Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 6, 1 May 2008 — Ceded lands bill [ARTICLE]

Ceded lands bill

The Senate showed eoneein and wisdom in slowing down the momentum to ensure the ceded lands bih HB 266 be pono and not have dire consequences for our Hawaiian future. "Too many questions remain relating to the Fingle-OHA agreement," the Senate decided. I helped negotiate the original agreement whh the Waihe'e and Cayetano administrations. We had a fonnula that ensured a fair settlement: Hawaiians get 20percent

of rents and leases, the state kept the remaining 80 percent for the general puhlie. The currently proposed hill seems arbitrary - no fonnula. Whh a revenue-sharing fonnula it's a win-win situation: when tnnes are bad we get less, when we're awash in money we get more. At the Senate-mandated Hilo community meeting h was revealed that there had been no appraisal of the three land parcels OHA is considering taking in lieu of cash. OHA Trustees have a fiduciary responsibihty of due diligence whieh includes an appraisal of any lands h intends to obtain. Understandably, many Kanaka Maoli feel they are again getting "the short end of the stick." Remember, Judge Heely in 1996 ruled OHA was owed 1.2 BIFFION dollars up to 1990, that was 18 years ago! The current proposal would offer us $13 million in cash and the other $187 million in the return of our own Hawaiian lands. What we should bargain for is more land; we should open up ceded lands so that Hawaiians need not be homeless living on the beaches. Ceded lands should also be opened up for sustainable communities in the spirit of Aloha 'Āina. Also, the University of Hawai'i system is on ceded lands and pays no rent (OHA gets a percentage of bookstore profhs). Native Hawaiians should get tuition wavers. A recent study commissioned by OHA showed that there are more milhonaires living in Hawai'i than any other state, but less than 2 percent of native Hawahans eam more than $100,000 yearly. On the other hand, Hawaiians earning between $1,000 to $10,000 make up 26.6 percent of this group. This division of "haves and havenots" is unhealthy for a democratic society and especially for the Aloha Spirit. OHA's mandate is "better the condition of the Hawahan People."

Moanike'ala Akaka Hilo, Hawai'i Former OHA Trustee, 1984-1996