Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 12, Number 3, 1 Malaki 1995 — Hawaiians - wake up! [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]
Hawaiians - wake up!
by The Rev. Moses K. Keale Trustee, Kaua'i & Ni'ihau Isn't it amazing how quiekly yesterday's future becomes today's present reality? It seems like only a few years ago that we were negoiiating for our Hawaiian entitlement. I remember those days
like it was just yesterday. I was ehainnan of the Board then and Govemor Waihe'e approached me to begin the process of negotiating Native Hawaiian entitlement. I brought this matter to the attention of the Board and a committee was selected to pursue the matter. After two years of intensive negotiations, a formula for the settlement was hammered out and Act 304 became law. This was followed by a partial
payment of more than $120 million by the state to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. īt was at that time that I urged caution in our celebration of this important victory. Caution because while we liad mueh lo ce)ehrate. iliis was certainly only a small step forward in addressing the issue of a full and appropriate settlement of the issue of native Hawaiian entitlement. Over the many months
between 1990 and 1994, I outlined carefully and in mueh detail the road yet to be traveled and the dangers lurking ahead. The path was destined to be lined with traps and explosive land mines.
The settlement only addressed a narrow segment of our entitlement. Left to be addressed were other areas of eoneem such as: 1. What about rents or leases on ceded lands being used by the state to support the Public Education System? (School properties removed from the potential revenue stream whose value approximates $2 billion.) 2. What about rcnu or leases on cedetl land being used by the University of Hawai'i Systems? (Property removed from the potentiaI revenue stream approximating $500 million.) 3. What about rents or leases on ceded lands being used by Public Parks or county agencies for whieh compensation is not paid to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs? — —
4. What about rents or leases of ceded lands being used by other state agencies and organizations for whieh compensation is not paid to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs ? 5. What about lands missing from the ceded land inventory whieh were illegally transferred or sold without appropriate compensations?
In just these areas alone, we are talking about the loss of $100s of millions of compensation. Strangely, it seems, during those many articles covering the last 2 1/2 years, I must have been talking to the wind! No one seemed to care enough to address these issues! BUT WAIT! Someone WAS listening! Recently. headlines seem to indicate that there are those who wish to take back the entitlement
by requiring OHA to pay for 20 percent of the improvements necessary to maintain our 20 percent share of the revenue from ceded lands. We have no say in who gets the leases or on what terms these leases are given out, but we must pay for the decisions that are made - good, bad, or otherwise! See what happens when the Hawaiians UNITE - the Kamehameha Day
Celebration Bill is DEAD! This is a state commission, under state statutes, appointed by the Governor, but they want OHA to house and service this organization. If this is the trend
of state government, then clearly. if we are expected to assume responsibility for everything Hawaiian as a result of the state's payment of their obligation to Hawaiians, then let us settle all our entitlement and plaee these items on the table for negotiating such a settlement. Otherwise, it is quite apparent that those who propose such an action are practicing the deceit of giving with one hand while taking with the other. We have been through that before and we are mueh wiser. And if there are those on our Board or in our office who would be wilhng to entertain such thoughts, let them be forewarned that among our many fiduciary responsibilities is an obligation never to fall into such traps. ■ ■■ :
See what happens when the Hawaiians UNUE - the Kamehameha Day Celebration Bill is DEAD!