Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 8, 1 ʻAukake 2003 — Milestones over the past few years mark challenges, successes, frustration, hope [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Milestones over the past few years mark challenges, successes, frustration, hope

Aloha nui kākou e nā 'ōiwi 'ōlino. We will soon eommemorate the 165th birthday anniversary of Queen Lili'uokalani and recall her 1917 words of hope, challenge and truth: "You must remember never to cease to act because you fear you may fail. The way to lose any earthly kingdom is to be inflexible, intolerant, and prejudicial. Another way is to be too flexible, tolerant of too many wrongs and without judgement at all. It is a razor's edge. It is the width of a blade of pili grass. To gain the kingdom of heaven is to hear what is not said, to see what ean not be seen, and to know the unknowahle — that is Aloha. All things in this world are two; in heaven there is but one." In these last three years, September has marked significant, sometimes painful, milestones impacting Hawaiians and Hawai'i. In September 2000, nine OHA trustees resigned when Governor Cayetano directed the filing of state court action (quo warranto) to remove all trustees, following the

decision on Rice v Cayetano. In September 2001, Chief Justice Moon, Hawai'i Supreme Court, ruled Act 304 invalid in his decision on OHA v State. Governor Cayetano immediately ceased paying OHA its 20 per cent share of ceded land revenues despite OHA's protest that payment was still due pursuant to Hawai'i statute and State Constitution. In September 2002, the soon-to-be-retired members of the Honolulu City Council assaulted the Queen Lili'uokalani Trust, to force the lease-to-fee conversion and sale of Trust lands in Waikiki - lands generating revenues for the Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center to serve its beneficiaries. September 2002, the anniversary of the queen's 164th birthday, marked the moment where voices rose up in defense of this institution serving Hawaiian children and kama'āina and malihini alike said "enough." Kūpuna, mākua, and 'ōpio assembled and marched with discipline, dignity and without incident in advancing both expression and exercise of Hawaiian self-determi-

nation. Days later OHA, with similar dignity, discipline and resolve launched the educational campaign to remind all 2002 political hopefuls of both Statutory and Constitutional obligations Hawai'i has to Hawaiians. The primary and general election OHA-sponsored forums forced the gubernatorial race to center stage. The victorious candidate, Linda Lingle, credited our forum as the ultimate differenee. In January 2003, kama'āina and malihini rallied with OHA and 'ohana for opening day of Legislature 2003. Governor Lingle said in her 2003 State of the State address, "I will meet with members of the Bush administration and testify before Congress on the reasons why federal recognition of Native Hawaiians is so critically important to all the people of Hawai'i" and further declared, "Here at home in Hawai'i I will continue to work with you and with the Hawaiian community to resolve the ceded lands issue onee and for all. Like so many of the issues we currently face, the ceded lands issue is one

that did not occur overnight and will not be resolved overnight. It is as complicated as it is emotionally charged. But until we get it resolved, our community ean never really eome together as one." On the eve of the queen's birthday, we ean say: 1) payment of "undisputed" ceded land revenues is restored and resumed through joint effort of the Governor and the Legislature, OHA's negotiation team awaits engaging the state administration's team in resolving issues related to "disputed" ceded land revenues; 2) forced lease-to-fee conversion of Queen Lili'uokalani Trust lands is "off the table" for now; 3) collective efforts to successfully pass Federal Recognition for Native Hawaiians are focused and ongoing ; 4) steps to facilitate the process for Hawaiian governance and the participation of our Hawaiian eommunity in that process are under way. E ō e nā 'ōiwi 'ōlino. 33/48 ■

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Haunani Apoliona, MSW Trustee, At-large