Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 5, 1 May 2005 — DHHL evictee [ARTICLE]

DHHL evictee

I am writing in response to Linda Dela Cruz's August 2004 eolumn. Dela Cruz mentioned her experience with the eviction of Bernard 01sen and stated that there should be "no more evictions on Hawaiian Home Lands." Well, my experience with 01sen and his family spans 39 years; my sisters and my mother's experience with him, over 63 years. Let's talk about their numerous family fights, ehieken fights, transients and a particular incident involving an explosion and fire in the 01sen's yard. This DHHL evictee had every opportunity to take care of his home. You don't have to be 50-percent Hawaiian to simply take care of what you've earned or what has been passed to you. Too many people take for granted that because they 're Hawaiians they should have this or that.

So bottom line Trustee Dela Cruz, do not assume to be an advocate for Hawaiian Home Lands if you don't have all your facts together. Sometimes attaining those facts might be difficult for you if you haven't spent most of your life with some of those evictees as neighbors, particularly the Bernard 01sen family. Maj. Penny Kalua Baghdad, lraq