Future's so bright. Dirk Soma and Stephen Ka'a'a of the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce are taking the first steps in laying the foundation for a long-term economic strategic plan for a Hawaiian nation. – Photo: Lisa Asato

Charting an economic
future for the nation

By Lisa Asato / Ka Wai Ola Loa

In a political climate perceived as favorable to the Akaka Bill and with the economy beginning to show "glimmers of hope" according to President Obama, the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce sees positive signs on the horizon for Hawaiians. The Honolulu, O'ahu-based chamber is coordinating a series of meetings among Native Hawaiian business entities to prepare for the anticipated emergence of a Hawaiian nation.

"The Native Hawaiian nation will need an economic engine to support it whatever form the nation takes," said Dirk Soma, vice president of the chamber. "If you look at the future of cultural, educational and social programs that impact Hawaiians, eventually we're going to need funds to offset federal money. How will we be a self-sustaining nation? In order to do that we need to have our own economic base, which will then be able to support all of our other projects that we want to do."

As a first step, the chamber is hosting 19 meetings on six islands to "discuss the economic foundation for our Hawaiian Nation," according to a flyer for the Hawaiian Economic Development Entity Asset Map Project, or HEDEAMP. The series of meetings, which started Monday on Lāna'i, will be used to gather information on Native Hawaiian entities involved in economic development. The information will then be used to create island and statewide "asset maps," or databases.

"With these asset maps we will get a good snapshot of who's doing what, where, and what their mana'o is on economic development within their communities now and for the future," said Soma.

"You may have taro farmers who are forming huis to produce taro, market taro and sustain and expand their lo'i production," added Soma, who owns DNC Consultants, which focuses on economic-development projects, and Kūlia Career Development Services, which provides education and career-planning services for Hawaiian youth and adults. "I know we have a wide variety of organizations that are out there, but there has not been a coordinated effort to catalog their missions, long-term goals and strategies."

Besides creating an inventory of Native Hawaiian businesses and fostering collaboration among the groups, plans for the two-to-three-yearlong project include creating a Hawaiian economic development council that would shape a long-term strategic economic plan.

"Our vision is to create an economic council to be in the forefront of all business activities in the state," said Stephen Ka'a'a, president of the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, whose membership numbers about 120 Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian business owners. "(That's) big thinking, big vision for this council to have an economic impact within the state."

The council would identify business opportunities across industries, including health care, tourism and construction, and identify businesses that could participate, said Ka'a'a, who is First Hawaiian Bank's Kāhala, O'ahu branch manager. "If I'm a big general contractor working on a hotel or residential development and I need these types of workers, at least I'll have a basis to reach out to a Hawaiian-owned business if I want to work with other Hawaiian-owned businesses that share the same cultural values and initiatives that I do," he said.

About a year in the planning, the meetings are coming at a time when the economy may be starting to improve. In a meeting with top economic advisers last week, Obama said the economy is "still under severe stress," but described "glimmers of hope across the economy" in areas of mortgage refinancing and small business loans, among others, according to CNN.

Ka'a'a said urgency for the project increased with the optimism surrounding the Akaka Bill, pending in Congress, which Obama has pledged to support.
That's because federal recognition under the proposed bill would grant Native Hawaiians "first rights on government work," similar to what American Indians and Alaska Natives enjoy when bidding on federal contracts, Ka'a'a said.

"There is a greater urgency," he said, referring to HEDEAMP, a partnership between the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce and the Pacific American Foundation that is funded by an OHA Community-Based Economic Development grant. "There's more optimism and hopefully greater prosperity for our people and our Hawaiian businesses."