KAHO‘OLAWE NINE

The Kahoʻolawe Nine

On January 4, 1976, nine individuals crossed the channel and made landfall on Kahoʻolawe—an island then used as a U.S. military bombing range. Called together by Kahu Charles Maxwell, their action was an act of nonviolent resistance, cultural assertion, and deep aloha ʻāina. Known today as the Kahoʻolawe Nine, their landing helped ignite a movement that ultimately ended the bombing of the island and reshaped modern Hawaiian political, cultural, and environmental advocacy.

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Their stand was not only against destruction—it was a declaration that Kahoʻolawe is sacred. That the ʻāina is not expendable. And that Native Hawaiian relationships to land, water, and responsibility endure, even in the face of overwhelming force.

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ʻĀina Momona honors the Kahoʻolawe Nine as movement builders whose courage continues to guide contemporary efforts toward restoration, justice, and Indigenous stewardship.

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Why Kahoʻolawe Mattered

For decades, Kahoʻolawe suffered profound damage from military training and live-fire exercises. Bombing, erosion, unexploded ordnance, and the loss of cultural sites scarred the island physically and spiritually. Yet Kahoʻolawe was never empty—it remained present in genealogy, chant, navigation, ceremony, and memory.

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The landfall of the Kahoʻolawe Nine made visible what many already knew: that the island’s destruction was incompatible with Hawaiian values, cultural survival, and environmental responsibility. Their action reframed Kahoʻolawe not as a target, but as a relative—an ancestor deserving care, restraint, and healing.

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The Kahoʻolawe Nine

The Kahoʻolawe Nine are:

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• Walter Ritte – ‘Āina Momona's founder and kupuna nui, Uncle Walter is a longtime Hawaiian activist and organizer whose leadership helped shape the modern aloha ʻāina movement and continues to influence struggles for land, water, and justice across Hawaiʻi.

• Dr. Noa Emmett Aluli – Physician, community leader, and co-founder of Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, whose work linked health, sovereignty, and environmental justice.

• George Helm – Musician, cultural leader, and powerful voice of the movement, remembered for his courage, ʻike kupuna, and commitment to Kahoʻolawe.

• Gayle Kawaipuna Prejean – Organizer and advocate whose participation reflects the essential leadership of women in the movement.

• Stephen K. Morse – Environmental advocate and ally who helped bring national attention to the struggle for Kahoʻolawe.

• Kimo Aluli – Organizer and advocate deeply connected to Molokaʻi and the long fight to protect Hawaiian lands and waters.

• Ellen Miles – Kupuna whose participation reflected intergenerational responsibility and commitment to the ʻāina.

• Ian Lind – Journalist and documentarian who played a critical role in recording and sharing the story of Kahoʻolawe with the broader public.

• Karla Villalba – Indigenous activist from the Pacific Northwest whose presence reflected Indigenous solidarity across nations.

 

Together, these nine individuals stood not for recognition, but for responsibility: to the island, to future generations, and to truth.

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A Turning Point in Hawaiʻi’s History

The landfall of the Kahoʻolawe Nine marked a turning point. It strengthened organizing across the islands, contributed to legal and political pressure, and helped lead to the eventual end of military bombing on Kahoʻolawe in 1990. The island was later returned to the State of Hawaiʻi, with the mandate that it be held in trust for a future sovereign Hawaiian entity.

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Yet the work did not end with the cessation of bombing. Kahoʻolawe remains a place of healing: ecologically, culturally, and spiritually. Restoration continues through ceremony, stewardship, and ʻike kupuna-guided practice.

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Like the Kahoʻolawe landing, the lāhui must mobilize with courage and care for Mauna Kea, for Pōhakuloa, for Mākua, for all ʻāina. Our future is shaped when we act together, grounded in ʻike kupuna, demanding justice, protecting sacred places, and committing to restoration across generations now, always, with purpose and aloha.

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Learn more about our free, public event celebrating this anniversary on our events page. Shop HIFinest Kahoolawe line.

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Media: 

Kaho‘olawe Nine protest helped spark rebirth of sacred island 50 years ago today (Maui Now) 

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50th anniversary of ‘Kahoolawe Nine’ begins year-long remembrance, lessons (Honolulu Star Advertiser)

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The secret Hawaii mission that led to an extraordinary change (SF Gate)