Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 11, 1 November 1999 — After Rice, steps toward reconciliation and restoration ofour lands and nation? [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

After Rice, steps toward reconciliation and restoration ofour lands and nation?

NOW THAT the Rice case has been submitted, everyone has an opinion on the possible outeome. Some people were upset because the United States Supreme Court justices seemed misinformed, uncaring and insensitive. Weleome to the real world! The Supreme Court justices are political appointees. It is not wise to assume that they have read all the briefs in any case or that they even write their own decisions. No one seemed interested in Rice's Fourteenth Amendment elaim - that all Hawaiian benefits are unconstitutional because of race. This could be an indication that the justices will not rule on that assertion. The justices were concerned with the voting issue and process. A ruling on this point might kill the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and all the community programs we fund. A narrow ruhng could set aside the election process, allow non-Hawai-ians to vote and/or endanger our trust assets. We need to prepare for the worst scenario. Protecting the trust assets is my primary eoneem now. The federal reconciliation hearings are scheduled at the East-West Center for Dec. 10 and 1 1 from 8 a.m to 6 p.m. All Hawaiians who are concemed with reconeiliahon and the restoration of our nation should attend. Unfortunately, the federal representatives from the United States Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior will not agree to hold hearings on neighbor islands although they will be touring the

neighbor islands for site visits. This means that Hawaiians on Lāna'i, Moloka'i, Kaua'i, •Maui and Hawai'i will either have to fly to O'ahu, or submit written testimony. I am planning to go to the neighbor islands to conduct informational sessions on the hearings and to help Hawaiians prepare testimony.

t's time for all Hawaiians to reahze that the non-native business, development and other anti-Hawaiian forces in Hawaii are moving to dismantle all Hawaiian trusts in an effort to disenfranchise Hawaiians and to seize control of the private and 5(f) ceded lands trusts, revenues and natural resources. We need to move now for restoration of our people's right to self-determination and the restoration of our sovereign nation. In recent years, we have seen attempts by these haole missionary

heirs and their business partners to criminalize Hawaiian gathering rights affirmed by the Hawai'i Supreme Court in the PASH case. It comes as no surprise that these same corporations and their supporters, including the Pacific Legal Foundation, joined Freddy Rice and the Coalition for Color Blind America in their attack on OHA and the ah'i trusts. These attacks on OHA, the Bishop Estate and our native rights are escalating. Wardship doesn't work for Hawaiians - it never has. When you look at the housing, heahh and poverty statistics on Hawaiians, you ean see the legacy of wardship and colonization. If reconcihation means anything, it must mean the restoration of our sovereign nation. It doesn't matter what form of sovereignty you beheve in. The time is now to let the U.S. Departments of Justice and the Interior know that we want our sovereignty restored. I hope that everyone will participate in the reconcihation hearings. We have to fight for our rights now. Regardless of how the Rice case tums out, we need to let the U.S. and everyone else know we will never accept wardship nor will we ever relinquish our inherent and political sovereignty. The Apology Law calls for reconciliation, but it doesn't define what "reconcihation" means. Self-determination means that we, the Hawaiian people, define "reconciliation." To me, that means restore our lands, our sovereignty and our politieal power. ■

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