Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 2, Number 7, 1 July 1985 — Mayors Support Hawaiian Rights [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Mayors Support Hawaiian Rights

The nation's Mayors, meeting in Anchorage, Alaska last month, unanimously endorsed the right of native Hawaiians to be included in federal programs for native Americans. At the plenary session of the United States Conference of Mayors, delegates adopted a resolution asking that "native Hawaiians be treated as other native Americans in programs for the needy that are currently available to other native Americans, and that the federal government establish eligibility rules and regulations for such programs." The resolution was co-introduced by Mayor Frank F. Fasi of Honolulu, Mayor Hannibal Tavares of Maui and Mayor Tony Kunimura of Kauai. Hawaii was represented at the conference by Maui Couneilman Abe Aiona, the official representative of Mayor Tavares; and by Ed Miehelman, Fublic Information Officer for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Following passage of the resolution, Aiona noted that there are numerous federal programs available to American Indians from whieh Hawaiians currently are excluded. Aiona expressed gratitude to the nation's Mayors for their action and said he hopes their support will be recognized by Congress through appropriate legislation. Two other Hawaiian resolutions were deferred pending further study. One asks Congress to eliminate the require ment that native Hawaiians must have at least 50 percent Hawaiian blood in order to qualify for certain programs. The other calls on Congress to require eomplianee with recommendations made in 1983 by the joint federal-state task force on the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. In other action, the Conference of Mayors voted to revise its official emblem whieh now portrays only the continental United States. The new logo will be modified so as to depict Hawaii and Puerto Rico as well.

Mayor Ted Wilson of Salt Lake City presides at closing session of U.S. Conference of Mayors in Anchorage, Alaska.

Maui Councilman Abraham Aiona presents testimony at conference.