Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 2, 1 February 1989 — Chairman's Message to Legislature: [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Chairman's Message to Legislature:

OHA Continues Progress Toward Major Goals

In January, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, along with other state agencies, began presenting an overview of its programs and budget requests to the appropriate committees of the State Senate and House of Representatives. The presentations were preceded by a general summary of OHA operations by OHA Chairman Tommy Kaulukukui. His remarks follow:

". . .OHA's motto is 'Ho'oku'ikahi' whieh means 'to unite.' Toward that end, the Office has taken a number of significant steps to bring the Hawaiian community together in order to work for the restoration of self sufficiency and pride among our people. "As you may know, 1 had the rewarding job of putting together 'Ho'olako, 1987', commonly called the Year of the Hawaiian. This project seemed to coalesce the spirit of unification among our Hawaiians, and among those who are Hawaiian at heart. OHA was there at the very beginning, providing seed money to get Ho'olako off the ground and OHA was there throughout the year with whatever help it could provide.

"Ho'olako's eulminahon was the inspiring gathering called Ho'olokahi. Many of you were there and experienced it for yourselves. Over 50,000 people jammed Aloha Stadium to share in an uplifting, awe-inspiring, spiritual experience. Ho'olokahi was conceived and planned by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and received overwhelming support from all segments of the community." "The growing movement for Hawaiian unity was

dramatized by OHA's recent referendum. About 85 percent of those voting urged OHA to end the hurtful demarcation in the OHA Trust between Hawaiians with 50 percent Hawaiian blood and those with less than that amount. In effect, we were told: " 'We are one people. Eliminate artificial definitions whieh serve only to divide us.' " "And so, we have achieved considerable success in moving toward 'Ho'oku'ikahi'. . ,toward unity. Now the question becomes: How do we

achieve the goals we have set for ourselves? "We have just completed and published the first revision of OHA's master plan. It contains amended goals, objectives and policies to guide

the agency in its overall mission of bettering the conditions of our people. The master plan reflects the aspirations of Hawaiians themselves, and is based on concerns and issues raised during eommunity meetings and through formal studies. It is the blueprint for our future. . . "OHA is also working with the major Hawaiian See Frogress, page 3

Presenting the OHA biennium budget request to legislature committees were OHA administrator Kamaki Kanahele (left) and Thomas Kaulukukui, Sr., chairman of the OHA Board of Trustees.

Members of the Senate Ways and Means committee review the proposed budget.

agencies, both public and private, to develop a comprehensive interagency master plan in order to coordinate the resources and expertise availabie within the Hawaiian community.

Progress, continued from page 1

Progress Continues Toward Ma]or OHA Goals

"In order to clarify the longstanding uncertainties surrounding OHA's entitlements, we have been meeting with an ad hoe committee from the Governor's office. This process is not complete, and we cannot yet introduce detailed legislation embodying a settlement. However, both our Board and the Governor remain optimistic that we will eome to you this session with — at the least — the beginning of a resolution. "The importance of these negotiations to the future of the Hawaiian people and our Office is obvious.

"In fact, to support and provide as strong a basis as possible for the negotiations and the aeeeptance of the resuiting settlement, our Board authorized a ten per cent reallocation of the fiscal year 1988-89 budget. The key consideration in this reallocation, was the need to provide general fund support for this effort. "We wili have a detailed variance report regarding this reallocation — inciuding a detailed accounting of the revised spending and the implications for on-going programs — for your information during the session.

"In a capsule form, these monies were needed to fund voter education and registration efforts, pay for the OHA mailout referendum, to support publie informational meeting costs, and to pay expenses related to the work of the Ad Hoe Committee on Entitlement. Central to this reallocation was a eoneem that the sole expenditure of trust monies for these purposes would have violated fiduciary and trust standards impressed on the Board. "Such concerns were the source of an intensive

examination and report by the Office of the Attorney General. One of the recommendations in that report was that future funding for the Ad Hoe Committee be included in OHA requests for funding from the Legislature. As you will see, we have followed that recommendation.

"In another area, with the help of a special team of attorneys and in consultation with Hawaii's eongressional delegation, OHA is drafting a bill calling for federal reparations as a result of the injustices done to the native people of Hawai'i during and after the illegal and immoral overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893. "Although OHA is not primarily a direct service agency and although our policy is to avoid duplication of programs and services available through other agencies or institutions, during the relatively few years of our existence, we have managed to amass a track record of whieh I am rather proud. The centerfold of the November 1988 edition of OHA's newspaper, "Ka Wai Ola O OHA", lists a number of these programs, their impact and benefits.

" In addition to the programs I've already discussed, I would like to eall particular attention to the various Memoranda of Agreement entered into by OHA including the preservation of Luluku from destruction by the proposed H-3 freeway and the preservation of additionai historic sites throughout the Islands. Most recently, of course, OHA has been involved in efforts to prevent the desecration of the bones of our ancestors at Honokahua on Maui. "We're especially proud of OHA's Kupuna Frogram, now in its fifth year of providing training and support to kupuna in Hawaii's puhlie school system. "One of our most successful efforts has been the Native Hawaiian Land Title Project whieh has achieved both monetary settlements and ther return of hundreds of acres of land to their rightful Hawaiian owners.

"OHA has just completed a series of entrepreneurship training programs and is about to begin operation of the the Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund.

"This federally-funded four-year, $3 million program will enahle Hawaiians who are unahle to get conventional loans to establish or expand their own businesses. "Thank you for the opportunity to share with you some of OHA's goals and activities as well as our concerns and aspirations."