Kahoʻolawe

On today's program, we're revisiting stories about Kahoʻolawe.

Five decades ago, a group of Hawaiian activists landed on Kahoʻolawe in an attempt to stop the U.S. military’s bombing of the island. HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol sat down with Molokaʻi’s Walter Ritte and shares his memories of that decisive movement.

Kamehameha Schools student Kalamakū Crabbe spoke to The Conversation's Catherine Cruz about her Kahoʻolawe documentary, which won second in a National History Day competition.

The Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana group has been working for half a century to restore the island after the Navy used it as a bombing target. The Conversation talked to a few members of the group about their work and the importance of restoring the island.

Louis Erteschik, executive director of Hawaiʻi Disability Rights Center, discusses possible federal funding cuts; Hydrofoil champions Edo Tanas and Annie Reickert talk about their wins in the Molokaʻi 2 Oʻahu race across the Kaiwi Channel

The Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve has become the second marine protected area in the Hawaiian archipelago to win the prestigious Blue Park Award.

Observances of the Makahiki season are held around Hawaiʻi each year. On Kaho’olawe, Kānaka Maoli have been gathering for the opening and closing of Makahiki since 1982, centering around religious ceremony. For Molokaʻi resident and cultural practitioner Kanoelani Davis, gathering on Kahoʻolawe brings heightened awareness and readiness for the seasons to come. HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol reports.

Nearly 5 tons of marine debris were airlifted from Kahoʻolawe to Maui last week. "It’s not gonna stop until we make choices that prevent it from getting there in the first place," said Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission staff.

Noelani Puniwai is an ecologist and assistant professor at the UH Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies. She joined The Conversation to talk about why the limu survey is so important to the healing of the island which the military used to bomb for training for 50 years.

A local short film, "Hawaiian Soul," is hoping to be nominated for an Academy Award this year. It depicts a key moment in the life of Native Hawaiian activist and musician George Helm, who helped lead the effort to stop the bombing of Kaho’olawe in the 1970s. The Conversation's Russell Subiono spoke to the filmmaker to learn more.