AMERICAN SCENE: Return of the Natives to Kahoolawe

Located about eight miles southwest of Maui, the 45-sq.-mi. Hawaiian islet of Kahoola we consists mostly of arid red earth and barren rock. It is inhabited only by about 400 wild goats. To the U.S. Navy, the island is an ideal target range; since 1941, pilots have blasted it with millions of tons of bombs, shells and rockets. But to native Hawaiians, Kahoolawe is sacred ground, home of the gentle rain goddess Hina.

Five times in the past 19 months, bands of young Hawaiian demonstrators have landed on Kahoolawe. Their purpose: by their presence to force the Navy to stop the bombing, at least temporarily. Sometimes the game of hares and hounds turns dangerous: two protesters drowned in rough seas while trying to swim back to Maui after one foray. But the young Polynesian Hawaiians have vowed to continue their protests until the Navy leaves the island in peace. TIME Correspondent James Wilde accompanied the latest expedition and afterward sent this report:

Shortly before dawn, the seven young activists slipped from their blacked-out launch and swam the half-mile to shore, pushing rubber dinghies laden with supplies. Tall, muscular and bronzed, they looked like beachcombers, except for wrist, ankle and head bands plaited from the leaves of ti plants, which are supposed to bring good luck. They also marked the wearers as members of Protect Kahoolawe Ghana (Hawaiian for "family"), the most militant of the native islanders' protest groups.

Once ashore, the men scrambled up the cliffs barefoot, heedless of kiawe thorns. After the sun rose, they scattered for cover when a Marine patrol helicopter appeared in the azure sky. Danger past, they made a small base camp and hid food and water in secret caches. Late in the afternoon they emerged from cover, easily caught at least seven kinds offish in traditional Hawaiian sling nets and cooked them on steaming stones. For a few hours, the old way of Hawaiian life had been re-established on Kahoolawe.

Then, as the sun set over the islands, the men held hands in a circle and chanted: "May we always be united in our purpose to free this land from torment. May the bombing stop and the land grow again." Before dawn they had broken up into groups of two or three to improve their chances of evading Marine patrols. Within two days, four of the invaders gave themselves up. But the others remained at large and were joined last week by six additional protesters. Until all are rounded up, the Navy will have to suspend target practice on the island.