Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 10, 1 October 1999 — Beneficiary arrest [ARTICLE]

Beneficiary arrest

Hearing this morning the news of the arrest of a 71-year-old beneficiary for being loud and unruly at the last OHA board meeting. It is my opinion that Chairwoman Akana did right by the rest of the beneficiaries by having this loud and unruly woman removed from the meeting. If someone cannot show a level of respect for the trustees, she should be removed. That is a plaee of business and a plaee where a level of respect and class should be shown at all times and the trustees that act out with the same level of loud and distasteful behavior really don't show a good example. I would like to see all the trustees use this as an example and say to the future A'os and Lawrences at these meetings, "You disrupt these meetings with total disrespect and do not eome to order when the chair calls the room to order. Your removal will be swift and if need be, you will be arrested. I thank you." Shawna P. Okami-Rosehill Royal Kunia I am not an OHA beneficiary but members of my family are. I want to say how very ashamed I was today of your very public behavior. How very Western and colonized was your behavior, how very haole. I'm not speaking to all trustees because some did not participate in the shameful, sad arrest of an elderly woman who had every right to speak her mind, even if not in agreement with the board. I know several of you protested the arrest and posted bail. " Robert's Rules of Order" is a set of guidelines, not the law. The proper way to hold a public meeting would be to allow the public to speak, not just to agenda items but to anything that concerns them. Ms. Akana shame on you in particular. You are running OHA like an armed eamp and behaving in a para-

noid manner. Learn to be humble and respect your elders whether you agree with them or not. That is part of your culture. Trustees Apoliona, DeSoto and Machado, thank you for caring about Mrs. Lawrence. Fran Orian anapuni808 @ hawaii. rr. eom As a kupuna and an OHA beneficiary who has worked for years to ensure the rights of Hawaiians, I deeply resent being included with "beneficiaries who repeatedly disrupt meetings, use filthy language, threaten staffers and demand open access to government buildings and documents. Ninety-nine percent of the beneficiaries would never lower themselves by using uncivil language. Moreover, OHA is a state department and its meetings are public. It is obvious that certain trustees have no respect for their eonstituents nor do they uphold the Hawaiian custom of respecting their elders. OHA is not pono. What needs to be done or what action needs to occur to make OHA pono? Clara Kakalia Kailua The arrest is shameful and plays right into the hand of "the other guys" who keep saying "Hawaiians cannot get together." How eome a Hawaiian agency treats Hawaiians in that manner? If, as Rowena said, "there are a bunch of troublemakers bent on disruption," there are many ways of addressing the problem. If

Kupuna was being personal, don't take it personally. No one said the job trustees do is easy, but no one forced you into representing nā po'e Hawai'i. Do you beheve the cameras were there because the trustees were going to do something good for the people that day? NO! They were there because they thought ousted Budget Chair Hee was going to blow up and get in one big fight. 'A'ole! The chairman fell in the trap right on the news, sound bites for sound bites, kupuna handcuffed and led away. Is that the message to send to our 'ōpio? Hawaiians stand up for OHA at the airport, peacefully protest against DHHL, protect burial sites. Pai 'Ohana, Puhi Bay, Prince Kūhiō Plaza. Same guys called because "Kupuna was being personal." Let the people talk and when they are pau, move on. I am prepared to. Are the trustees? Patrick L. Kahawaiola'a aupuni@hawaii.net OHA reserves the right to edit all letters for length, defamatory and libelous material, and other objectionable content, and reserves the right to print on a space available basis. Letters are authorized for publication on a one-letter, per subject, per year basis. The inclusion of a letter author's title is a courtesy extended by Ka Wai Ola and does not constitute validation or recognition of the writer as such. All letters must be typed, signed and not exceed 200 words. Send letters to Ka Wai Ola o OHA, 711 Kapi'olani Blvd., Suite 500, Honolulu, H1 9681 3. Readers ean also e-mail their letters to oha@aloha.net.