Organizers say the three-day protest at the Kahului Airport was a success and that it informed the public about a lawsuit that threatens to halt state benefits to native Hawaiians. Blossom Fetera, an organizer with Na Kupuna O Maui, estimated that up to 5,000 people showed up at various times during the weekend and about 90 percent of them had not participated in a protest before. The protest was sparked by lawsuits brought by former State Senator John Carroll and Patrick Barrett that challenge the validity of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Hawaiian homesteads.
Protesters say the lawsuits also threaten native gathering rights.
U.S. District Judge David Ezra is scheduled to hear a request for a preliminary injunction on March 12. Leon Panetta is holding a meeting Wednesday on Maui to review information about the ocean and consult with ocean users. The Pew Oceans Commissions meeting at the Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort hopes to prepare recommendations to Congress by 2002. Panetta said Hawaii was an ideal place to start the group's review on how to protect and manage oceans because so much of the state's economy and natural resources are dependent on a healthy sea. Student Poster Contest entries due Friday Students have until Friday to submit entries in the tenth annual U.S. Savings Bonds National Student Poster Contest.