Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 11, 1 November 2010 — History comes full circle -- time to step up [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

History comes full circle -- time to step up

Aloha e nā 'ōiwi 'ōlino nā pulapula a Haloa, mai Hawai'i a Ni'ihau, puni ke ao mālamalama.

# *Thirty-year mark of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs gives pause to "Look to the future through the lens of the past." Hawaiian Governance upended in January 1893 by the "overthrow" remained fractured up to and through 1898. Queen Lili'uokalani tried unsuccessfully to reverse events, time did pass and the change heeame permanent. Her 1917 statement before her death acknowledged, "I could

not turn back the time for political change." Her message, Hawaiian govemanee as she knew it was no more. Sixty-eight years after her passing, the 1978 State Constitutional Convention triggered a form of governance by and for Native Hawaiians. The amendment was approved by all voters in Hawai'i. Although limited in authority, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs emerged as quasi-independent. Twenty-two years later in 2000, violation of the U.S. Constitution 15th amendment rocked the foundation of OHA to its core, prohibiting the Hawaiian-only voters and the Hawaiian-only candidates restrictions. All ean run and all ean vote. In 2010-2020, Native Hawaiians will eome full circle seizing the opportunity to reorganize a Native Hawaiian governing entity through the Native Hawaiian Govemment Reorganization Act. The ehanee to organize governanee by and for Native Hawaiians is at hand. In this decade Native Hawaiians ean revisit the Queen's 1917 perspective, 93 years after her passing, and begin to "turn forward the political change." With tenacity, determination and spiritual strength, similar to that of Queen Lili'uokalani, Native Hawaiians ean collectively move to "tum forward the political change" for uplifting our 'ohana and Hawai'i nei. The challenge is before us. Native Hawaiians will need to be informed and organized to establish our gov-

erning entity and to implement its authorities for the good of our 'ohana, wherever they reside, and all Hawai'i. Many hands working

together will be imperative to seed and cultivate the concept of a governing entity to successful establishment and operation. While Native Hawaiian leaders and Native Hawaiian participants are imperative to the process, non-Native leaders and supporters will also have roles of importance throughout this process. If you are reading this article, don't count yourself out, don't be absent from the process. Commit to an appropriate "kuleana"

for yourself. Native Hawaiians, enroll as a "Qualified Native Hawaiian eonstituent" to participate in the process, make sure your 'ohana is not absent from this phase; if you qualify for nomination to the Commission outlined in Section 8, step up; advocate best practice in the formation of the Council and stay the course. The time for positive political change is upon the Native Hawaiian community. We will need to work at it. With courage, focus, discipline and the will, positive political change for Hawaiians and Hawai'i will go forward in this decade. The 30-year-journey and evolution of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' maturity, accountability and productivity for Native Hawaiians, serves as a template for the journey unfolding for the Native Hawaiian Governing Entity. Let wisdom prevail, bringing the best of the past into the present and future. Me nā mea 'oi loa mai nā wā ma mua e holomua kākou i kēia ao. Ua hiki mai ka wana'ao me ka ho'ola a me ka ho'ala hou. E hō'ā kākou i ka lama kūpono no nā hulu Hawai'i. E kukulu a'e kākou no ke ea o ka 'āina me ke aloha a me ke ahonui. Be courageous, outstanding as was Herbert Kaili Pililā'au, who I wrote of last month. He was the "first ever from Hawai'i" to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for an act of aloha for us all. 23/48 ■

LEO 'ELELE TRUSTEE MESSSAGES

Haunani Apnlinna, MSW ChairpErsūn, TrustEE, At-largE