Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 2, 1 Pepeluali 1999 — MORE SCAMMING? [ARTICLE]

MORE SCAMMING?

Pōkā Laenui's article on "scamming" must be taken seriously. Laenui erred in saying no one had eome forward to challenge the plebiscite vote. Plaintiffs Clara Kakalia, Billie Beamer, Lela Hubbard and Steven Kubota filed a suit in federal court. Judge Ezra has not closed this case. Plaintiffs ean return to court if we find monies from OHA's trust are not benefitting the Hawaiian people. In 1996, Native Hawaiians voted on whether to have a Hawaiian constitutional eonvention. Following are the results: 81,507 ballots were mailed; 22,294 people voted "yes," or 27 percent; 8,129 voted "no," or 10 percent; 2,577 ballots were spoiled. or 3 percent; and 48,507 people boycotted, or 60 percent overwhelmingly saying "no." Hā Hawai'i is proceeding with the eleehon of delegates to the Native Hawaiian eonvention. Let us not be afraid of this convention. Let us monitor as to how these delegates will eome up with a eonstitution for all Hawaiians. It is the end result of the convention that counts. We Hawaiians must ratify this constitution. It takes two-thirds to adopt this constitution; 100,163 registered OHA voters must cast 66,774 "yes" votes. Clara Kakalia Puna The attempt by kumu hulas, influenced by Ka Lāhui See LETTER on page 3

From page 2 Hawai'i and the Kūkahi Coalition, to stop the Hā eleetion is beyond my comprehension. I too tossed my last ballot into the garbage ean and did not participate. However, the process keeps moving on and the people who move it are not the enemy. You are the enemy to your own people. The bruddahs who control the process eome from Kalākaua's Mason Group. They asked Abraham Aiona who drew up and implemented the plan, not the state or federal government. Bill Clinton, bless his heart, signed the Apology Bill. Was he supposed to do anything else? NO. It is not up to anyone but the Hawaiian people to reinstate the Kingdom of Hawai'i! Why reinvent the wheel when Kamehameha III already laid the foundation with the constitutional monarchy? So if it's your egotistical passion to boycott the election, it is certainly your prerogative. However, the day a hula hālau steps out of its kuleana and pounds the pahu, it becomes political. The day a kumu ean dictate to a warrior priest how he should fight the battle is the day we must meditate to Akua and ask, "How you figgah?" Vernal Pe'a Lindsey Honolulu

LETTERS