page_title: Hawaiian sovereignty movement
section_title: Protect Kahoolawe Ohana (PKO)
hierarchical_section_title: Hawaiian sovereignty movement / Sovereignty and cultural rights organizations / Protect Kahoolawe Ohana (PKO)
caption_attribution_description: English: Aerial photo of Makena (Maui) and the islands of Molokini and Kahaoolawe
context_page_description: In the U.S. state of Hawaii, the Hawaiian sovereignty movement is a grassroots political and cultural campaign to establish an autonomous or independent nation or kingdom for Hawaiians of whole or part Native Hawaiian ancestry, due to their desire for sovereignty, self-determination, and self-governance. Some groups also advocate for some form of redress from the United States for the 1893 overthrow of Queen Lili'uokalani, and for what is described as a prolonged military occupation beginning with the 1898 annexation. The movement generally views both the overthrow and annexation as illegal. Palmyra Island and the Stewart Islands were annexed by the Kingdom in the 1860s and are regarded by the movement as being under illegal occupation along with the Hawaiian Islands. The Apology Resolution passed by the United States Congress in 1993 acknowledged that the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893 was an illegal act.
  Sovereignty advocates have attributed problems plaguing native communities including homelessness, poverty, economic marginalization, and the erosion of native traditions to the lack of native governance and political self-determination.
context_section_description: In 1976, Walter Ritte and the group Protect Kahoolawe Ohana (PKO) filed suit in U.S. Federal Court to stop the Navy's use of Kahoolawe for bombardment training, to require compliance with a number of new environmental laws and to ensure protection of cultural resources on the island. In 1977, the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii allowed the Navy's use of this island to continue, but the Court directed the Navy to prepare an environmental impact statement and to complete an inventory of historic sites on the island.
  The effort to regain Kahoʻolawe from the U.S. Navy inspired a new political awareness and activism within the Hawaiian community. Charles Maxwell and other community leaders began to plan a coordinated effort to land on the island, which was still under Navy control. The effort for the "first landing" began in Waikapu (Maui) on January 5, 1976. Over 50 people from across the Hawaiian islands, including a range of cultural leaders, gathered on Maui with the goal of "invading" Kahoolawe on January 6, 1976. The date was selected because of its association with the United States' bicentennial anniversary.
  As the larger group headed towards the island, they were intercepted by military crafts. "The Kahoʻolawe Nine" continued and successfully landed on the island. They were Ritte, Emmett Aluli, George Helm, Gail Kawaipuna Prejean, Stephen K. Morse, Kimo Aluli, Aunty Ellen Miles, Ian Lind, and Karla Villalba of the Puyallup/Muckleshoot tribe (Washington State).
  The effort to retake Kahoʻolawe would eventually claims the lives of George Helm and Kimo Mitchell. In an effort to reach Kahoʻolawe, Helm and Mitchell (who were also accompanied by Billy Mitchell, no relation) ran into severe weather and were unable to reach the island. Despite extensive rescue and recovery efforts, they were never recovered.
  Ritte became a leader in the Hawaiian community, coordinating community efforts including for water rights, opposition to land development, and the protection of marine animals and ocean resources. He now leads the effort to create state legislation requiring the labeling of genetically-modified organisms in Hawaiʻi.
caption: Aerial view of Kahoolawe, Molokini, and the Makena side of Maui
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