Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 29, Number 1, 1 Ianuali 2012 — 'A renaissance man of the Pacific' [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

'A renaissance man of the Pacific'

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By Karin Stanton The Hawaiian community is mourning the loss of one of its champions. Jon Van Dyke, renowned law professor, advocate of Native Hawaiian rights and counselor to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, died Nov. 29 in North Wollongong, Australia. He was 68. Van Dyke's sudden death, whieh eame while he was in Australia to deliver the keynote speech at an oeean-law conference, prompted an outpouring of tributes. State Sen. Clayton Hee, a former OH A Trustee and Chairman, called Van Dyke "a renaissance man of the Paeihe." "I feel very strongly that without Jon Van Dyke, there would be no OHA," Hee said. "He touched the lives of the sons and daughters of the Paeihe. He set the template

for future generations. Indigenous people of the world owe him a debt of gratitude that ean never be repaid." Hee said Van Dyke displayed knowledge, expertise and compassion repeatedly during decades of public service. Dating to the 1978 Constitutional Convention, when Van Dyke pushed to create OHA, through the 2000 Rice v. Cayetano ruling, in whieh the U.S. Supreme Court decided voting eligibility rules in OHA Trustee elections, Van Dyke was ready to assist. Hee noted the Supreme Court decision was announced at 4 a.m. Hawai'i time, but despite the early hour Van Dyke immediately answered his home phone and helped craft an OHA response. His guidance over the years "let Hawaiians go to court through the front door," Hee said.

I I I In a statement, U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye praised a tireless advocate of civil rights and enduring mentor to his students. "He believed in the preservation andprotection of history and culture and his research and writings have expanded our understanding of the Constitution and helped change, for the better, the laws that govern our land and sea. ... The legal community in Hawai'i is better because of his work. But above all, Jon was a good man, possessing a sharp wit, a ready smile and aloha for all," Inouye said. Born April 29, 1943, in Washington, D.C., the diplomat's son spent his youth in Ankara, Turkey, and Beirut, Lebanon. Earning his undergraduate degree at Yale University, Van Dyke graduated eum laude from Harvard Law with his J.D. in 1967. After teaching at law schools

in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, Van Dyke in 1976 accepted a position at the University of Hawai'i William S. Richardson School of Law and began teaching Constitutional Law, International Law, International Oeean Law and International Human Rights. While raising three children with wife and collaborator Sherry Broder, Van Dyke's low-key but persistent style inspired the lives he touched - from thousands of law students to governors and senators. Gov. Neil Abercrombie became friends with Van Dyke during the 1978 state Constitutional Convention. "His intellect brimmed over with energy and brilliance. He was a patient, calming inHuenee in every instance of tension and conllict. Jon was endlessly courteous, no matter how trying the circumstance and

equally resolute to his commitment to the public good," Abercrombie said in a statement. "He was a warm and caring individual - true to his friends and true to himself - and always, always for Hawai'i." UH Ethnic Studies Department Professor Davianna McGregor said Van Dyke had the ability to cut through complicated legal matters in a way that helped people understand the root of an issue. McGregor, who worked closely with Van Dyke on ending military training on Kaho'olawe, said Van Dyke's work left a rich historical resource of legal analysis. "His work on the basis and foundation for Native Hawaiian rights were profound," she said. "We're already beginning to miss his contributions." OHA attorney Heidi Kai Guth said Van Dyke was one of the reasons she returned to her home state to study law. "He made you see things like you'd never seen them before in such a kind, patient way," she said. SEE VAN DYKE ON PAGE 10

<HE HO'OMANA'O v www.oha.org/kwo | kwo@OHA.org IN MEM0RIAM f NATIVE HAWAIIAN » NEWS | FEATURES | EVENTS

DQNATIQNS For those wanting to further the work of Jon Van Dyke, the familysuggests donations be made to the Jon Van Dyke Fund atthe William S. Richardson School of Law. Donations will go toward establishing the Jon Van Dyke lnstitute for lnternational Law and Justice promoting peaee and reconciliation, human rights, environmental and oeean law. Checks may be made payable to "UH F0UNDATI0N (Jon Van Dyke)" and sent to: Director of Development, William S. Richardson School of Law, 2515 Dole St., Room 216, Honolulu, Hl 96822-2350. To give online, please visit uhfoundation.org/ JonVanDykeFund.

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VAN DYKE

Continued from page 4 "He was very curious and when he embraced an issue, he wanted to work it through to the end. He wanted to help overcome hurdles and obstacles if he saw an injustice." Guth said her mentor's strength was clarifying issues and helping move dialogue between indigenous people and Western legal jargon. The methods and equations he helped formulate continue to be used in cases that touch on environmental, maritime and human rights issues. "He created a venue for Native Hawaiians to eome together and right wrongs, but he never wanted to be the knight in shining armor," she said. "He liked to give people the tools to fix it for themselves, to use their own voice." Like Guth, many lawyers in Hawai'i studied under Van Dyke. "He was inspirational by example. He taught us all not to limit yourself by others' expectations, but to do extraordinary things," she said. "His legacy in Hawai'i is his students, but his impact was worldwide. Most of all, I think he'd like to be remembered as a good father and an overall good person. And he really was." Jocelyn Doane, a Public Policy Advocate in OHA's Advocacy Division, was also inspired by Van Dyke from her first year at law school. "I was initially intimidated and was not sure whether I was qualified to be there," she said. "Van Dyke's brilliance and commitment to excellence was obvious and it motivated me. My desire to impress him led me to work extra hard in his classes, and that work ethic stayed with me during my law school career." Doane added: "At the time he eame to Hawai'i and immersed himself in Hawaiian rights issues, his participation was important and gave credibility to what many Hawaiian advocates had been saying. His prestigious background, commitment to justice and the fact that he didn't have anything to gain, was helpful to the movement. His not being

Hawaiian helped at that time." Doane said she recognized in Van Dyke the Hawaiian belief that people should leave this land better than they found it. His commitment to social justice for underserved communities is his legacy at the university. "His values, along with those of our beloved C ,J. Richardson were and will continue to be an important foundation of the school," she said, referring to the late Hawai'i Supreme Court Chief Justice William Richardson, for whom the law school is named. Among the six books Van Dyke authored, his book Who Owns the Crown Lands ofHawai'i? was selected Best Nonfiction Book, Best Text or Reference Book of 2008 and Best Book on Hawaiian Culture by the Hawai'i Book Publishers Association in 2008. A prolific writer, Van Dyke focused particularly on international human rights, environmental, oeean and constitutional law, and maritime issues, as well as Hawaiian rights. He wrote more than 120 articles for journals and publications. Van Dyke's resume includes serving as an adviser to the State Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations, the City and County of Honolulu, the County Council and Charter Commission of Maui, and the Planning Departments or Commissions of the Counties of Kaua'i, Maui and Hawai'i. Van Dyke was four times named Outstanding Professor at the law school and twice selected by the students to give the faculty address at commencement. Van Dyke is survived by his wife, Sherry P. Broder; children, Jesse Broder Van Dyke, Eric Broder Van Dyke and Miehelle Broder Van Dyke. He is also survived by a brother, sister, sisters-in-law and numerous nieces and nephews. A public memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, at the East-West Center, 1601 EastWest Road in Honolulu. Visitation is at 10 a.m.; service at 11:30 a.m. ■ Kann Stanton, a former reporter/ editor at West Hawai'i Today, works for the Associated Press and Hawai'i 24/7.