Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 11, 1 November 1993 — Hawaiians come home, your nation needs you [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hawaiians come home, your nation needs you

by Moanike'ala Akaka Trustee, Hawai'i Recently articles appeared about Mainland Hawaiians that desire to receive benefits from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. There are over 200,000 kānaka

maoli (any blood quantum) residing in Hawai'i. By some estimates 100,000 or more live out-of-state. Hawaiians have for years left home for eeonomie and educational reasons so that their kamali'i would

have opportunities unobtainable to many Hawaiians here. Numerous Hawaiians joined the military as a career for this same reason. My parents, Kammy and Rebecca Mossman Akaka, with five keiki, were among the many Hawaiians in the late 1950s that

migrated to Califomia. My father purchased a well-built three-bed-room house with fireplace for $11,000. Homes are mueh more expensive in California today, yet many Hawaiians still move out of state because of the high

cost of housing and low wages here. Though many transplanted Hawaiians want to eome home (I returned in my early 20s), for some, years away stretch into decades. Many put down roots and do well through hard

work. They obtain a home, educate their children, and are financially better off than many of us in these islands. Many living away are torn between staying where life is more comfortable economically, knowing it's not Hawai'i. The 'āina, po'e, 'ohana, culture and values are not the

same! The conflict between eeonomie necessity while the heart is not at home is real! I encourage Hawaiians to move back home where we struggle for survival in "our" homeland. We are 68 percent of the homeless. Some Hawaiians argue that you're less Hawaiian if you live away from Hawai'i. But some absentee Hawaiians have more of an apprecition for our 'āina, values and culture because they are forced to be away. Their aloha is real and they long to retum. Now that OHA is finally beginning to get some resources we are receiving requests from Mainland Hawaiians for revenues. California Hawaiians would like a branch office and some kānaka maoli from Washington State are setting up a non-profit organization and have sent OHA a proposal requesting $300,000 for operating expenses and offices for their group. There

are requests from other states as well. OHA trustees are elected by Hawaiians residing in the islands, and while this is not an easy or "safe" issue to address, it should and must be examined: Does OHA's mandate extend to cover Hawaiians not residing in the islands? Our two lawyers reach different answers; one yes, the other no. That doesn't resolve the issue.

There is hardly a Hawaiian family without loved ones in America's mainland, and many of these Hawaiians have deep attachments to these isles. I appreciate the predicament of out-of-state Hawaiians and their desire for programs and benefits. I, too, have siblings and their 'ohana there. However, with the problems and suffering many of our ehildren, kūpuna and mākua are going through in Hawai'i today, I, as trustee, feel that the priority

should be programs for Hawaiians living here in Hawai'i. I chair OHA's Health and Human Services Committee. Yet since OHA's inception, practically no resources have gone into life-sustaining human services for our people in Hawai'i. There is so mueh talk about sovereignty — yet we have a nation to heal here at home and that must be the priority! We must heal and re-establish the Hawaiian nation (of people) here. Direct heahh and human service programs will help improve the health of our people. You Hawaiians living away: Come home. Our nation needs your talents and skills. Come help the Hawaiians live in dignity in our own homeland onee again! Ho'oulu lāhui. To raise the nation. Mālama pono. Ua mau ke ea o ka 'āina i ka pono.