Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 1, Number 9, 1 November 1984 — Native Hawaiians Included in Two U. S. Bills [ARTICLE]

Native Hawaiians Included in Two U. S. Bills

Native Hawaiians are included in two federal bills for library services and vocational education whieh had previously reserved set-asides for American lndians only. Last month, U.S. Senateand Houseconferees agreed to an amendment offered by Hawaii Sen. Spark Matsunaga whieh extended the benefits of the two bills to include native Hawaiians.

The first bill amends the Library Services and Construction Act, whieh helps special populations gain greater access to libraries. Under this act, Hawaiians will be eligible for grant assistance for providing mobile library services, as well as building and renovating Iibraries. The second bill amends the Vocational Education Act, whieh fosters the establishment of work training programs to address the unique needs of native Americans. Such programs consider, accommodate and capitalize on special cultural traits. The agreement to include native Hawaiians in both these acts eame after months of activity beginning last

March when OHA Trustee Gard Kealoha, Chairman of the OH A Education Subcommittee, presented testimony to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Education, Arts and Humanities seeking federal assistance forthe educational needs of Hawaiian children.

In May, Sen. Matsunaga introduced amendments to the two bills on libraries and vocational education ca!ling for inclusion of native Hawaiians under the provisions benefiting Amenean Indians. Already Alaskans were included. The Senator's staff in Washington had contacted OHA for statistics and informationontheeducational needs of Hawaiians to present to theSenatecommittee in support of his amendment.

Matsunaga's amenāmenl reads in part, "The term 'lnāian tribe' includes the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for the purpose of furnishing library services under title IV to Hawaiian natives." OHA reported to Matsunaga that over half of the

Hawaiian Home Lands areas have no library nearby and that Hawaii public libraries find that bookcirculation is lowest in areas of high Hawaiian concentration. "Access to libraries and other educational facilities is most difficult in the rural areas where our Hawaiian population is concentrated," noted Trustee Thomas Kaulukukui, chairman of OHA's Committee on Heahh and Human Resources.

After passage by the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee in May and passage by the full Senate in June, the bills with Matsunaga's amendments were brought before House and Senate eonferees this summer to resolve the differences in the respective versions. The H ouse version did not include Matsunaga's amendment to include native Hawaiians. The Senator's amendments are part of a package whieh increases overall authorization for vocational education programs and doubles the Indian set-aside from one or two percent — a substantial increase from less than $7 million to $17.6 million a year.