Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 13, Number 5, 1 Mei 1996 — "I kū maumau!" [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

"I kū maumau!"

Hawaiians rally to save OHA trust

eame from all over the islands from groups as diverse as Bishop Estate and the Mākua Council. Their message was simple: a promise is a promise. The promise was the 20 percent of ceded lands revenue guaranteed to OHA by changes to the state constitution in 1978, and laws passed in 1981, and clarified six years ago by Act 304. Recent legislation (S.B. 1698 HD 3) introduced by the governor would eliminate most of those revenues. On a warm Apiil afternoon outside the Capitol and again two weeks later Hawaiians united to say " 'a'ole paha." The first rally (held April 10) began outside OHA's office on Curtis Street then met up with other groups at the King Kamehameha statue. From there between 200 and 300 strong moved toward the eapitol carrying signs urging Hawaiians to eome together with the rallying cry, "I kū maumau!" (pull together). At the Capitol a short list of six speakers grew to 23 as activists, community leaders and politicians joined to speak out against S.B. 1698. "Even in these times of pilikia," rally organizer Trustee Frenchy DeSoto said at the Capitol, "we have been able to eome together to fight this legislation." Groups and individuals who have long not seen eye to eye on the issues of the day recognized that now was a time to put differences aside and send a clear message to lawmakers. "This is not an OHA issue, a Ka Lāhui issue, or a Kamehameha Schools issue," Bishop Estate Trustee Dickie Wong pointed out. "This is a Hawaiian issue." "I'm here to support OHA," Nation of Hawai'i Leader Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele

said. "Enough is enough." Long-time sovereignty advocate Pōkā Laenui made an impromptu appearance saying that he was in the neighborhood and eame by to see what the large crowd of people was demonstrating about. Also making an unscheduled appearance was the minority Republican caucus, all of whom voted against the governor's measure. "Hawaiians are dying," Republican representative Quentin Kawananakoa said in a short speech. "Now is the time to fight." He finished his presentation with a demonstration of lua, the Hawaiian martial art. Other legislators that voted against the governor's measure and who spoke out at the rally included representatives Miehael Kahikina and Billy Swain. Moloka'i activist and community leader Colette Machado made an impassioned speech imploring Hawaiians to "eonhnue to batde on the frontlines." Also speaking at the rally were Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs President Bruss Keppeler, Judy Stewart, president of the Kekaha Hawaiian Homestead Association, Hawaiian Sovereignty Elections Council Chairman Sol Kaho'ohalahala, and Henry Rosa of the Mākua Council. Norma Wong, who as staff at the Office of State Planning was instrumental in negotiating the $130 million settlement OHA received from the state in 1993, was the last speaker at the afternoon's events. She encouraged participants to develop relationships with those "on the other side" of the issue and work towards developing an amicable agreement. "Our lives are interdependent on eaeh other," she said.