Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 2, 1 February 1990 — The decade of the Hawaiian [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The decade of the Hawaiian

By Thomas Kaulukukui Chairman

The decade of the 1980s was a very important one for Hawaiians. During the '80s seeds were planted for betterment of eonditions for the native people of Hawai'i. But the coming decade will be the one when these

The first board of nine trustees was elected by their fellow Hawaiians in 1980. They took office in January 198 1 to try and carry out the vision of their brothers and sisters who were in the 1978 state constitutional convention. They wanted a better future for Hawaiians. Because of their efforts the 1980 legislature created OHA. Since then, OHA has worked hard to build the foundation for a renewed Hawaiian nation. Now I see lots of good things ahead for our po'e Hawai'i and for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. In the 1980s we saw Congress pass and, most importantly, fund major bills that brought $23.4

million in new or increased services to Hawaiians in: educational services for job training, early childhood care, drug and aleohol abuse preventive education in the schools, financial aid for higher education, including health care education. The funding supports reading and language arts programs, library services, programs for gifted and talented children and those with special edueahonal needs. Funds are also being received to plan new health centers for Hawaiians, to support Hawaiian culture and arts, and for eeonomie development loans to Hawaiian entrepreneurs. In the fiscal years 1990 through 1992 we hope appropriations may be as mueh as $71.9 million to eonhnue these programs. Hawaiians will begin to reap the benefits of these new programs in the 1990s. In the new decade OHA's multi-branched initiatives, shoots from the root called I Luna A'e, will eonhnue to grow and bear fruit. We hope to: • settle OHA's entitlement to ceded land revenues • adopt a single definition of Native Hawaiian so OHA ean work to better the conditions of all Haivaiians.

• register all Hawaiians living instate and outside of Hawai'i. • improve coordination between Hawaiian service organizations and trusts to better serve our people We hope to see the OHA Blueprint for Native Hawaiian Entitlements develop into a package for federal legislation to return ceded lands to a selfgoverning Native Hawaiian entity chosen by Hawaiians. Ho'olako the Year of the Hawaiian (1987) focused the state on our contribution as Hawaiians. We took stock of our accomplishments and where we wanted to go as a people. I am proud that our governor, John Waihee, has referred to a decade of the Hawaiian in his recent and in the Association of Hawaiian Civic Club convention booklet. He said "Two years ago we celebrated the Year of the Hawaiian. It was a time for coming together, resolving our differences, and reuniting to promote the cause of our people. We were enriched. "As we approach 1990, let us transmit the spirit of ho'olako to the new decade. Together, ever stronger, for tomorrow." To those sentiments I say Amene.

seeds grow and flourish.