Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 3, 1 Malaki 2010 — We are here to serve you ... call us, email us, write us [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

We are here to serve you ... call us, email us, write us

We are just two months into 2010, it's a new year at OHA and we are on a bullet train whieh ended 2009 speeding along at 500 miles an hour, and in the dawning of 2010 things are speeding up, not slowing down, not in the least and this is maika'i, all good. The Akaka Bill and its "substitute amendment" is still being debated in Washington, D.C., the Public Land Trust Settlement Bill has yet to be resolved at our

State Capitol for the halanee due from ceded land revenues ($200 million for the period 1978 to July 1, 2010, and OHA's Strategic Plan "for our people" has yet to be operationalized. Our needs and challenges in education, heahh and housing remain, and finally through the updated Strategic Plan we will have production targets to measure our performance and track our progress or

nonprogress on our promises and priorities as an organization constitutionally mandated in 1978 "to better conditions for you" in Kahua Waiwai, 'Āina, Ho'ona'auao, Ea, Mo'omeheu and Mauli Ola. 2009 ended with a bang and 2010 started with a bang. When I was asked to consider being at OHA in February 2007 I asked what the time commitment was and when I think about it, it was a "stupid question." In any journey one embarks on it is what you make it, what "one sows one

reaps," input equals output. I was told it would be one day a week, but it has been more than that and I am glad it has. I am blessed to have been given this wonderful opportunity to serve our people as a "servant leader." Being at OHA is serious but fun work. In the first six weeks of this New Year I have been to an Investment Seminar, attended numerous board meetings, partici-

pated in our Hawai'i Island legislative caucus (our Hawai'i Island Senators and Representatives and myself meet every Thursday morning during the legislative session), visited with Kawehi Ryder on Lāna'i to see the lo'i restoration work he and his 'ohana are doing at Maunalei Valley, attended our Kailapa Homestead Association meeting at Spencer Park, attended a briefing on a very comprehensive report done by the Kalo Task Force for the Hawaiian Caucus at the State Capitol, responded to hundreds of e-mails, written several letters of recommendation for employment, been engaged with the eight nonprofit boards that I serve on for our island, attended Hui Mālama Ola Nā 'Ōiwi's blessing of its primary care facility in Hilo and the list goes on and on. In the words of Robert Frost, "we have miles to go before we sleep." For the most the work is fun, but it does have its sad moments (happily these are far and few) as life is a duality, ying and yang, ao and pō, right and left, high and low. On Friday, the 12th of February 2010, 1 attended a luneh tribute to Ilihia Gionson at our OHA Office in Keaukaha. I had several choices on this day, be at a PISCES conference at the Institute for Astronomy at UH-Hilo or an Investment Committee meet-

ing in Honolulu, but Ilihia's departure for me was priority. He is a young man I have high regard for and a guy who is not afraid to speak his mind, be himself, be real. Ilihia is a young kanaka (24), talented, bright, gifted, good-hearted, speaks fluent Hawaiian, grew up on Keaukaha Homestead and worked for us for two years as a staff writer. Ilihia was "RIFted," a victim of a Reduction in Force at OHA. It was just a small gathering of us, colleagues who wanted to wish a friend well. Typical of Ilihia, he brought light to the darkness. His 'ano, his spirit was strong, joyful and uplifting and though he was going to be without a job at 4:30 p.m. that day, he will still report to work every Tuesday but now as a volunteer. If there is a fundamental point to this article it is this: In the best and the most challenging of times we are here to serve you and if you need to reach me the best way is on my eell phone 808.936.6795 or by e-mail boblind sey808@hawaii.rr.com at any time. Kama Hopkins is our Aide and he may be reached at 808.594.1884 or by e-mail at jeremyh@ oha.org, and Tiona Wailehua is our secretary and she may be reached at 808.594.1882 or by e-mail at tionaw@oha.org. We are here to serve. "Always withAloha." ■

Rūbert K. Lindsey, Jr. TrustEE, Hawai'i