Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 3, 1 March 1990 — Hawaiians to gain from federal programs [ARTICLE]

Hawaiians to gain from federal programs

By Lynn Oamilda Since 1975 native Hawaiians have received over $83 million in federal funds towards education, health and human services and labor-related programs to improve their condition. As defined by the federal government, a native Hawaiian is: "Any individual whose ancestors were natives of the area whieh consisted of the Hawaiian Islands prior to 1778." This year Congress has appropriated over $21 million (through 1991) for such areas, said Sherlyn Franklin, government relations officer for Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate. Franklin said continued federal funding is necessary to assist Native Hawaiians to get back on their feet. "The only reason we are asking the federal government is because we believe there is a commitment. There is an obligation. They should have an obligation." According to Franklin, the first federal moneys to assist Native Hawaiians were appropriated under,(he control of the Administration for Native Americans in 1975. Alu Like, ine. was named as the major distributor. Since then funds have been received by Alu Like and numerous other Native Hawaiian groups that provide services. Some of the continuing programs that will receive a federal boost this year are: • The Native Hawaiian Library Project under Alu Like, ine. whichcreated homeworkcenterson Hawaiian Home Lands to provide after school homework assistance, literacy tutoring for high school students and adults and bookmobiles throughout Hawaiian communities. • College financial aid to non-Kamehameha graduates and to Hawaiians studying in the health professions. • Native Hawaiian Health Care Centers program in whieh planning for nine centers is underway.

• Native Hawaiian Drug-Free Schools and Communities program whieh will expand into other communities. • Infrastructure development on Hawaiian home lands under the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to provide sewers, water and electricity. • Native Hawaiian Vocational Education programs under Alu Like, ine. whieh will spread into the community college system, high schools and intermediate schools. • Traveling preschools under the Kamehameha Schools whieh provide mobile vans. The vans visit parks, churches and Hawaiian Home Lands eommunity centers supplied with educational toys, books and other activities for children two to three years old. Their daytime caregiver may also receive educational information from social workers, health aides, drug-free counselors, literacy tutors and others while they are at the preschool. Franklin said that it is uncertain how mueh longer Hawaiians will receive funds for such programs. Even though the Native Hawaiian Education Act has been authorized for five years (and is expected to run into 1993) and the Native Hawaiian Health Care Act has been authorized for three years, it's doubtful (our) statistics will reach parity with other parts of the nation by those years. If it doesn't we would go for re-authorization of those acts, she said. The state Department of Health is also trying to target problems of Hawaiians, Franklin said. In the legislature, for instance, she noted a bill was introduced to give free tuition to all native Hawaiiansat the University of Hawai'i. "There's more behind the native Hawaiian effort than ever before. I think we have enough momentum that it will become systemic and statistics will become better so that it's not such a great formidable task," Franklin said.