Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 4, 1 ʻApelila 2000 — E hana kaulike no ka pono o ko kākou mau pulapula [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

E hana kaulike no ka pono o ko kākou mau pulapula

THE HONOLULU Advertiser, dated Feb. 24, I reported, "'It's the beginning of the end for OHA I and a lot of other things,' said H. William Burgess. I The Government is not supposed to practice racial I discrimination against some of its own citizens. In the eyes of govemment we're all one race here. It's America.'" The Honolulu Star Bulletin said on Feb. 24, 2000, "'What the Supreme Court has done with this ruling, narrow as it may seem, is say (that) native Hawaiian is a racial characterization ... and that means that all govemment programs, state and federal, for native Hawaiians are race-based, presumptively unconstitutional and up for challenge,' said John W. Goemans." The aftemoon paper continued, "He (Goemans) does not yet have a new plaintiff, but said potential cases could include fighting anything ffom Hawaiian homesteading rights to housing grants to native gathering rights to heahh and education programs."

Finally, the Honolulu Star Bulletin reported Theodore 01sen, the lawyer for Freddy Rice as saying in the New York Times, "If I were a legislator, I'd be thinking about whether they (Hawaiian programs) ean be justified under strict scmtiny." These are but three examples by opponents of Hawaiian programs and initia-

tives that have resulted from the U.S. Supreme Court's mling on Rice vi. Cayetano. More recently, the March 23 edition of The

Honolulu Star Bulletin reported that Governor Ben Cayetano has raised questions whether candidates must be Hawaiian to serve as a trustee for OHA. Clearly, many questions and interpretations have been raised as a result of the Rice decision. These kinds of statements are good reason for OHA and all other Hawaiian agencies to meet to discuss and plan a strategy to work together as Hawaiians and, as importantly, with non-Hawaiians as a larger community, to respond to those who oppose programs that benefit Hawaiians. Organizations like the Kamehameha Schools, the Queen Emma Foundation, the Queen Lili'uokalani Childrens' Center, the Queen Lili'uokalani Trust and Lunalilo Homes all have a eommon interest. Our beneficiaries are the same: the Hawaiian people. Eaeh Hawaiian organization is a huge repository of land assets, financial wealth, and cultural and social skills. We must work together for a eommon good and in that regard the Rice decision gives us that opportunity. An injury to one is an injury to all. ■

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