Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 1, 1 Ianuali 2000 — $574,810 for NHLC [ARTICLE]

$574,810 for NHLC

Native Hawaiian Legal Corp. to sue for breaches of the Home Lands trust By Paula Durbin NATIVE HAWAfiANS seeking assistance in resolving decades-old claims against the State of Hawai'i received a major financial boost from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Tmstees. At its Dec. 14 meeting in Kona, the board approved an appropriation of $574,810 for the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation to assist Hawaiian beneficiaries in bringing claims against the State of Hawai'i for breaches of the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust. Litigation by the NHLC is in reaction to Governor Benjamin Cayetano's veto of a bill passed during the 1999 legislature. That measure would have extended the life of the Hawaiian Home Lands Individual Claims Review Panel created by the Legislature in 1991 to resolve controversies involving eontroversies and wrongs alleged against the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust. "I am proud that the Board of Trustees agreed to support this important measure," said OHA Board Chair Rowena Akana, eommenting on the board's appropriation. "We collectively recognize the need to help beneficiaries navigate the complex legal system when seeking redress for breaches of the See BOARD BUSINESS on page 3

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RECONCILIATION From page 1

improvements for Hawaiians. Faced with voluminous oral testimony speaking to Hawaiian independence, particularly at meetings on the neighbor islands, Berry and Van Norman advised that their purview and jurisdiction was to discuss reconciliation in the federal context, citing the Native American Indians' model of a nation-within-a-nation as a viable option. They, however, were appreciative of and sensitive to the many viewpoints expressed, whether volatile, passionate, bitter or positive. "Some groups opposed the hearings saying that it's the United Nations that should be looking into this matter, not the federal government," said Maxwell. "Many were against the process, and voiced that mana'o in their testimony. Others insisted that President Clinton himself should have been at the hearings. "The hardest part, for me, was to see how many of our people have lost a sense of dignity to themselves and to others. This is what oppression and colonization does to a people. It demeans them until they demean themselves. We must remember that Queen Lili'uokalani showed dignity and composure. Her loss was greater than ours. She was the single

leader of the Hawaiian people, lost her rule and her kingdom, and lived another 20-plus years waiting for redress. What we see today is total frustration. We must still be compassionate to our people," he said. "In spite of it all, in my 30 years of attending these kinds of meetings, this, I feel, was the most fruitful." When asked about his perception of the ideal Hawaiian leader, he reflected, "I'm not sure that person has been born yet. This leader will have the backing of all factions, and have the power of Akua within." Written public testimony will be accepted until Jan. 7 and should be forwarded to Assistant Secretary M. John Berry, e/o Document Management Unit, Department of the Interior, 1849 C St., N.W.. , Mailstop 7229, Washington, D.C., 20240, or fax it to (202) 208-3230. A preliminary report on the findings of John Berry and Mark Van Norman is expected in February, and will be reported in Ka Wai Ola o OHA. ■