Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 1, 1 Ianuali 2005 — Apoliona calls for greater autonomy in State of OHA speech [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Apoliona calls for greater autonomy in State of OHA speech

By Derek Ferrar Following the Dec. 1 OHA trustee investiture ceremony, Chairperson Haunani Apoliona delivered the State of OHA address for 2004. In the 35-minute speech, Apoliona touched on OHA's many efforts and accomplishments over the past year, as well as some of the challenges faced by the agency and the Hawaiian community at large. In addition, she spoke of the trustees' hopes for the future, including

greater autonomy from the state as Hawaiians move toward the establishment of a native governing body. "Wherever legally permissible, OHA needs to begin to operate as the quasiindependent organization, the fourth arm of government, that was envisioned by the framers of the Hawai'i State Constitution in 1978," she said. "With the support of my fellow trustees, we

anticipate having initiatives introduced during the 2005 session of the Legislature whieh will begin this process of creating an OHA with less statutory or regulatory constraints - retaining accountability and prudent decision-making, but moving closer to enabling the paradigm of native governance

I fashioned by Native Hawaiians." Among the topics Apoliona touched on the speech were: • Legal challenges to Hawaiian rights Apoliona reviewed developments in the Arakaki suit against OHA and the Doe v. Kamehameha Schools suit challenging the schools' Hawaiiainpreference admission policy - both of

whieh are awaiting decisions from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals - as well as the mandatory leasehold conversion law, whieh has been moving toward repeal in the Honolulu City Council. "To help defend against these legal challenges," she said, "we See STATE OF OHA on paqe 9

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STATE OF OHA from page 1 at OHA, with the collaboration of supportive groups and individuals, will continue a posture of political activism to assert our rights for survival and renew our collective and responsible eall to action. Indeed, sometimes we may grow weary, but we will not fade and we will not go away."

• OHA's polilieal activities Apoliona spoke of the many state bills that OHA reviewed and commented on during last year's legislative session, and expressed hope for a more positive outcome in the coming session. "After evaluating legislative actions favorable or unfavorable to Native Hawaiians (at the end of the 2004 session)," she said, "the overall grade assigned to the Legislature on Hawaiian issues was a "C minus.' We will strive to improve that grade in the 2005 session and look for passage of bills to improve the well-being of all Hawaiians. We must stand together to support legislation and legislators who support things that are important to Hawaiians." Apoliona also spoke of the board's disappointment that the Akaka Bill, whieh would bring formal federal recognition for Hawaiians, failed to receive a full hearing by the U.S. Senate in its last two-year cycle, despite intensive efforts by Hawai'i's congressional delegation with the support of OHA, the state government and various Hawaiian organizations. She emphasized, however, that hope continues for the measure - whieh the trustees have unanimously voted to support as a means to protect Hawaiian rights from legal attacks - with promises made by key Senate opponents that the

procedural obstacles they put up to hloek passage in the last session would not be repeated. "We are deeply disappointed, of course, that the Akaka bill has not passed," Apoliona said. "However, we seek the continued support of our congressional delegation, Governor Lingle and her administration, the state Legislature, and our total community in this bipartisan effort."

• Efforts toward the formation of a Hawaiian governing entity Regardless of federal recognition, Apoliona said, Hawaiians must continue to push forward toward the formation of a representative political body. She touched on the January 2004 launeh of the Kau Inoa ("plaee your name") registration drive to enroll potential Hawaiian voters for the eventual formation of such a body. She also highlighted the work of the Native Hawaiian Coalition, a working group originally convened by OHA, whieh has been working toward a consensus on the process that would have to be followed in creating the Hawaiian governing body. Although the coalition has voted to heeome independent of OHA, the agency continues to provide financial and logistical support for this crucial effort. • OHA's core mission of bettering the conditions of Native Hawaiians Apoliona reviewed the agency's many efforts and expenditures in areas such as health, education and housing for Native Hawaiians. Pointing out that OHA awarded some $4.2 million in grants to eommunity organizations in 2004 - and that the trustees recently voted to increase such spending by more than $9 million - Apoliona said, "Statistically, Hawaiians are still casualties in socio-economic terms.

We continue to struggle to be healthy. We drop out of school or we fail at higher education. We do battle with high rates of substance abuse and teen pregnancies, and we are incarceration-bound more often than others. We are the face of the homeless. "But it is not hopeless: a eolleetive commitment over time will change the statistics. To this end, the OHA Board of Trustees has

increased budgeted funds for addressing these concerns." She also singled out the landmark agreement, approved by OHA and announced in September, that will transfer control of some 1,800 acres of state land slated for affordablehousing development to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, whieh will use them to build around 3,500 new homes for qualified Hawaiian beneficiaries. • Moving OHA into the future Among the goals Apoliona laid out for the agency were: • To better protect and stabilize Native Hawaiian rights through fostering enrollment of all Native Hawaiians in the process of selfgovernance of their ehoiee; • To protect and advocate for increase of the 200,000 acres held by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; • To protect and grow OHA's approximately $325 million in assets; • To defend the right of the ali'i trusts to hold land in private leasehold interest; • To defend the right to admit only Hawaiian students to Kamehameha Schools; and • To defend Native Hawaiian entitlement programs "It is time for OHA to look to the future, to a time when a Hawaiian governing entity is formed and led by principled Native Hawaiian leaders," she said. "We as the elect-

ed trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs must look for ways to make this transition as simple as possible." Apoliona concluded by saying that, "to secure a better future for Native Hawaiians - and, through that effort, to improve conditions for all who eall Hawai'i home - there are several things we need to do. First, we need to be maka'ala - alert, vigilant, watchful and wide awake. We need to be aware of and

speak out on all attempts to divest Hawaiian trusts, to limit our ability to practice our culture and to otherwise minimize who we are as a unique cultural, spiritual and political class of people. "Second, we need to work together in eommon effort, laulima. If we are divided, we leave doors open for others, whether Hawaiian or nonHawaiian, to wedge and leverage us and weaken our efforts. OHA will strive to continue building positive working relationships with Hawaiian organizations and individuals, and all in the community who impact conditions for Hawaiians. "Third, we need to raise our beloved nation, ho'oulu lāhui aloha. Unifying our collective "political will" for this priority is the single most important task before us to show that we have a unique political status and trust relationship that requires the U.S. to treat us not merely as a race, but as the aboriginal class of people indigenous to these islands, the pae 'āina of Hawai'i. "We trustees look forward to continuing to work together with all of you to better the conditions of Native Hawaiians. As a eommunity, mueh work still lies ahead of us. We ask every Hawaiian to step forward and play a part in building our nation and helping to secure a better future for Hawaiians and all of Hawai'i's people." ■

OHA recounts efforts, looks ahead

Keynote speaker Dr. Elizabeth Kapu'uwailani Lindsey Buyers

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