Shut Down Red Hill Fuel Tanks
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@ShutdownRedHillMutualAid
Red Hill
is not named
for the decrepit fuel tanks
rusting above a life-giving aquifer
in service of American conquest,
finished only in history books.
It is not named
for the rashes that swell on innocent bodies
pumped with diluted gas;
countless futures poisoned by drinking water.
It is not named
for the Navy's blood-stained hands,
eager to wring out more,
as it tightens its grip on our island's throat.
We will not let murderers define this place
with their legacy of casual atrocities.
They use their fuel to gaslight us,
their apathy dripping
from their tanks through our taps.
But as long our bodies hold breath,
we will not suffocate in silence.
Kapūkakī
is where hills glow with dirt,
Red with the same iron that
binds breath to our blood.
Kapūkakī
is where water drips through
ancient mountains pathways
Ready to sustain us with its generosity.
Kapūkakī
is filled with countless stories
passed from heart to ear.
Stories I have yet to learn,
and perhaps some we might never hear.
We will not let Kapūkakī be another place
defined by military casualties.
We will take up each other up in arms
and scream
and shout and
resist
until their indifference turns into shame,
and justice returns to this land,
and it rests peacefully
in Hawaiians hands.
__
I couldn’t sleep for a few nights last week because this was weighing on me heavily, and I felt compelled to write. I am pretty nervous sharing it.
Some things I read to learn about Kapūkakī.
Kapūkakī from Ka Wai Ola
Kapūkakī from Office of Hawaiian Affairs
I recognize that many locals know it as Red Hill, and it is commonly known as that. I was compelled to use Kapūkakī, because I wanted to use its Hawaiian name, one that recognizes it’s a whole area that encompasses an entire ecosystem and stories. I didn’t want to use the name associated with fuel tanks. I hope that intent was clear.
It can’t do justice to the rage that Native Hawaiian people feel towards the illegal annexation and militarism that has extended US imperialism into this century. Maybe this is a hot take, but many of the US bases on Pacific island nations are akin to modern day colonies.
I love Hawaii and I’m so lucky to call it home. But I recognize the grave injustices against Hawaii’s land and people. While I cannot be there, I offer up this writing as a call to action for those who are home and can be present in ways I can’t.
If you can help in anyway, please support community-led mutual aid on Venmo: @ShutdownRedHillMutualAid