Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 3, 1 March 2003 — Leo 'Elele [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Leo 'Elele

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Donald B. Cataluna Vice Chair, Trustee, Kaua'i and Ni'ihau

OHA beneficiary offeis mana'o: The time is NOW for Hawaiians to unite

Editor's note: This month, Trustee Cataluna has provided his eolumn space to OHA beneficiary Pamela Kēhaulani Nakagawa, a Kamehameha School graduate who resides on a Hawaiian Homestead. How does one build a nation? Do we want to build a nation? Is it possible to build a nation? What are the benefits to building a nalion? Who would be included in this nation? These are some of the daunting questions facing the Hawaiian people today. The process of building a nation would be manageable if we first could agree on the questions posed above. Unfortunately, the Hawaiian people are divided. There are those who favor nationhood and those that oppose the notion. There are those that support the Akaka Bill and those that vehemently oppose it. And then there is the majority of Hawaiians standing between these two groups who need clear platforms from both sides before being able to cast a vote for either side on both related issues.Perhaps we

could start by publishing a chart for all Hawaiians that would be clearly understandable that could explore the pros and cons on both issues that would be concise and easy to understand. A one or two-pager with pros and cons that anyone with a 6th grade education could understand. How would we approach this? I propose that we start by asking that anyone who considers themselves a group leader within the Hawaiian community eome forward with a listing of members to prove their leadership and formalize a leadership team. Using a ' highly trained moderator who could be sensitive and respectful of all sides of eaeh issue commit to guiding this group of leaders through a process that would represent a "single voice" for the Hawaiian people. OHA could assist the process with administrative, financial and legal support. Hire the brightest legal minds to navigate us through this process. Hawaiians as a people would need to agree from the onset that the mission would be to discuss eaeh issue in a reverent and respectful

way with the outcome being a "position" that we could present to our people and the rest of the watching world. We need to be clear that compromise is our aim. Unfortunately, all people do not agree on all things all of the time. Can we as Hawaiians - for the good of the people - agree to put down some of our long held positions for the good of the whole? Can we choose to do that? Are we able to agree to disagree when our long held positions on issues eonflict with the majority and allow the majority to move forward for the betterment of "all" Hawaiians? Until Hawaiians are willing to move forward as a whole we will continue to move in different directions as separate groups. We will continue to appear to be a nation divided. We will still be ignored by the Department of the Interior and looked on as a people who are not able to unite and move as one body. We will continue to be an easy target for those who would like Hawaiian institutions disbanded and discarded. Hawaiians let's unite! Let's

decide that we are not going to always agree — but perhaps in hearing with an open heart and mind why someone believes differently we ean stand behind and support those in the majority - all for the sake of moving forward. Or we ean stay divided, hold on to our issues and pledge that we are not going to move off of our positions. If we choose this path, we will watch as the bullets of our enemy slowly erode the very foundation of wealth we stand on. Yes wealth. There are wealth issues that need attention. Ceded lands. Back rent. Submerged lands. Using Mauna Kea for valuable astrologieal knowledge. Benefiting from our unique ecosystem. Fish farming. And the list continues. Left unattended as we scamper to our separate "kuleanas" we will have encouraged the erosion until there will be nothing left. There is a vast reservoir of wealth waiting for the Hawaiian people. Unfortunately, it will stay untapped until we unite. The ehoiee is simple. Move together in unity and wealth. Or move separately into oblivion. ■