Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 1, 1 January 1991 — Kamauu wins Hawaii Bar "Liberty Bell" award [ARTICLE]

Kamauu wins Hawaii Bar "Liberty Bell" award

The Hawai'i State Bar Association, YoungLawyers Division last month presented Mahealani Kamauu, executive director of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, with the Liberty Bell Award at its recent annual convention. The award is given to a non-lawyer who has "made significant contributions in a law-related field." In his letter of nominahon, attorney William Hoshijo described Kamauu as having "demonstrated commitment to social justice, making the struggle for Hawaiian rights her life work . . . She has given countless hours working with the Hawaiian community, farmers, prisoners, and the homeless." Kamauu began her work in 1970, joining loeal activists who fought farmers' evictions from Kalama Valley, challenging long-held (and in her view, erroneous), concepts of private land ownership. The Kalama Valley, Waiahole-Waikane, Ota Camp, Chinatown, and Niumalu-Nawiliwili struggles have stood, in her words, "for the proposition that land is a trust, a eommon largesse in relation to whieh the public's interest has to be balanced against the prerogatives of private ownership." "In the case of Sand Island, Mokauea Island, Makua Valley, Waimanalo Beach, and Makapu'u, Hawaiians made direct claims to native Hawaiian trust lands held by the state." "Moreover", she continued, "as Hawaii's native people, how far more compelling is our cause." Struggle for land reform eventually led Kamauu to join a group "working for the betterment of prison conditions. "It seemed like all the inmates were Hawaiian", she observed. During her support of these causes, already seven years out of high school with two children to support, she decided to go to college. "I had a major opportunity, one not available before. I had dreamed of going to college for many years." The following year, enrolled at the University but unable to forego her social "activism", she volunteered to work with the VISTA/ACTION program, a "domestic peaee corps" whieh emphasized grassroots community work. She was based at Legal Aid and became a trained legal researcher, working exclusively on Hawaiian Homes issues. "The landmark Keaukaha-Panaewa cases were brought during this period", she noted. "I was privileged to work with some outstanding Legal Aid attorneys." Kamauu entered law school after earning her B.A. but left without completing her studies after the birth of a third child. She redirected her energies and volunteered to assist with the reorganization of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation. Although incorporated in 1974, NHLC had been foundering due to laek of funds and administrative support. We went through rough years," she smiles. "No money and lots of bills. God bless our board of directors, who reached into their own pockets to pay the rent. And God bless attorney Melody MacKenzie, who agreed to leave her comfortable job with Chief Justice Richardson to take a ehanee on NHLC." Kamauu has been with the organization for the past 12 years, and watched it grow to its current six-attorney size. "We've had over 2,000 clients and recovered almost $20 million in land," she smiles. "OHA trustees have consistently supported us and provided the lion's share of our funding." "The way I feel about NHLC is that we don't just talk about getting back the land — we're doing something about it." In recognition of her efforts, Chief Justice Herman Lum appointed Kamauu to the Sfate Judiciary's Alternative Dispute Resolution Center Board last year. She also serves on the executive committee of the Native American Rights Fund

board of directors. NARF is a national public interest lawfirm whieh has won landmark land right cases throughout the United States. Recently Kamauu has turned her attention to writing, and her poetry has appeared in various literary publications. In the concluding paragraph of his letter of nomination, attorney Hoshijo writes, "As an activist, administrator, advocate, and accomplished

poet, Mahealani's voice has rung out clear and true for social justice and dignity for all Hawaii's people." "Her efforts, while seemingly tireless, have eome at no small personal sacrifice, yet she preseveres. Mahealani's work continues to make Hawai'i a better and more just plaee, and serves as inspiration for many of us who work with her in the public interest law arena ... I ean think of no other more deserving of the Liberty Bell Award."