WalterRitte

Hawaii

Introduction(ToriyanaGrixgby):

Hello.IamWalterRittefromHoOlehuaontheislandofMolokai,oneofthesmallestmain
islandsintheHawaiianchain.WeareNativeHawaiian.
Inthebeginningofthe1800s,wehadbeenrecognizedasindependentnation.In1893agroup
ofUnitedStatesbusinessmenandsugarplantationownersstoleourHawaiiankingdomaway
fromourbelovedQueenLili'uokalaniatgunpoint.Thenitallbegan,theirgreedywayswithour
land.Performingover5000openfieldtestexperimentsonourland,usingusasguineapigsfor
theirowngreedycause.Thosebigsugarplantationsarenolongerthere.Monsantoiscurrently
controllingthechemicaltests.In1945theUnitedStatesArmycontinuedtoregularlybombour
islandsfordecadesonlyfortheirtrainingpurposes.
Iamstandingheretodaybecausebackthenourlandwastakenfortheinterestofcorporations
itwasnevertoprovideformeandmypeople.Ratheritwastakenfortheirgreedycauseand
profitinterests.Theyemitgreenhousegasesfortheirownwealthandconvenience.Biotech
companieshaveturnedouroncebeautifullandintogroundzerofortestingandfood
engineering.OhwaitIforgottomentiontheUnitedStatesdidgiveussomething!..Theygave
uscancer,neurologicaldisorders,birthdefects,warmeroceansandhigheroceanacidity,
massivecoralbleaching,andmarinemigrationjusttonameafew.Doesanyinnocentlives
deservetoliveintheseconditions?

Argument#1(JeroenBush):
OurnationwasforciblytakenbytheU.S.thissiegewascreatedbybig5sugar
companiesalongwiththeU.S.militarytoprovideprofitfortheU.S.In1893agroupof
U.S.businessmenandsugarplantationownersarrangedfortheU.S.militarytoforcibly
takeoverthehawaiiankingdom,forcingourlastqueenoffofherthroneatgunpoint.
Article3wasbrokenbytakingthevirtueofourrighttofreelydetermineourownpolitical
statusandtofreelypursueoureconomic,andculturaldevelopment.Inaddition,Article
18wasbrokenbytheU.S.byforcingourqueenoffofherthroneandbringinginthose
big5companiessuchasmonsanto,revokingourrightasindigenouspeople.As
indigenouspeoplewehavetherighttoparticipateinthedecisionmakinginmatters
whichwouldaffectourrights,throughrepresentativeschosenbyusinaccordancewith
ourownprocedures,aswellastomaintainanddevelopourowndecisionmaking
institutions.TheU.S.hastheobligationtohelppayfortherestorationformycountry
becausetheyhaveaparttoplayalongwithMonsanto.

Argument#2:(MireyadeLaraVargas)
AsIndigenouspeoplesofHawaii,wehavenotbeenabletovoiceouropinionsorgive
consenttochemicalsbeingtestedonourIsland.Biotechcompanieshaveturnedour
landintogroundzerofortestingandfoodengineering.Theyhaveperformedover5,000
openfieldtestexperimentsofpesticideresistantcropson60,000acresoflandwithout
anydisclosuretothemanyislanderswhohavecalledithomeforgenerations.Theharm
hasnotonlybeenmadetoourland,butalsotoourpeople.Thesechemicalshave
causedcancer,braindisordersandbirthdefectsamongourbabies.Biotechcompanies
fromtheUSareatblameforcausingthismess,andthisviolatesArticle18fromtheUN
IndigenousPeoplesRightsbecausewehavenothadtherighttoparticipateindecision
makingasindigenouspeople.Article29hasalsobeenviolatedbecausetheirhasbeen
norighttotheconservationandprotectionoftheenvironment.Hazardousmaterials
havenotbeenproperlydisposedof.

Conclusion(TorrieEagleStaff):
ReparationsweneedinHawaiiIncludecompensation,restitution,satisfaction,and
rehabilitation.Firstofallweneedcompensationbecauseifbiotechcompaniesare
makingandhavemadealargerprofitoffoflandstolenfromus,thenwedeservea
largerpercentageofthatprofit.Weneedrestitutiontohelphealourlandasmuchas
possiblebycleaningchemicals.Wealsoneedtherighttomakedecisionsforourland.
Alongwithrestitutionwealsowantsatisfactionbybiotechcompaniestoquitcreating
furtherdamagebystoppingchemicaltestingonourislands.Lastly,weneed
rehabilitationforthehealthyproblemsthechemicalsarecausingtoourpeople.These
reparationswillallowustohealourlandthatwevelivedonforgenerationsandtake
careoftheresourcesourKupuna(elders)leftforus.Wewanttokeepourpeople
healthyandcontinuetolearnourindigenousculture,language,andlandwehave
respectedforgenerations.TheislandsofHawaiihavegivenussomuchanddoesnt
deservetobedamaged.