incident is described in a short video on Maoliworld.com.
The confrontation is the latest chapter in a long-running conflict over what the family says are its kuleana land rights.
Here’s Wasson’s overnight tweet:
Laie Kuleana Occupation 12-29,30-09 24hour KU?E 4am -4more Info : KUPUNA Dawn Wasson 808-692-6901 808-852-8778
In an email, Wasson provided additional information:
We need people to come this morning 4 am, all day and take a stand with us until tomorrow morning. Where? Kamehameha Highway and Cackle Fresh Store, go mauka a quarter of a mile, you will see the camp. Last night we had an irate woman by the name of Roxie Apuakehau from the Mormon church attempt to stop the posting of our fence. She grabbed the poles and tried to shake and pull it out of the ground. Earlier we picketed in front of the Laie Shopping Center near Hawaii Reserves Incorporated (HRI) the Mormon real property management company after which we chanted “HRI get off our land.”
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I don’t know the history of this dispute nor the traditional/legal basis for it but, having just read Jon Krakauer’s “Under the Banner of Heaven,” I don’t envy anybody taking on what is surely one of the most virulent cults on the face of the earth today. American Taliban, they are.
There, I said it.
Interesting that the papers have nothing covering this. I guess they don’t view this as news.
The Star Bulletin has a story today the 30th, but I was surprised and disturbed to see that they gave the name of a 15 year old who was arrested. Isn’t the name of a minor not released and don’t most papers not report them even when they can obtain them?
Or is there some fine line the rest of us don’t know about?
Obviously Roxie Apuakehau is a victim. Did you know that she and her family were never notified about the occupation,how sad. She did not try to stop them from posting poles. Her husband is not well and Aunty Roxie also. They were denied acess for medical reasons on both of the days. shame on all of you invoved especially the wassons. Shame on Dawn for getting her moopuna involved and shame on her forgetting our elderly and sick as well involved. The easy and right thing to do was go to court then all of this would not have happened. What about your degree use it.
The comment: “The easy and right thing to do was go to court then all of this would not have happened.” is just ignorance. Nor has this person tried to go against HRI. HRI is protected by Property Reserves, who is under the Presiding Bishopric.
ss
This company is backed by billlions of dollars and use the tactic of running people out of money (in court )so they will go away. If that doesn’t work they have the Area Seventy call their Stake President and threaten their memberships (for trying to report these men, in positions of power, using a company of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as a front.
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About 4 months ago I went over to ask my cousin Dawn about removing the video that she put up of my wife. Her answer was I do”nt know how to. Come on get real we all know you are computer literate. Tell ME WHAT ARE YOU GETTING OUT OF THIS. WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE i’M SORRY.
well get ready here we go again 12/26/2013 @ 6am we plan to Educate, Entertain and Consistently til this KULEANA LANDS ISSUES ARE SETTLED! ALOHA SUPPORT AND LEARN HAWAIIANS!