Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 11, 1 Nowemapa 2005 — Aunty Frenchy's [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Aunty Frenchy's

OHA's founding force talks story about the I ■ I ^Ē ■ I ^Ē ■ ■ ◦gency's 25 years I ■ ■ mW ■ ■ mW ■ ■

lnterview by Manu Buyd, Derek Ferrar 5 Sterling Kini Wung In 1978, Adelaide Keānuenueokalaninuiamamao "Frenchy" De Soto was a city employee and Wai'anae homesteader who was involved in the Kaho'olawe struggle when she decided to run for eleehon as a delegate to the state's emeial Constitutional Convention, with the goal of creating some kind of agency to use ceded-lands money for the benefit of Hawaiians. In 1991, she told Ka Wai Ola

that the idea for such an entity had probably first occurred to her on the beach at Mākena, Maui, when the Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana was preparing for an illegal Kaho'olawe access. "When I watched through the light of the bonfire as our people prepared themselves as if they were going to war," she said, "it hit me that there must be a better way to do this. We have laws." At the Con-Con, Chairman Bill Paty appointed her to head the Hawaiian Affairs Connnittee. There, largely through the strength

of her notoriously fonnidable personality and the help of many other dedicated Hawaiians, she was able to forge consensus on the creation of a state agency to serve Hawaiians - to be headed by Hawaiian leaders elected by Hawaiian voters and funded with revenues from the state's ceded lands trust. From the beginning, she says, she saw the Office of Hawaiian Affairs as "a stepping stone to eventual self-govemance." After the amendment creatSee FRENCHY on page IG

Known ūs the "mother of OHA," Aunty Frenchy De Soto chaired the 1 9/8 Constitutional Convention committee that conceived of fhe agency, and served ūs 0HA's firsf board chairperson. Insef: De Sofo at 0HA's formal dedication in 1 981 .- Pholo: Derek Fem; lnset: KWO Archive

Frenchy

Cūntinued fram page II ing OHA was adopted into law, Aunty Frenchy, as she is universally called, heeame known as the "mother of OHA," a title she brushes off with her characteristically gruff wit. "My name is Frenchy, not 'Mom,"' she quips. In 1980, Aunty Frenchy was elected to OHA's first board of trustees, who chose her to be their chairperson, and she headed the newborn agency through its first turbulent year, before resigning to run for state Senate (she lost). She returned to the board in 1986 and was voted chair again briefly in 1997, before finally stepping down with the other trustees in 2000 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against OHA's Hawaiian-only elections in the Rice v. Cayetano case. Though ostensibly retired today, Aunty Frenchy still uses her polkieal passion and clout to help shape policy on Hawaiian issues from her cluttered desk in the living room of her 'ohanafilled home in Wai'anae Valley. As OHA commemorates its 25th anniversary, Aunty Frenchy sat down with Ka Wai 01 a to reflect on her "child's" journey. How were you able to get the 1978 Con-Con delegates to reach a consensus on OHA anā other Hawaiian issues? By taking my na'au and throwing it on the table and saying, "I got nothing to hide, brah. This is me." And basically convincing people this is the right thing to do. I didn't have all the votes, but I had a majority. I was very lucky that they could see the same thing I saw: that Hawaiians could organize if they had a level playing field. A level playing field to me was being able to eome together - with some finances, of course, from the ceded lands - then they ean all get together and fight and argue.

But it was a case at that point of the blind leading the blind, because what we were embarking on was something that had never been done before. We would meet every evening, and they would eome to the convention bringing stew - you know, mea'ai. We would sit there and have dinner, and I said, "This is what I think: ka mea, ka mea, ka mea." And they would all have input. Some people have said that the state Legislature made life difficultforOHA early on, especially regarding ceded lands revenue. What happened? I don't trust government, but I trusted government in the case of establishing OHA - and they tried to screw us every time we turned around, until it heeame so ridiculous. I remember some legislators met with me and said, "If we give OHA a million dollars every year, take it, because we don't even know whieh lands are the ceded lands." I said, "No. What we said was that OHA would receive a percentage of the ineome from ceded lands." So they were angry with me, but I ean understand that. One of the things that they did do that makes it harder for OHA now is that they said, "Well, you're getting puhlie money, so you might as well serve all the Hawaiians." That was the first mistake, because the Admission Act says that you shall use ceded lands money for small "n" native Hawaiians [those with at least 50 percent blood quantum]. So your iniiial vision was that

i ^ H! « OHA would he for the small "n, " 50-percent Hawaiians? Oh, yeah, as a beginning - but just as a beginning. Because all my children and mo'o no more half, right? But politically speaking, you gotta get the force going first, you gotta get the poliīieal base. And where better than the homesteads - a contiguous group of people? So, that was a big mistake; we should have fought that buggah. But you know, we all get 20-20 hindsight, yeah? II as OHA fulfilled your expectations ? Oh no, far from it. It can't; it's always battling to get its head above water. I thought we could do this if we got a kupuna [Gregory Nāla'i'elua, known as "Papa Kalā"] guiding us from the beginning. But after that kupuna passed, what? The kūpunas on the board started fighting, including myself. I think because we're human beings, personalities got in the way. We are strong-headed people. We believe this is pono and this is not. And the media played a big role. The media is responsible for highlighting all the negativity of OHA and nothing that was done right. And certainly we have done lots right. Whal are some of tlie good things OHA has done for tlie Hawaiian community ? OHA had several high points. I think supporting Pūnana Leo was one - until that got distorted, and it was all Pūnana Leo and nothing else. So that became somewhat of a win.

i ^ . i Supporting the language. Making it possible to borrow money. Look at Kaho'olawe, we supported them. We built a eouple of canoes. You know, we've done a little bit here and a little bit there. Whal sliould Hawaiians do to move forward? It's time to agree already and eome together. You went eom-

I £ I promise all over with everybody else, how about you eompromise with your own? How eome you cannot eome together and let's work it out? You gotta quit alienating people. You know, you watch the niu when the makani blow. The one that bend is the one that survives. The one that is pa'a [stiff] like that - in the morning it's all bus' up, yeah? S

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