Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 19, Number 9, 1 Kepakemapa 2002 — Protect and preserve Pauahi's legacy for our Hawaiian children [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Protect and preserve Pauahi's legacy for our Hawaiian children

In light of the fact that I have been involved with the Kamehameha Schools admissions issue, I want to take this opportunity to express my concams with this matter. There has been mueh coverage by the press and many lettem to the editors of both newspapers regarding this issue. While thare are those who have a good sense about the issues involved, there are many who have no elue as to the facts or the real issues of the matter. In my opinion, Kamehameha Schools has added to this confusion by sending mixed

messages. Ke Ali'i Pauahi Bishop's legacy was left in a private trust to educate children of Hawaiian ancestry so that they could become "industrious men and women." It was her wish that her Hawaiian people, given the opportunity to receive a good education, would be able to survive in the Western world. It is for this reason Hawaiian children must be given preference for admission to Kamehameha Schools. The admission of a non-Hawaiian child to the VIaui campus was not an IRS issue inasmuch as the IRS

reaffirmed Kamehameha Schools' Admissions Policy in 1999. This is not a Jones, Rice, Arakaki or Barrett case. There is no nexus between these cases and the Kamehameha Schools' Admission Policy. My eoneem is that because of this admissions issue, othem will now make it a racist and an entitlement issue. This move has brought more attention and focus to the likes of Carroll, Goemans, Barrett, Arakaki, and all the other non-Hawaiians who feel they are entitled to share in Ke Ali'i Pauahi's legacy. We

cannot allow this to happen. As Hawaiians, along with our nonHawaiian friends who support us, we believe that this legacy belongs to our Hawaiian children. We must stand together to protect Ke Ali'i Pauahi's wishes. We should not "roll over" because of the legal challenges or threats by those who wish to destroy her legacy at the expense of our Hawaiian children. E ho 'omalu a pale i ka ho 'oilina a Ke Ali 'i Pauahi i ola mau ai nā pua Hawai'i. ■

Oz Stender Trustee, A t-large