Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 12, 1 Kekemapa 1992 — Koho ʻia nā poʻe Hawaiʻi [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Koho ʻia nā poʻe Hawaiʻi

by Moses K. Keale Sr. Trustee, Kaua'i & Ni'ihau The Hawaiian people have made their ehoiee! Thank you one and all for your resounding vote of confi-

dence. It is very humbling to know that you have onee again placed your trust in me. Eaeh and every one of you do me

and my family great honor. This eleehon was an especially difficult one for me because of the events surrounding Hurricane 'Iniki, my injuries and the resulting health problems associated with those injuries. In times of hardship, it is heartening to know that you have 'ohana who will stand by you, stand with you, and provide the support that you need. Thank you again for your

willingness to be my support throughout those long days and weeks. Well, my health is back and the eleehon is over. To the many friends and supporters that showed their supfxirt, I pledge to do my best to earn the title of trustee and representative of the Hawaiian people. There is so mueh more to do. I humbly ask your continued support of my efforts. To recap the year, it was truly one of progress and accomplishment. I had promised to improve OHA's edueahonal initiatives and we have delivered. Just last month we appointed the board of directors of the OHA Education Foundation. They met and have already organized, with Abraham Pi'ianāi'a as president, Alma Henderson, first vice president, Dr. Miehael Chun, second vice president, David Peters, treasurer and Dr. Joyce Tsunoda, secretary, and an opening endowment of $10 million. We should soon see a positive impact on education for our young Hawaiians. As I have mentioned in previous

articles, 'Aha 'Opio O OHA was a great success. In fact, at least four of their bills made their way to the annual convention of the Association of Hawaiian Civic clubs where they were given special attention and support. We also sent more than a dozen youngsters from 'Aha 'Opio to the University of Hawai'i-Hilo Hawaiian leadership conference. It was exciting and informative. Our core of young leaders has been ensured and our future is safe in their hands. Of course, 'Aha Kūpuna was the usual wonderful and warm gathering that has distinguished its existence for over five years. This year's conferenee focused on the family and family values and practices. The workshops were enjoyed and informative to all. And finally, our second annual Ke Kukui Mālamalama awards will be given out this month. Ke Kukui Mālamalama recognizes excellence in educational achievements. As we acknowledge those individuals and organizations who contribute toward strengthening the educational oppor-

tunities for our children, let us be mindful of our duty to encourage everyone to support those who eontribute so mueh of themselves so that our children will be able to achieve their goals and aspirations. All in all, it has been a very good year for the Hawaiian. As we reflect on the accomplishments of the past, let us remind ourselves that it is only through cooperation and unity that we succeed. But most of all, we owe all of our successes to Ke Akua. So, my final thoughts for this year are that we should all join in prayer for health, wisdom and strength in the coming year. May Ke Akua bless eaeh of you and your families. May the peaee and love of the season inspire eaeh of us to greater love and service. Have a joyful Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year! A i mana'o kekahi e lilo i po'okela i waena o 'oukou, e pono no e lilo 'ia i kauwa nā 'oukou. Nā ke Akua e mālama a e alaka'i 'ia kākou apau.

Trustee Aiona from page 21

He took a swipe at the "eolonial club" attitude that still exists in the Pacific, and singled out Australia. Australia had tried to delay the election, because one of the persons nominated had declined and that left only Mr. Sokomanu as a candidate. There was some concern that he may not have the qualifications and the ability to head the organization, and Australia had voiced its strong opinion. Sokomanu took Australia to task in the Fiji Times and it made headlines. There was no real heavy discussion in the conference. but a lot of informal talks in trying to maintain the organization. However, I think that Mr. Sokomanu will be watched very carefully because of the deficit and his statements. Closing discussions reflected back on the days when Sir Ratu Mara and a few of his colleagues were able to get together, form the SPC, and painstakingly wean away themselves from the old "eolonial powers," knowing full well that if the "eolonial powers" withdrew, the SPC would not be able to continue. The question was, where do we go from here? The consensus was that the SPC would continue to provide the insight and expertise to island nations and provide the kind of leadership that it has shown over the past 45 years. I was especially happy to hear the reaction to my presentation of our request to be a part of the SPC. I said that we were all a part of the vast Pacific where our cultures have this fine thread weaving in between and among us. I said we were very interested in becoming an SPC member so that we could assist countries lesser developed and inform them of the pitfalls of fast growth.

Hawai'i should be considered and hopefully it will be discussed at the next Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA) meeting in Noumea in 1993. All of the workings and working papers emanate from this committee and is important that the conferees be informed about our eager interest to join our brothers and sisters. One of the most interesting experiences that I have ever had was a visit with Mrs. Aiona to a remote village way in the interior or the "bush" land. What was important about this visit was that it took us into an area where visitors or tourists are not allowed; oniy people invited by the government or that live in the area are allowed to go. The route to the village was most interesting. We travelled through country that had no roads, only walking trails. Boats called "water taxis" are the only way for the people to travel ffom the villages down to the populated area. I was impressed with the native villagers. They were friendly, warm and made us feel very, very important. We spent close to five hours with the villagers and enjoyed a feast, dancing, other entertain-

ment, and long kava bowl ceremonies. I thoroughly enjoyed my meetings with the various chiefs and the others assembled there. To me, this was the highlight of the trip. meeting the native people, seeing how they live off the land, and seeing how happy they were without urban growth and eeonomie development. I mentioned this to Robin Yarrow, one of the ministers. He agreed that is the reason the government is so strict in not allowing other than the natives themselves to enter that area. I would recommend that OHA become a member of this reputable organization.