Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 7, 1 Iulai 1986 — OHA Assists Widow in Settling Land Claim [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA Assists Widow in Settling Land Claim

Too often land owned by Hawaiians is lost to them, often because the owners are unaware of their rights or how to enforce them. In 1981, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs established the Native Hawaiians Land Title Project to provide legal representation for Native Hawaiians in such matters through the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation (NHLC). NHLC has represented hundreds of clients and has been instrumental in achieving land title settlements totalling millions of dollars. The latest case involves Emmaline Kakalia, a Waimanalo widow who on June 19 received a $10,000 eheek in payment for a pieee of Kahuku property owned by her late husband. Individuals claiming ownership of the half-acre parcel initiated "quiet title" action in order to sell the property. In 1983, Mrs. Kakalia's sister-in-law, Esther Westmoreland, saw legal notice of that action in the newspaper and realized that a portionof the property had belonged to her father. She and Mrs. Kakalia eame to OHA for assistance. After extended negotiations between NHLC and attorneys on the other side, an out-of-court settlement was reached under whieh Mrs. Kakalia received $10,000 in payment for her share of the parcel.

Mrs. Westmoreland, who accepted the eheek on behalf of Mrs. Kakalia, told reporters at the ceremony, "If not for OHA we wouldn't know how to handle this kind of thing. My sister-in-law and I are proud we have OHA to eome to if we have problems." In presenting the eheek to Mrs. Westmoreland, OHA Administrator Kamaki A. Kanahele III said, "From OHA's point of view, I think the most important thing to remember is the contribution that the older generation the kupuna ean make, in coming forth when land ownership is in question, checking the names published in legal advertisements and actually taking the time and making the effort to do the research. It is the kupuna who know who is related to who and ean testify about family genealogies. I hope that this one success story will stimulate other Hawaiians. This is a good example of the direction whieh ean be taken when Hawaiians speak up and are accountable to their people as well as their kuleana. This is anexample of OHA being accountable to its constituency, working in concert with beneficiaries such as Mrs. Kakalia and Mrs. Westmoreland utilizing the extraordinary skills of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation."

Esther Westmoreland accepts $10,000 land elaim settlement eheek on behalf of her sister-in-Iaw, Emmaline Kakalia, from Kamaki A. Kanahele III, administrator, Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

This is the same Esther Westmoreland as in the above photo but in another ro!e one year ago. Active as a kupuna and especially as a lauhala artisan, Mrs. Westmoreland is pictured here assisting one of the participants at the 1985 'Aha Puhala ine. lauhaia conference whieh this year is again being held at the Turtle Bay Hilton Hotel on Oahu's North Shore. Mrs. Westmoreland and kupuna and artisans will be on hand to again blend their experiences and talents in a program of demonstrations, workshops and hands-on experienee. Full details of the conference are contained in a story on Page 6.