KHON2, Hawaii's Fox-TV affiliate, reported that conservative radio host Michael Savage is receiving criticism for July 19 remarks in which he wondered whether Hawaii is “going to be independent very soon. I don't know how they're going to make a living, they're going to kick the white man out then what they going to have cannibalism again, oops sorry.” From KHON2:

The Michael Savage Show is syndicated in over 300 markets including Hawaii.

“My only annoyance with the Savage clip was the stupidity,” said Puakea Nogelmeier, an Associate Professor of Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawaii where he has taught for 25 years. “His understanding of history is so poor that he thinks Hawaiians were cannibals or the whole history was always race based we need to present better histories.”

“Beautiful culture up to a point,” said Savage.

“We've never kicked anybody off of our 'aina [land], never. And to claim that we're cannibals that is just atrocious,” said Vicky Holt Takamine of the Ilioulaokalani Coalition.

Savage spent several years here, earning his masters in anthropology and botany at the University of Hawaii.

“I might have to question he was educated here, he went through school here, he obviously didn't learn a lot about here,” said Nogelmeier.

He is known for pushing the envelope.