Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 12, 1 December 2010 — Mahalo nui to all [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Mahalo nui to all

/ A no'ai kakou... * t\ Let me begin by expressing my # % warmest / \Mahalo to

all those who supported me in the General Eleetion. Your kokua has allowed me to return to OHA to serve you for another four-year term. A very special Mahalo nui to Ke Akua for his divine guidance and love that he has bestowed upon me and my family. I would like to recognize and offer my

fondest Aloha to Oahu Resident Trustee Walter Heen, who has served OHA's beneficiaries well on the Board and who will be sorely missed. I would also like to congratulate all of the public servants elected in 2010. Campaigning ean be a grueling process. I look forward to working with all of you in what is certain to be a historic year for Native Hawaiians. Now that the eleehon is over, the time has eome for all us to eome together in spirit and give the Akaka bill the hnal push it needs to become law. The bill will provide powerful protection from the constant threat of lawsuits to all of our Hawaiian trust assets. This is the reason why I have always supported the bill. What we face today as Hawaiians is no different than what occurred over the past 100 years. We are still fighting off assaults on our culture, the deterioration of our rights to our lands and attacks from racist organizations. Let us begin to work together for the cause of recognition. Let us begin to agree on the things that we ean agree to and set aside the things we differ on and move forward together for the future generations of Hawaiians yet to eome. This was an unusually difficult race with so many people running for the three at-large seats.

As I traveled around the state, I listened to many questions that people had about Nationhood that I could only eonclude that OHA was not

doing enough to educate the people in our home state about sovereignty. What would sovereignty mean to Hawaiians and, just as importantly, how or will it affect the non-Hawai-ians. This situation has got to change. Trustees are going to have to speak up and make this happen. OHA must do mueh

more to help the Hawaiian eommunities and the general public to understand what Nationhood would or could mean to them. I assure all of you that, after listening to your concerns, I will do everything that is humanly possible to address those concerns. What is also needed is your participation. You must challenge EACH TRUSTEE to be accountable to you. It is unfortunate that you cannot assume that Trustees will do this on their own. Like any governing entity, from time to time, especially when one faction has been in power for too long like it has been at OHA, "the people" need to become actively involved. Otherwise, eomplacency occurs and the abuse of power is inevitable. As we close out the year of 2010, 1 wouldlike to wish eaeh of you a very safe and happy holiday season, and may the Lord in his grace bless eaeh of you and your families and take you safely into 2011. Have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Aloha Ke Akua. ■ Are you interested in Hawaiian issues and OHA ? Please visit my ne w and updated web site at www. mwenaakana. orgfor issues and links to other information sites.

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