Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 11, Number 2, 1 ʻAukake 1994 — Time to kū like kākou [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Time to kū like kākou

On June 28 I spoke before at the Hawaiian agencies master planning conference at the Pacifīc Beach Hotel. I recall remarking on the progress we had made as agertcies and the commitment we demonstrated through difficult

times io eoniinue our separate missions as people and as agencies. In December 1993, OHA funded nearly $800.000 in grants, ranging from education to social service and health requests. They included assistance to institu-

tions like Lunalilo Home and Kilohana School on Moloka'i. OHA's grant funding in 1994 will increase up to an additional $3 million. OHA's Native Hawaiian RevoIving Loan Fund has increased its funding and has a commitment from Congressman Bill Richardson, chair of the House sub-committee on lndian and Hawaiian Affairs, for eonlinued funding during the present Congressional session. I believe Congress will continue this effort to expand eeonomie self-determi-nalion through small business loan opportunities. On the legislative front, OHA has made remarkable progress during tough eeonomie times. The biggest achievement of 1994 was legislative authorization for bonds. Although the bill is not perfect, I will ask my fellow trustees to consider the first 40year fixed mortgage program. The biggest banks in Hawai'i will be asked to fully stand behind 100 p>ercent of the bond proceeds through a letter of credit.

This computes to tower interest rates for our people. And to make this program even better we wiil seek fhe help of the biggest developers of affordable housing to help us to house our own. OHA has taken an

I increased role with 1 many organizations I within the last 12 months — no doubt due to the increase in our portfolio. Although OHA has granted more money than ever before, we have not been able to keep up with the amount of

requests whieh have eome before us. We need your help just as many of you have asked for our help. The challenges ahead will be

difficult and many. For example, it is my view that uniess relief arrives, Lunalilo Home will be threatened with closure. The monthly shortfall in the thousands of dollars per patient is beyond comprehension. Who among us is prepared to piek up the responsibility? Alu Like, while fabulous in its

technical training, job seeking, kupuna and other programs, has been doing so in the face of budget constraints and reductions from the federal government. Who among us will help the programs continue when the federal faucet is turned off? Pūnana Leo, Kula Kaiapuni and other Hawaiian language programs have persevered, teaching our 'ōlelo in the face of budget reductions from the government and private sources. Who among us will lend a financial hand? The state Department of Education has informed us that it is having great difficulty implementing its policy of sequential integration of the Hawaiian immersion program. Who will save that program? We are too quick to answer these questions with the 3-letter word, O-H-A. The reality is that while OHA has established and increased its funding sources, OHA cannot do it all by itself. We look to all organizations and agencies serving Hawaiians to help us. We look to them to develop a comprehensive master plan to implement ways to "kū like kākou." We look to them to help eaeh other in meeting the challenges — eeonomie and social — to further our missions. We must build new partnerships to articulate join planning, to maximize our limited resources, to collaborate and demonstrate lōkahi in the face of the media's best efforts to portray Hawaiians as a divided people. For all of these reasons the phrase, "E lanakila kākou, i ho'okahi pu'uwai me ka lōkahi. Let us move forward with one heart, strengthened by unity" has never been more imporlant.

The reality is that while OHA has established and increased its funding sources, OHA cannot do it all by itself. We look to all organizations and agencies serving Hawaiians to help us.