Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 4, 1 ʻApelila 2005 — Community concerns are top priority [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Community concerns are top priority

Aloha kākou. It has eome to pass that I shall be a trustee for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) from the island of Hawai'i for the next four years. Mahalo nui loa - thank you very mueh to all those that voted for me. My main focus for the next four years, hopefully, shall be for the aboriginal indigenous Native Hawaiian people of the present day and future generations. The letters and phone calls I received have been very confusing whieh leaves me undecided on issues such as: 1) The congressional bill S. 147, referred to as the Akaka Bill. At first, I

thought we were just asking to be recognized and this new version is saying to reorganize. What are we going to reorganize? Is it, the Hawaiian Homes, Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the ali'i trusts? Oh well, whenever a bill is put through the political process, when it comes back to us we hope we ean still recognize it. 2) The Kawaihae Harbor. The Department of Transportation Harbors Division only takes care of the harbors, but some of the land around the Harbor belongs to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Queen Emma Trust.

Actually, I should mention that all this harbor business relates to the Kawaihae Harbor expansion that will include the Super Ferry, the euealyptus wood chips, the Stryker Force and also other impacting enterprises. None of these companies have any regard to the communities concerns. The state Legislature had a bill calling for an environmental impact statement but the senators decided to drop the bill. The community, though, still want an EIS because of all the development. 3)TheBurialCouncil. It seems that the only time Hawaiians speak about the remains and artifacts of our ancestors

is after a developer develops the land and digs up the remains and artifacts; and not before it happens. Why is this? 4) To Build a Nation. For months now the Coalition Group headed by Kahu Kaleo Patterson has been working very hard to find a way to create a nalion. Believe me, it is not easy. Whether the Akaka Bill is approved or not in Congress, how will all aboriginal Hawaiians get together to work toward building a nation? Finally, I am trying to comprehend all that I ean and I will appreciate all the input you have to share with me. Mahalo and until we meet.

Linda Dela Cruz Trustee, Hawai'i