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in many ways. This legislation will allow indigenous Pacific Islanders to exercise 

 their cultural and social traditions and regain some level of self-determination over 

 their resources, their environment, and themselves. It will merely raise Pacific Is- 

 landers to the level of respect and responsibility already accorded to mainland Na- 

 tive Americans. We too are natives on land that is now part of America. I fully sup- 

 port this legislation and believe that Pacific Islanders deserve legal acknowledge- 

 ment of our control over our marine resources and technical and financial support 

 for community based development of our fisheries. 



Prepared Statement of Graydon "Buddy" Keala, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 



I am Graydon Keala, a native Hawaiian, born in Honolulu and raised on the Is- 

 land of Kauai from year one. I learned traditional fishing methods from my grand- 

 father and a Hawaiian fishing family on Kauai. When I finally decided upon aqua- 

 culture as a career, I was educated in western techniques at the University of Ha- 

 waii that served to confirm and strengthen the wisdom of traditional Hawaiian fish- 

 ing methods. In addition to aquaculture, I have certificates in Environmental Stud- 

 ies and Marine Options Program — Hawaiian Fishponds. I consider my university 

 education to be supplemental to the education I received in the traditional Hawaiian 

 way of observation and practice, and feel privileged to continue to learn from the 

 kupuna [elders]. 



Thank you for inviting me to speak to you today, it is an honor to be up here. 

 My first involvement in the understanding of your committee and the kinds of is- 

 sues it represents came by way of S. 1526 The Indian Fish and Wildlife Resources 

 Management Act of 1993. I was invited to provide input to the development of the 

 measure by Senator Inouye's office. 



The concerns that I saw being proposed, the approach of understanding them and 

 the problem-solving methods would be inclusive and sensitive to the indigenous and 

 customary rights and practices of the native American and Pacific Island people. 

 The other caveat is that the initiative have a solid voice in what happens at the 

 Federal level and that these concerns could be made into laws to protect and pre- 

 serve these customary rights. 



This was a godsend, for many reasons that I will try to cover in my testimony. 

 Primarily though, I was to the point of frustration with the existing state of affairs 

 with regards to our limited resources, its management, and especially with regards 

 to including native customary practices and beliefs. The Act before me would be a 

 key element to not only promote these issues, but would also empower native Amer- 

 icans, organizations and communities to play a more pro-active role in determining 

 its process and providing management and oversight of the resource. 



In a generic sense, most indigenous people have an inherent connection with their 

 environment. In many cases, there is underlaid spiritual reverence and even famil- 

 ial ties associated with these elements. The symbiotic relationship, [beneficial to 

 both host and hostee], and the harmonious union of the native people with their sur- 

 roundings were developed into a type of stewardship over hundreds and sometimes 

 thousands of years. I firmly believe that in the present time, with dwindling re- 

 sources, pollution and environmental destruction, the contribution of sustaining our- 

 selves would involve successful concepts that worked for our forefathers. By blend- 

 ing the old with the new, we should incorporate what is available and applicable 

 today from the technological side, with appropriate customary knowledge and prac- 

 tices. 



Native Hawaiians developed a type of relationship with the environment that 

 evolved over more than 1,000 years. Their understanding and management of avail- 

 able resources grew more important as the population increased. The most knowl- 

 edgeable were given the task of management of a particular resource. This knowl- 

 edge was passed down to a chosen member of the family, and on and on. This was 

 an accumulation of knowledge that allowed the resource to flourish and still be pro- 

 ductive for those that depended on it. 



Traditional beliefs and customary practices for many Native Hawaiians have been 

 able to transcend time. The management of the fishery was so important that a very 

 strict Kapu [law] applied. Harvesting fish out of season or female species with eggs 

 were punishable by death or removal of an eyeball. The State has recognized tradi- 

 tional Hawaiian fishing conservation practices into the management of the State 

 fisheries. The same months and seasons from the past are used in current statutes 

 to dictate the open and closed fishing seasons for most species today. 



From a religious and social aspect, there are many, many connections to our tradi- 

 tional past that I try to incorporate today. Religion played an integral part in the 

 day-to-day life of the Hawaiian. There were the main gods, lesser gods, family 



