LEO 'ELELE - TRUSTEE MESSAGES

'Ke au hou'

Robert K. Lindsey, Jr. Trustee, Hawai'i

Aloha ke Akua. My last column was titled Reflections. It is not “aloha 'oe” but “ke au hou,” a new beginning for us. We are back to do your work and we want to thank all 151,217 of you across Hawai'i nei for making it possible for us to be back. These are my HOPES for OHA for the next year. I know how the process works in order to get things done. You don't accomplish anything in a vacuum or by “beating on a drum.” It takes majority support of Trustees, “buy in” by Administrator Nāmu'o and his staff, the support and aloha of our Hawaiian people.

Going forward, the following topics will be of focus, interest, passion and emphasis for us:

OHA's STRATEGIC PLAN. When I walked through OHA's Budget Door in April 2007, I suggested OHA's Strategic Plan be operationalized. We needed to bring “the pie (Strategic Plan) in the sky” down to earth so we could “touch, feel, knead and chew on it (make it real).” We needed to steer our canoe toward a “harbor which does exist.” The Bible says it this way. “People without a Vision will perish.” The news is good. OHA's Strategic Plan is being operationalized, tweaked, updated by Administrator Nāmu'o, Lt. Col. Tracy Saiki, whose primary focus is OHA's Strategic Plan, and our Hale (Division) Directors and appropriate staff. Priorities have been identified and achievable targets established. Hale (Division) Plans are now linked to budgets. And I hope a formal Performance Mechanism to track progress (or non-progress) and a Feedback System (Report to beneficiaries on our progress or non-progress) will be put in place soon. I know from experience Change does not come quickly or readily but “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step (Chinese proverb).” The journey has begun. We need to Ho'olohe and gently nudge things along to move from a state of “Envision Pu'uhonua” to “Being a Pu'uhonua.” We are on a Road to transparency, accountability and credibility.

EDUCATION. OHA must support Education and encourage our keiki to “walk, learn and travel” in the best of as many worlds as possible. Our Hawaiian world, the western world, worlds beyond. Take the “best of the best” of these worlds; use it for good and to “better conditions for our people,” for our neighbors, all who call Hawai'i home. Education is our passport to a better future, personal sovereignty and achieving inner spirit. At OHA, we should (AND WE ARE) be cheering on the great efforts of Kamehameha Schools, Pūnana Leo, our Native Hawaiian-focused charter schools (all 11), Nāwahīkalani'ōpu'u, UH-Mānoa's School of Hawaiian Knowledge and our Department of Education. All who contribute to advancing Hawaiian education. Where there are flaws in the educational system, we should step up, demand these flaws be fixed and be there to help with the fixing. And I will compliment OHA's education efforts externally through my volunteer work with The Kohala Center.

HOUSING. The support OHA is giving DHHL to pay down its debt service on a $90 million general obligation bond so that DHHL will be able to chip away at its residential waiting list, take a name off that list and give a family a key to a house at 24222 Kaneohale Ave. in Kealakehe, Kona, is one way OHA is contributing to providing shelter for our people. I will also contribute externally to OHA's effort through my work with Habitat for Humanity-West Hawai'i.

HEALTH. Our health needs are many. We have a Department of Native Hawaiian Health, Papa Ola Lōkahi (home based on O'ahu) and attached to it are systems on each of our islands from Līhu'e to Kahului, Kaunakakai to Hilo, Wai'anae to Waimānalo. Hui Mālama Ola Nā 'Ōiwi is our Hawai'i Island system. Our executive director, Michelle Teuber, is doing a wonderful job (along with all the other ED's across the state) framing a plan to tackle the health challenges of kanaka on Moku O Keawe. Unfortunately, our systems are under resourced. Yes, Papa Ola Lōkahi gets an annual federal allocation but it is only enough to offer basic services. OHA has helped with crafting a Strategic Plan for Health. It will take an immense amount of resources to move from where we are to where we need to be. A healthy nation needs healthy citizens. That's the bottom line. I will be a Champion for our Health Systems at OHA and I know my eight colleagues will be Champions for Health as well.

AKAKA BILL. We need a federal/legal nexus to pili Hawai'i to the USA if we are to protect what few Hawaiian assets we have left from (Kamehameha Schools, DHHL, Alu Like, Queen Lili'uokalani Trust and OHA). We must have a buffer to shield resources coming to Hawai'i from the U.S. Capitol in the next few years. The Akaka Bill is the only viable option (my perspective) on the menu of choices available to us (and there aren't many). With President-elect Obama poised to move into the Oval Office in January 2009 and a Democratic majority in the Congress, “get chance now” for us to move from where we are to where we want to be on several opportunity fronts (education, housing, health, small-business development).

CEDED LANDS SETTLEMENT. It did not happen in 2008. It can happen in 2009 with lōkahi, ho'olohe, laulima and aloha.

In closing, I have a favor to ask. Please know we are here to serve you and thus I want to encourage you to stay in touch with us. Call me anytime at 808-936-6795 (best way), 808-594-1882 or 808-594-1884 (Honolulu Office) or email me at robertl@oha.org or boblindsey808@hawaii.rr.com. We need your help and mana'o and we want to hear from you. “Always with Aloha.”