Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 12, 1 December 2008 — 2009: Hele pololei me ka mahalo [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

2009: Hele pololei me ka mahalo

Haunani Apuliuna. MSW Chairpersūn, TrustEE, At-large

Aloha e nā 'ōiwi 'ōlino, nā pulapula a Hāloa mai Hawai'i a Ni'ihau puni ke ao mālamalama. Post-election 2008 highhghts inspiring polhieal results both nationally and locally. In Hawai'i, the Con Con vote is NO, the 2008 electorate has spoken; all OHA incumbents retum to serve 2008-2012, overwhelming the eompetition by outstanding vote margins. The Hawai'i electorate message to OHA is decisive and encouraging,"keep current leadership stable at OHA," "OHA's work is appreciated by people of Hawai'i," "stay the course, keep moving forward," the expansive and expensive negative strategy opposition rejected. Former OHA deputy administrator, staff and former tmstees hard at work to undermine OHA sulhed the campaign period. Tmstee Rowena Akana worked overtly, pohtically endorsing a former OHA deputy director for tmsteesliip by misinforming and misleading the voting pubhc, and exposing herself by stooping to remove Apoliona and Machado campaign signs along Likelike Highway. Personal media testimonies by recognizable community figures supported their erroneous and reckless statements in the media. Among tliis eoheehon of people, we fiiid eommon pattems. Several did not do thdr homework to fiiid out the facts; some, even armed with facts, chose to manipulate them to fit thdr preferred polMeal message; others just went along because they have personal issues with OHA, the remaining were pawns in the negative campaign scheme. We ean only hope that in the aftermath of tliis eleehon cycle honest assessment of personal actions whl prevah. One of our Tmstees noted, "tliis eleehon also demonstrates a very important lesson in civics and that is, a campaign based on hes and hate does not work, no matter how mueh money

you throw at it. The people in tliis community and the Nation are more discriminating between good and bad, what is true and what is false and what is hateful." Such actions were irresponsible, reckless and undermined community trust. The next four years will bring great chaUenges along with stellar opportunities for Native Hawaiians and Hawai'i. Through its past experiences OHA will be prepared for the challenges. For nearly a year Trustee Rowena Akana has lodged attacks against OHA Administrator Nāmu'o, administrative and hne staff, other sitting OHA Tmstees, including me, in KWO. As OHATmstee, sheaccesses substantial and substantive factual information but chooses to manipulate such detahs to fit her preferred pohheal message. Only she knows what underhes her mean-spirited actions. I have been shently observant, choosing not to be drawn into Akana 's contentious exchanges in Ka Wai Ola. However, tliis time, the untruths in Akana's November 2008 Ka Wai Ola eolumn, Apohona seUs out the Hawaiians, whl not go unchallenged. Akana's "alleged facts" are erroneous statements designed to misinform and mislead. 2008 CEDED LAND AGREEMENT Contrary to Akana's effort to misinform KWO readers, the Settlement Agreement (terms and conditions) between OHA and the State of Hawai'i was approved by the vote of the OHA Board of Trustees. I affixed my signature to the Settlement Agreement as Chairperson of the Board of Tmstees only after the OHA Board of Tmstees approved the Settlement document. Settlement discussions between OHA and the State of Hawai'i took more than three-and-a-half years. Over 34 OHA Board of Tmstees meetings were held to dehberate these matters eaeh step of the way. As with other negotiations by unions and contractors, our meetings were confidential. Akana chose to be absent from many Board meetings. The OHA-State 2008 Agreement to resolve payment on "disputed" ineome and proceeds from the Pubhc Land Trust, owing to OHA since 1978, addressed items remaining since

OHA's earher partial settlement. The 2008 House Bhl provided codification of the $15.1 milhon annual payments estabhsliing $15. lm as the "floor" payment and exposing the State to htigation if diminished. The Bhl provided language for biennial review of such ineome and proceeds in consideration of increased payments to OHA. Although ineome and proceeds payments to OHA were restored in 2003 and increased in 2006, currently, any future increase in payments must be legislated anyway. On Apiil 16, 1999, OHA Chair Rowena Akana signed a letter during negotiation with the Cayetano administration on these same matters in wliieh OHA agreed to repeal Act 304 and Chapter 10 in exchange for a successful Sethement. No OHA Board vote was taken to approve that agreement, as I recah.In fact, on Apiil 27, 1999, to Qiair Akana's dismay, a majority of the OHA Board voted to terminate unsatisfactory Settlement Negotiations with the State. AKANA'S TRAVEL Wliile demanding transparency of OHA financial reports on the one hand, Rowena Akana was infuriated when travel costs for Trustees were displayed on the OHA web site and the media asked her to explain why her expenses as a Board member exceeded that of BOT Chairperson Apoliona and the two BOT Committee Chairs. Akana attempted to deflect inquiries about her travel expenditures by pointing fingers and misrepresenting travel expenditures of the Chair. The OHA Bylaws advise that "official business" means an activity authorized by the Chair for members of the Board, or the Administrator for employees, and performed or conducted pursuant to the duties of the Board, committee or Office." COOK ISLANDS As OHA Qiairperson, I did not authorize Rowena Akana's travel to the Cook Islands as "olheial business." In a letter dated Oct. 30, 2007, and faxed to OHA administration, the Executive Advisor in the Minister's Office refers to Trustee Akana as Ad Hoe Committee Chair for Heahh. In 2007 no such Ad Hoe Committee on Health existed under the OHA Standing Committee for Beneficiary

Advocacy and Empowerment, nor under OHA's Asset Resource Management Committee, nor under the Board of Trustees. Akana was onee Chair of a BAE Advisory Heahh Committee, whieh went defunct in 2004. In 2007 no such OHA Ad Hoe Committee on Health existed. Knowing that as fact, Akana apparently misled the Cook Island government. GOVERNOR'S INTERSTATE INDIAN COUNCIL (GIIC) On Sept. 3, 2008, Akana sought approval from the OHA Administrator for travel to the Governor's Interstate Indian Council meeting (GIIC) in South Dakota. As noted above, designation of "official business" for Trustees is authorized by the Chairperson. GIIC Bylaws in Section 1.03 Delegate states that: "Delegates must have a letter of appointment from the Office of the Govemor of their respective state or in the case of Hawai'i a letter from the Governor and/or Chair of the Trastees of the

Office of Hawaiian Affairs. . I have not appointed Rowena Akana to the GIIC in my tenure as Chair. Akana was asked to provide a copy of her appointment letter presumably signed by the Govenior of Hawai'i. Akana did not produce any documentation. Her 2008 November KWO eolumn admits participation as the Hawai'i representative for five years. By whose authority? On Sept. 26, 2008, for laek of required documentation for travel as "official business," her travel request was denied. With tliis eolumn I hope to leave tliis 'ōpala in 2008. For the future, eheek out "setting the record straight" and other information on the OHA web site, attend OHA community and Board meetings, contact your island Trastee or OHA's administrator, hsten to OHA's daily radio program. Mahalo to all who support OHA in its mission to improve conditions for Native Hawaiians through whieh all of Hawai'i benefits. I eonhnue to serve, honorably. Have a blessed New Year! 1/48 ^

LEO 'ELELE ■ TRUSTEE MESSAGES ■