On June 27, Gov. David Ige signed into law Act 226 which establishes $21.6 million as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ new interim annual share of the proceeds of the Public Land Trust beginning in fiscal year 2023; appropriates $64 million to OHA; and establishes a working group to determine the pro rata share of the proceeds from the Public Land Trust due annually to OHA. We have received the $64 million appropriation and yesterday, the Board voted and approved its investment into our Native Hawaiian Trust Fund in accordance with the Investment Policy.
Ultimately, the decision of where to deploy these additional resources will be decided by our Board of Trustees in fulfillment of their fiduciary duties considering our investment and spending polices and in alignment with our Mana i Mauli Ola Strategic Plan. We mahalo the governor, our legislators and most of all our beneficiaries for their support in helping us to move forward on this long-debated topic. We are committed to participating in the working group and together finding a pono resolution to this issue that is fair and just for our people. Act 226 represents important progress and is a win for our Lāhui, and we will continue to prudently steward these resources as we strive to Hoʻoulu Lāhui Aloha – raise a beloved Lāhui.
