HONOLULU (November 30, 2022) – This morning, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs was honored to participate in the 2022 Annual Meeting of the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators being held in Las Vegas, Nevada, from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1.
OHA Board Chair Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey, along with Tyler Iokepa Gomes of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Sen. Lynn DeCoite, took part in a discussion session entitled “Engaging Native Hawaiians: Building Awareness on Native Hawaiian Issues.”
Lindsey’s remarks centered on the importance of lokāhi in working together in unity with Indigenous leaders, beneficiaries, legislators, community groups and DHHL; the importance of self-determinative governance and native control of native lands; and the federal trust responsibilities to Native Hawaiians that were conveyed to the State of Hawaiʻi via the Admissions Act.
Native Hawaiian participation at the meeting also included Luna Hoʻokele (Director) Dr. Keiki Kawaiʻaeʻa of the University of Hawaiʻi at Hiloʻs Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani (College of Hawaiian Language). Kawaiʻaeʻa spoke at a session entitled “Building Native Language Immersion.”>
With this yearʻs theme of “Moving Forward Through Healing,” the Annual Meeting of the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators brings together state legislators to exchange, learn and build state policy resolutions that improve state-tribal relationships and improve Native American communities.
Read Board Chair Lindseyʻs formal comments
