Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 4, 1 ʻApelila 1997 — Page A3 Advertisements Column 2 [ADVERTISEMENT]

Questions & Answers About Ceded Lands Media coverage of ceded land issues tends to surface only when a single court dedsion is announced, or a particular proposal is before legislators. As a result, manv in the oommunity get only a "snapshot" of the issue at a single moment in time, and are left without a wider perspective of a subject that goes back mote than a century. The most recent chapters - and the resulting news coverage - center around last summer's ruling by Judge Daniel Heely, concerns about the methods by whieh Hawaiians aie compensated for the use of ceded lands at Honolulu Intemational Airport, and dire predictions that settling these matters would "bankmpt" the state. Here is a brief outlook on how these matters are intertwined with the larger issue. What Are Ceded Lands? Ceded lands aie the government and crown lands onee controlled by the Kingdom of Hawai'i. At the time of the overthrow, it was estimated at approximateiy 1.8 million acres; today approximately 1.2 million acres remain in the public land trust created at the time of statehood. What Agreements Have Been Made With Hawaiians About Ceded Lands? Under the terms of the Statehood Act, the State Constitution, and state laws, a portion of the revenue generated by ceded lands - in lease rent, concession fees, landing fees, and other ineome - is to be used to benefit the Hawaiian people. How Does Judge Heely's Decision Affect Ceded Lands Revenue? For years, OHA and others have contended that the state was not providing Hawaiians' fair share of the revenue. In the most recent case, Circuit Court Judge Daniel Heely ruled in OFlA's favor, ordering the state to pay Hawaiians additional shaies of ceded land and related revenues.