Gayle Kawaipuna Prejean (April 14, 1943 – April 14, 1992) was a Hawaiian

nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...

, activist and advocate for the

Hawaiian sovereignty movement The Hawaiian sovereignty movement ( haw, ke ea Hawaiʻi), is a grassroots political and cultural campaign to re-establish an autonomous or independent nation or kingdom of Hawaii due to desire for sovereignty, self-determination, and self-gove ...

. Prejean was founder of the Hawaiian Coalition of Native Claims, now known as the

Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation The Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation (NHLC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to representing Native Hawaiians in legal disputes over land rights, use of natural resources, sovereignty, and other such issues in Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ha ...

. A pioneer of sovereignty during the " Hawaiian Renaissance" of the 1970s, Prejean was one of the first voices to advocate for

Kanaka Maoli Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, First Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians) ( haw, kānaka, , , and ), are the indigenous ethnic group of Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii ...

(native Hawaiian) independence at the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

in Geneva, Switzerland. He was involved in the formation of the movement to stop the bombing of the island of Kahoolawe by the U.S. Navy; this was an issue which catalyzed the formation of the modern " Hawaiian Movement". Prejean was known for his music and "stand-up" comedy as well as for his unrelenting criticism of the U.S. military presence in Hawaii. It was Kawaipuna Prejean who originally proposed the convening of the 1993 Kanaka Maoli Tribunal, and other historical actions which were carried out after his death. Kawaipuna Prejean died on his 49th birthday while fighting to stop the construction of

Interstate H-3 Interstate H-3 (abbreviated H-3) is an Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Hawaii on the island of Oahu. H-3 is also known as the John A. Burns Freeway. It crosses the Ko'olau Range along several viaducts and through th ...

, which destroyed many ancient Hawaiian sites and substantially impacted native species along its path on the island of Oahu, including several probable extinctions.Archaeological Reports regarding H-3

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*https://web.archive.org/web/20050301092226/http://www.woodstocknation.org/aloha.htm *https://web.archive.org/web/20050428223633/http://www.namaka.com/catalog/misc/hookuokoa.html *http://ilind.net/gallery_old/stand-together-1976/source/pko-rally_4-3.htm *https://web.archive.org/web/20050428051310/http://www.namaka.com/catalog/misc/funeral.html 1943 births 1992 deaths Native Hawaiian politicians Native Hawaiian nationalists {{US-activist-stub

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