Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 10, 1 ʻOkakopa 1999 — OHA and Paepae Hanohano: Commitment to building consensus among Hawaiians [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA and Paepae Hanohano: Commitment to building consensus among Hawaiians

ĪHE APPROPRIATION of $243,500.00 for sovereignty by OHA's Board of Trustees is a significant commitment to consensus building on the issue of self-governance. As expected, Yasmin Anwar's misinformed story in the loeal news failed to present the wide support whieh the Paepae Hanohano effort is receiving. Anwar focused on the fact that the HSEC/Hā Hawai'i proponents opposed the funding of OHA's educational effort because they wanted OHA to provide them with a $ 1 .9 million grant for their Constitutional Convention. Anwar also falsely stated the OHA appropriation is for a Constitutional Convention. It is important that OHA assume its appropriate role in the sovereignty movement - that of facilitator and catalyst for eonsensus building amongst the many eommunity initiatives. After preliminary meetings between representatives of the U.S. Departments of Interior and Justice, OHA, DHHL and some sovereignty and community groups, reconciliation hearings are tentatively set for early November. One of the most important issues to be addressed is "selfdetermination". Self-determination is a collective human right. It is a human right referred to in the United Nations charter and

defined in the Intemational Covenant on Civil and Pohtical Rights and U.N. General Assembly Resolution 1514 (1960). The right to self-determination is defined this way: "All peoples have the right to self-determination; by virtue of that right thev ffeelv determine their pohtical stams

and freely pursue their eeonomie, social and cultural development." In order for the Hawaiian people to exercise their right to self-determination, there must be a process allowing Hawaiians to make a free and informed ehoiee regarding their political stams. Choices should include all of the options Hawaiians are proposing in the political arena. Among these are a monarchical structure, a traditional structure, a nation within a nation strncmre (similar to

what other native Americans have), a kingdorp sfructure. Changing Hawaiians' pohtical status from wardship means a new pohueal status conferred; self-deter-mination is the right to participate meaningfully in this ehoiee.

f OME HAWAIIANS have already l made their choices, held conventions, structured governments and written J constimtions. These groups and sovW ereign initiatives are now cahed upon to work cohectively to ensure aU Hawaiians have the ehanee to designate their

choices. lheconsensus effortofPaepae Hanohano calls on aU committed groups to work coUectively on an inclusive educational campaign and a process and procedure for a selfdetermined vote. It's time we empower ourselves and our peoples on the issue of pohtieal status. The colonizers never did, but we ean and must proceed. There are risks involved - perhaps the Hawahan people wiU not endorse restructuring a monarchy. Are committed groups rpaH\/ tn r*n1_

1VUUJ IV/ «VVVJ/l U1V VV1 lective wiU of the peoples they purport to represent? Many groups have held eleetions to obtain support for their initiatives, but no group has worked to educate on aU options and put them on a baUot. Some people want to use the reconciha-

tion process to secure their entrenched positions as recipients of federal funds. Senator Dan Inouye's office and Pat ZeU have approached the Justice and Interior Departments, lobbying for the hearings to be closed. Inouye wants panels comprised of people he has funded through congressional legislation in heahh, education and other areas. I am opposing this. Under existing U.S. pohcy, recognized native nations deal directly with the U.S. on such benefits and entitlements. This means the focus in reconciliation is restoring self-govemance. The emerging entity wiU be the appropriate body to address health, education and other needs with the U.S. and the Congress. I am urging aU groups and 'ohana to prepare written testimony on what reconcihation is. AU voices on sovereignty need to be heard. For those who aren't sure what they want or don't understand aU the issues, Paepae Hanohano is working toward an inclusive educational effort to answer your needs. In the past, OHA created its own initiative; this time we wiU use the educational material of the initiatives in the pohtical aiena to inform our people. Hui Na'auao, Ka Lāhui Hawai'i, the Kingdom and HSEC/Hā Hawai'i aU have educational materials. Let's get these perspectives into the pohtical arena and encourage an open dialogue. ■

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