LEO 'ELELE - TRUSTEE MESSAGES

OHA's focus for the next four years

Haunani Apoliona, MSW, Chairperson, Trustee, At-large

OHA's focus for the next four years E ō e nā 'ōiwi 'ōlino, nā pulapula a Hāloa, mai Hawai'i a Ni'ihau puni ke ao mālamalama. Aloha e nā kūpuna kahiko, nāna e ho'oulu mai iā kākou e holopono a loa'a ē ka lei lanakila. E hana kākou me ke ahonui pili me ka hā a ke aloha, 'oiai e kūlia i ka nu'u a kau i ka 'iu o luna. Ka'i mai e nā hoa kui lima, lei 'ia i ka pua lehua, akāka wale ho'i ka mana'o i ka 'ā o ke ahi awakea. Welowelo ē ka hae Hawai'i, i hō'ailona wehi no nā kini, ke Akua pū me kākou i pono ke ea o ka 'āina.

In these times of great challenge for individuals, families and communities, OHA must be stable, undaunted and committed to its primary mission.

Focus for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in 2008-2012 will include but not be limited to:

• Completing resolution and payment of “disputed” income and proceeds from the Public Land Trust due to OHA from the State of Hawai'i, unpaid from 1978 to the present. Enabling legislation failed to pass the Hawai'i state Senate in 2008 but merits appropriate and proper completion in the 2009 Legislature.
  
  
• Defending vigorously and wisely against ALL litigation launched by those who seek to erode and destroy Native Hawaiian assets, trusts, rights and program benefits through state and or U.S. Courts. We have blocked Arakaki v. Lingle and Day v. Apoliona. We are focused now on the appeal by the State of Hawai'i before the U.S. Supreme Court.
  
  
• Continuing Native Hawaiian registration through KAU INOA (the count nearing 96,000) as the first step and foundation upon which to build the Native Hawaiian governing entity and to engage informed Native Hawaiians in the process of building a Native Hawaiian governing entity.
  
  
• Completing passage of the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, in the congressional mix since 2000 and long overdue as a tool to strengthen legal standing and position for Native Hawaiians, the aboriginal, indigenous, natives, as we defend our “constitutional rights.”
  
  
• Convening a summit of policymakers of the private and public trusts serving Native Hawaiians for joint discussions on present collective trust visions and missions toward self-sufficient, productive and constructive roles for Native Hawaiians in Hawai'i, in the continental United States and in the global community.
  
  
• Unifying the political will among Native Hawaiians, everywhere, on advancing self-governance in the context of achievable reality, informed by accurate facts on the issues, led by Native Hawaiians of integrity, ethics and compassion is the greatest challenge before us.

Time and the tides of economic and political change will not stand still for us. We are looking for Native Hawaiian leaders of integrity, credibility, committed to service and not self-service, willing to work diligently for the betterment of all Native Hawaiians but also for the betterment of all who love Hawai'i; leaders ready to do their homework before acting with focus and discipline and courage. Read my letter to the editor in the Honolulu Weekly, Oct. 15-21, 2008, Volume 18, Number 42 “Chinatown” issue. You will realize that the time is now. Mālama pono.

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