Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 1, 1 Ianuali 2010 — Crowd buoyed by message of optimism [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]
Crowd buoyed by message of optimism
By Liza Simon Public Affairs Specialist Striking an optimistic chord that resonated with many community leaders and kūpuna, OHA chairperson Haunani Apoliona used the State of OHA address to urge Native Hawaiians to apply hard-won lessons leamed from the past to forge political self-determination and eeonomie prosperity in the new decade. "The painful challenges of this first decade of the millennium serve as building blocks to fortify our poliheal will and renew our spirit to prepare for the actions that will need to be addressed as we move forward in the next several years," Apoliona told a gathering of several hundred people at St. Andrew's Cathedral on Dec. 9. In the seventh annual State of OHA address, Apoliona said OHA has withstood several federal lawsuits that threatened the agency's services to Native Hawaiians beginning in 2000 with the Rice v. Cayetano Supreme Court decision. "These lawsuits are not just about OHA but about Native Hawaiians and our legal right to exist as a distinct group of people to manage assets and resources as derived by constitutional and statutory mandates," Apoliona said. She noted that OHA has been able to "navigate these waters of litigation," and though the court battles have incurred huge cost, they have not been fought with puhlie funds, she said. After the speech, Harvey Mclnemy, a trustee of the Lunalilo Trust Estate, said he liked what he heard. "I think the points she hit were very appropriate, considering all the number of Hawaiian entitlements that have eome under siege," Mclnerny said. "And her vision for what ean happen now is very upbeat in spite of the hard times." Apoliona said OHA's difficulties in the past decade included Gov. Ben Cayetano's termination of the agency's share of revenue fromthe ceded lands trust. She praised the subsequent efforts of the state Legislature and Gov. Linda Lingle for resuming the payments, saying that the restored revenue stream not only fulfills the state's fiduciary obligation to Native Hawaiians, but also allows OHA to "plan
its advocacy in advance as well as continue grant awards to community organizations." And she called upon Native Hawaiians to show their support for a settlement on disputed land revenues during the 20 10 legislative session. "I was encouraged that she spoke in a poliheal tone, so that the Legislature ean be proactive to make right by people of Hawaiian descent," said state Sen. Josh Green (D-North and South Kohala). A veteran lawmaker, Green said that he has often seen proposedlegislation languish when people do not attend hearings to show support. "So to hear (Chairperson Apoliona) encourage the leadership of the Hawaiian community to go out there and make their voices heard really helps," Green said. State Rep. Mele Carroll, chairwoman of the 2009 Legislative Hawaiian Caucus, cautioned that a legislative solution to settle the state's debt to OHA on disputed ceded land revenue still faces several hurdles, including opponents who would use the eeonomie downturn as an excuse to deny payments. "The challenge is to be creative in how we pass legislation, so even if we do not receive payment now, we want to make sure that we set up a mechanism to make sure that the payment is coming," said Carroll (D-East Maui, Moloka'i, Lāna'i). Carroll also said the State of OHA address offered a "feeling of hope for our people that we are working diligently to move ourselves forward in so many aspects." Carroll said she was especially pleased that the OHA Chairperson spoke optimistically about the building of a Native Hawaiian governing entity being near at hand as a result of the likely passage of the Akaka Bill under the Ohama administration. Sounding confident that Congress will deliver the bill to desk of President Ohama, who has promised to sign it, Apoliona said in her speech that it will be up to all Native Hawaiians who want to participate in the nation-building process to use the enactment of the Akaka Bill as "a tool to better conditions for their 'ohana and all of Hawai'i nei." Apoliona's menhon of the 201 1 Asia-Pacific Eeonomie Cooperation meeting slated for Honolulu drew applause from the audience, as she described the event as a special opportunity for Hawai'i and Native Hawaiians to enlighten the world. "When APEC leaders are here, we ean plant Hawai'i seeds of ideas, and that spirit nurtured in Hawai'i ean blossomin and impact far-reaching corners of the world," she said. The annual State of OHA address began in 2002 with a recommendation from OHA Trustee John Waihe'e IV, who attended this year's event along with Trustees Walter Heen, Colette Machado, Boyd Mossman, Oswald Stender, Chief Executive Officer Clyde Nāmu'o and OHA staff. Ali'i societies and See ŪPTIMISM on page 20
' (HE ka wai ola | the living water of OHA | www.oha.org/kwo
Betty Jenkins
Harvey Mclnerny
Mele Carroll
Mieah Kōne
P
Josh Green
0PĪIMI3M Continued from page 10
Hawaiian civic clubs were also well-represented in the audience. The attendees received informa- ■ tion about OHA accomplishments in 2009, summarized in the annual
OHA grants report and other supplements distributed at the event. Apoliona affirmed that OHA was implementing a new strategic plan with an innovative approach that "managed for results" in contrast to a "former government process we know as 'management by objectives'." She said that next year's State of OHA address would report on its progress. Apoliona also described OH A' s limited liability corporations, or LLCs, as expanding beyond Waimea Valley andMakaweli Poi, to serve as incubators for new Hawaiian businesses and nonprofits. The added focus would advance Native Hawaiian self-sufficiency and contribute to the state's economy as a whole, she said. The mention of the LLCs was welcomed by "Aunty" Betty Jenkins, a North Shore of O'ahu community advocate who spearheaded support for OHA acquiring title to the Waimea Valley ahupua'a in order to preserve the cultural value of the 'āina. "Mueh like the process of becoming a kupuna, OHA has grown over the years and has become wiser in how to achieve its goals," said Jenkins. For many, this year's speech underlined the end of an especially turbulent year, where the U.S. Supreme Court heard a case brought against OHA by the state administration. The lawsuit had the potential to open the way for OHA opponents to use the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution to challenge Native Hawaiian entitlements. The case, whieh is now settled, was pending when Chairperson Apoliona delivered last year's State of OHA address, calling on all Native Hawaiians and supporters to rally in unity against a challenge that many said could have been catastrophic to native rights. "This year's address was definitely a good depiction of what we have been through," said Mieah Kāne, formerly the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands director and now a Kamehameha Schools trustee. "(Apoliona) showed how when you stay together as Hawaiian organizations you ean get through the storms," he said. "And the days in front of us, as she stated, are going to be great. So let's stay focused." ■