Laie Voice
BYU-HAWAII SHUTS OFF WATER ON KULEANA LAND RESIDENTS
The Kaio family are legal residents of Kuleana land (Parcels of land granted to native Hawaiian tenant farmers between 1850 and 1855) located behind the new Heber J. Grant (HBG) building on the Brigham Young University-Hawaii (BYUH) campus. They have been without water since September 12, 2016. The family of three, and their grand children, have had to travel to relatives in neighboring towns and parks to shower and bring water back to their dwelling. The Vice President of Operations, Norman S. Black, ordered BYUH plumbers to turn off the water, in an apparent agenda to force the family off of Kuleana land to build more married student housing.
The Kaio's along with other well-known families throughout La’ie, were the first to help the Mormon Church acquire land and establish the Church College of Hawaii, now BYU-Hawaii.
The Kaio family has been living in harmony with BYUH on the tiny land behind the new HBG building for decades. Under the Alton Wade administration, dating back to 1986-1994, the university connected water lines near the Kaio land, and the Kaio's were given water acess in the Spirit of Aloha to use for their family needs. That continued with the Eric B. Shumway administration. In 2014, the Steven C. Wheelwright administration announced the expansion plans for the campus; owners of the Kuleana land and their families expressed concerns and wanted BYUH to sign an agreement to assure Kuleana land residents that they would not be affected by the expansion.
Under the leadership of Mr. Black, the Kaio’s have been receiving letters signed by Mr. Black pressuring them to swap their Kuleana land for land behind the Cricket field. The family has repeatedly asked for a meeting with Mr. Black and the President of the university John S. Tanner; both have ignored the repeated requests. Mr. Black uses a third party to communicate with the family and did not communicate directly to the Kaio’s and did not give them ample warning that their water would be shut off.
The family has contacted the Honolulu Board of Water Supply to try to bring in their own water line; due to cost and legal hurdles that would require permission from BYUH to run water lines on their property, and steep water connection fees, the family simply cannot afford to go that route.
The family has made it clear to BYUH in writing that they have no plans to negotiate with BYUH and move from their Kuleana land.
Water is a basic human need and it should never be used as a bargaining chip.
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Right here 
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Camille Keawekane-Stafford was live.
Huge win Eo! Ku Kia'i Mauna! The judge invalidated DLNR's sublease they granted to the UH (on behalf of TMT) to build. We don't know exactly how this will impact the contested case hearings, but there is no sublease to build. So it's essentially moot until DLNR addresses this issue
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