Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 11, Number 2, 1 February 1994 — Advocating for Hawaiian and indigneous justice worldwide [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Advocating for Hawaiian and indigneous justice worldwide

by Moanike'ala Akaka Trustee, Hawai'i Some Hawaiians suspect there's a lot of money missing from OHA coffers, but I'm happy to agree with the recent legislative audit that clears OHA of financial malfeasance. However, there seems to be an

attempt by the auditors to separate trustees from staff divisions in Heahh and Human Services, Land, Eeonomie Development, Education and Culture. Auditors seem to feel trustees, as policy-makers, have a superficial role and should not "advocate

interest relating to staff program structures. Auditors don't understand that we, elected representatives of Hawaiians are here as advocates of a people lone neglected and exploited, with needs largely ignored by state and nation.

Auditors feel that elected advocates who show eoneem on our people's behalf in specific division areas "give an appearance of trustees being biased and not acting in interest of all beneficiaries." I, as trustee, am concerned about all areas, not just specific

areas, of our people's eoneem; nor just those of Hawai'i Island. The auditors feel we have a fiduciary responsibility "to beneficiaries of the (ceded) tmst as a whole," — you the Hawaiian people.

I totally agree! The Board of Trustees has rightfully objected to the Legislative Auditor's recommendation that the BOT operate through our committees on a functional basis: budgeting, planning or program management

instead of subject areas — heahh, land and sovereignty, eeonomie development, etc. I feel this would emasculate the effectiveness of elected tmstee advocates of the Hawaiian people. Are state auditors trying to tum OHA into another ineffective Bureau of Indian Affairs, while staff operates in a luxurious building far removed from our constitutents' pressing concerns? In our Hawaiian democracy, there is a special relationship of elected officials to constitutents and the Hawaiian population as a whole. Ideally, officials are elected on a platform of ideas, issues and programs they stand for. This is representative govemment "of the people, by the people and for the people"! History teaches when public officials fail to respond to basic survival needs of constituents as a whole. there is cause for a people "backed against the wall" to revolt, as is now going on in Southem Mexico. 1993 was sup-

posed to be the year of the indigenous people, but the New Year's Day insurrection by Zapatistas signals the immediate need for serious action meeting indigenous needs world-wide. In Central America, including Mexico, natives have been resisting and resenting eolonial subjugation for 500 years. Today these people fear for their very existence because of the onslaught of foreign money and methods to develop the 'āina they live on and love. Recent peaceful demonstrations were mocked and the arrest of many fueled this insurrection. Their lifestyle and tradition of cooperation (ejido system) has been assaulted; their survival as a unique living culture and people is endangered. These are children of Emiliano Zapata, a great hero whose life is a legend among his people. He fought the monstrous, incomprehensible, poliīieal machinery of the capital; he defended the people and the 'āina.

They believe NAFTA seals their fate to extinction. NAFTA and its international capital will dismiss native claims as an irrelevant impediment to progress. Political participation is denied by eeonomie forces; physical demise ean only follow. Is there hope? Loeal Catholic priests ("liberation theologists") are long familiar with the situation of the first fathers of the land, but their slant to Catholicism makes them problemaūe to the Vatican. Mexico is a sad example of democratic failure to address serious grievances of native peoples, whose living conditions are deplorable. We must sympathize with them — they are our brothers and sisters as indigenous people. When we all work for justice, violence is avoidable. Mālama pono. Ua mau ke ea o ka 'āina i ka pono.