Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 29, Number 10, 1 ʻOkakopa 2012 — OHA CANDIDATES [ARTICLE]

OHA CANDIDATES

1) Native Hawaiian culture lives and thrives on the traditional practices that tie us to the 'āina (land), its resources and to eaeh other. OHA is the pnneipal puhlie agency responsible for advocacy efforts for Native Hawaiians. What would you do to advocate for continued access for Native Hawaiians to the 'āina, wai (water) and other natural resources?

2) How would you manage OHA's assets - such as its investment portfolio and landholdings, including Kaka'ako Makai and legacy lands such as Waimea Valley and Wao Kele o Puna - to ensure maximum benefit for the agency's beneficiaries?

[?]

1 ) I have always been an advocate for access and gathering responsibilities for our people. I prefer responsibilities to rights; "rights" has such a brash ring to it; does not embrace Aloha . My first trek into exercising kuleana was in the early 1970s on the South Kohala coast when Mauna Kea Beach Hotel denied access for a time to the public to Kauna'oa Beach. Itwanted to keep Kauna'oa exclusively for guest use. Unele Bill Akau, Alika Cooper, several of us who were kama'āina to Kohala formed a hui and with help from Andy Levin at Legal Aid won a landmark access court case. The battle never ends; vigilance is the Order of the Day. In Advocacy, OHA has a very strong cadre of professional personnel we ean eall on: Breann Nu'uhiwa, Kai Markell, Jerome Yasuhara, Jocelyn Doane, Keola Lindsey, Kamaile Maldonado and Sterling Wong. No matter what the issue, eoneem, question, help is just a phone eall away. 2) As incumbent trustee for Hawa i'i lsland and vice chair for the Asset Resource Management Committee, l'mfamiliarwiththe performanceofourfinancial

investmentand realestate portfolios.Financial invest-mentportfolio-wehavea stellarteam in Howard Hodel, Connie Cheng, David Okamoto and Victor Li. Collectively they provide daily, weekly, monthly, annual oversight overyourfinancial investment portfolio with guidance from Trustee 0z Stender. As a team they emphasize continually the need for a balanced portfolio, thus OHA did not "crash and burn" during the 2008 eeonomie meltdown. OHA survived. 0HA's financial investment systemworks, "it is not broke-does notrequirefixing." Real estate portfolio -we have an emerging team in Ka iwinui Yoon, Jonathan Ching and Pua lshibashi.They are a young and lean team; bright, energetic, focused, multitaskers, multitalented carrying a full plate — Wao Kele 0 Puna, Waialua Courthouse, Kaka'ako Makai and Gentiy Pacific, coming soon, lands in 'Ewa surrounding Kūkaniloko. Given time this emerging team will take lands now "diamonds in the rough" and make them shine. They will ra ise the bar soon enough for rea I estate fromemergingto stellarthrough mechanisms, strategies and tactics embedded in 0HA's Updated Strategic Plan and Real Estate lnvestment Policy. The days of "winging it" at OHA are pau. Let us work together to Ho'oulu Lāhui, Raise our Beloved Nation. Let's be Maka'ala, Pay Attention, eompel our Leaders to be our Servants. "TogetherWe Can" (Billy Kenoi)

[?]

1 ) As a kama'āina of Hawai'i, I am a descendent of many generations of Hawaiian peoples living and working on the 'āina in Hawai'i nei. My early recollections were of my grandfather in Maunalaha Valley on O'ahu, farming the 'āina by working in his lo'i, growing taro. As traditional as my grandfather's farming was, this methodology of farming continues, however with less water available. The aquifers on Maui are somewhat restricted to native farming and after nine years of continued aggressive arguments and dialogue, an agreement to divert some of the water to two areas of Maui has been successful. The following are my strengths that I advocate to eonhnue this access for our Native Hawa iians: I believe my strong business background since 1993, my passion for a II people, a planning commissioner and chairfor Maui County for five years, and over 35 years of community service merits me as a qualified candidate to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Maui trustee position. My cultural background, having been a member of two royal societies since 1995 continues relevance to me and my heritage. I have wholeheartedly given over 35 years of volunteerism to benefit the ehildren, the families, seniors and small businesses in Hawai'i. My former employment with Hawaiian Telephone Co., American Security Bank, Aloha Airlines and the state Judiciary have bestowed me extensive and quality training in customer service and corporate initiatives. As a business owner of three start-up companies, I understand the logistics of business structure and acclimating to changes and challenges with an aggressive ability to survive. I love our people and our communities and believe in working strenuously, making sound decisions, applying business strategies and being "pono" brings positive results! Please visit my website: johannaamorin.net. 2) Managing 0HA's assets follows rules and regulations. As a new trustee, I believe an education into the financial status of 0HA's assets will be presented. Generating revenue from 0HA's assets is the prime priority and objective to the agency's beneficiaries! The Kaka'ako Makai project will be of interest to me. As a former planning commissioner for five years, I comprehend the processes for development. My strong business background for over 19 years as a successful business owner with business- and personal-acquired real estate brings understanding of this media. I eome from humble beginnings but follow the legacy of my 'ohana to work hard and diligently to gain success. Mahalo nui!

[?]

1 ) OHAinmanyinstanceshascarriedoutits mission statement in this area through advocacy,

financial support, research and legal assistance, as well as grants. OHA has funded many eommunity programswhose main purposes are to recover, protect and sustain our 'āina, natural resources and kai. Here are a eouple of examples: the recent Nā Wai 'Ehā contested water case (water), and purchase of Kaka'ako ('āina), I will advocate for more land purchases, especially now with land availability due to the economy. The County of Maui has found the market suitable to purchase several hundred acres of land on the coastline of Waiehu, and in Central Maui. OHA should be as aggressive. I will advocate for the continued funding of programs that allowour fishponds and reefs, streams, watersheds and 'āina to be mālama by Native Hawa iians, i.e. rebuilding fishponds, rebuilding ahupua'a, including watersheds and reefs, removing non-native plants, and planting natives. To assist Native Hawaiians to be proactive, I will advocate for programs that educate and prepare Native Hawa iians in potential public policies that could be detrimental to us, and our resources. Andfinally, Iwill advocate for qualified staffing in eaeh island officeto assist Native Hawaiianswho are experiencing kuleana land, water and access issues. The individual should be qualified in landtitle and genealogy research, and knowledgeable in laws pertinent to land title, title search, and quiet title. That same individual should have knowledge of what to do, and whom to contact should access be delayed or denied. 2) Management of 0HA's assets, such as its investment portfolio, should be managed by more than one reputable financial institution with oversight by an OHA Asset lnvestment Committee of experts. The landholdings should be managed by a separate entity and the use of eaeh landholding decided based on it best beneficial use. This entity shall keep all landholdings, be it idle or developed, in trust for our sovereign nation, such as Kaho'olawe.

[?]

1 ) There must be a complete understanding of the issues that Native Hawa iia ns are faced with today. Secondly, transparency is equally as important. My commitmentto not just Maui lsland, but the entire State of Hawai'i is to be a conduit between the people and the governing body of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Our kūpuna offer a wea lth of knowledge, and we must learn thru their experiences. Born in Hawai'i I am a true testament of who we are as a people. Caring, humble and always respectful of our kūpuna while seeking their knowledge ofour cultural values. Having represented communities in the world of non-profit gives me a better understanding of building that strong foundation for the next generation. My plan is to listen intently to the needs of the communities, knowing a II the while that there stillneedstoremaina ba lanee. ltisnotaboutright

vs. wrong, or needs vs. wants - lt is about being in touch with living within our means so that in perpetuity, generations to follow will, and ean survive. Trying to get by in Hawai'i is a struggle. Regarding 'āina, wai (water) I will work closely with those that are part of the process; continue to solidify relationships with our County of Maui, State Legislature, and more importantly our Congress and Senate. All of the issues that plague our beloved State must be known throughout, and within the poliheal arena, regardless of political party. Water is the source of life. As for the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources, mythoughts pertainingtowai (water)would apply, by staying intouch with those that ean make it happen, 'being the voice ofthe people.' 2)There are Hawaiian Homestead Associations who want to be involved in becoming stewards of the land, e.g. Waimea Valley.There is no betterway to bring balance into the project. This is a win-win situation for the State of Hawai'i, DHHL, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The pride these Associations would gain in caring for the 'āina would be immeasurable. It is a part of who we are as a people. As native Hawa iians we are a caring people, not just for eaeh other, but for the 'āina. It is the land in whieh the wai (water) flows, that brings life to the people of Hawai'i. We must malama the elements thattakecare of us.

[?]

1 ) lf elected, I will request (start of term) a report by 0HA's chief advocate to summarize for the board the status of performances by federal, state and county agencies regarding their policies/ practices that may be adversely impacting our beneficiaries. My advocacy would be process oriented - to identify and strongly advocate for the necessary tools/resources needed by our chief advocate and supporting staff to: identify and prioritize reported adverse impacts, develop recommendationsforcorrectiveactions,officiallycommunicate those recommendations to the offending agency, schedule immediate follow-up face-to-face meetings with agency lead authority to discuss and resolve said adverse policy(s)/practice(s), report backto board of actionstaken. 2) This question, as stated, would be more appropriately asked of 0HA's CE0, who is tasked with the responsibility of managing 0HA's assets. If elected, I will request that 0HA's chief executive officer (supported by OHA staff) provide an update to 0HA's current strategic plan (as described in HRS 10-6.1 relatingtothe general duties of the board) during the first regularly scheduled business meeting of our Board of Trustees (B0T) new term. This report should include the overall status of 0HA's investment portfolio and landholdings, including but not limited to the current detailed status of eaeh of the Kaka'ako Maka i's 10 properties.

I MANA KA LEO | EMPOWER YOUR VOICE

Additionally, I believe we need to comprehensively discuss the other urban renewal projects planned in Kaka'ako (The Kamehameha Schools' Kaiāulu 'o Kaka'ako master plan and the Howard Hughes Corp. redevelopment plans for Ward Warehouse and Ward Centre, to name a few). This would provide a better understanding of our parameters of potential revenue-generating development opportunities for Kaka'ako Makai that conform to 0HA's commitment to the Kaka'ako Community Planning Advisory Council's Adopted Vision and Guiding Principles. Overall, I believe this will help buildon the framework for how our B0T will proceed to develop and (eventually) implementthe Kaka'ako Makai master plan, optimizing 0HA's mandate of bettering the conditions of Native Hawa iians and Hawa iians throughout Hawai'i. Finally, I believe that we as individual trustees, and collectively as a board, need to consistently demonstrate decorum that reflects fairness, dignity and respect when doing our peoples' work. We're charged with gathering relevant, substantive information from a diverse resource pool, and with that, provide recommendations and critical decisions through a deliberative process to determine our path into our future — our beneficiaries and the citizenryof Hawai'i deserve nothing less.

[?]

1 ) Native Hawaiians eonhnue to draw upon the wisdom of the past and assert their distinctive abilities and rights to use and manage the natural resources of modern Hawai'i. Representatives from eaeh of the moku or traditional district on all the main islands recently participated in a series of meetings designed to improve the current system of natural-resource management in Hawai'i. These meetings were called Ho'ohanohano I Nā Kūpuna Puwalu, whieh means "Honor the Ancestors in Unison." These meetings gave voice to kūpuna, cultural practitioners, educators, policymakers, eommu-nity-based activist and others who are directly or indirectly involved in caring for and wisely using natural resources throughout the islands. The Puwalu series eventually led to the passage of state Act 212 during 2007 Hawai'i legislative session. The act specified creation of "... a system of best practices that is based upon the indigenous resource management practicesof moku (regional) boundaries, whieh acknowledges the natural eontours of land, the specific resources located within those areas, and the methodology necessary to sustain resources and the community." A eommu-nity-based advisory from the bottom-up approach in assisting our county and state agencies in the implementation of policies, ordinances and rules in consideration of HRS 7-1 and the Hawai'i state Constitution Articles 12 Section 7. If I am elected as Maui trustee, I will assist this process and see that throughout the State of Hawai'i, 'Aha moku will succeed to become a decision-making body in assisting OHA of its mandates. 2) toaded question! A question that only a real estate broker land assessor would know, with 0HA's fiscal budgetwe are ableto hire highly qualified planners, consultant agencies to do the job, our job is to review and comment on what is best for the interest of our beneficiaries, such as new schools, new hospitals and homes for our beneficiaries especia lly our 49 percent less, also there are other important issues to

consider as well such as: jobs, water, historic properties and our natural resources. We need strong leadership to seek priority initiativesforour beneficiaries now.

lī?i — N

1 ) OHAmustcontinuetosupporttheinvolvement of the 'Aha Moku Councils in all that the D1NR pursues. OHA must also continue its support of the NH1C (Native Hawaiian legal Corp.) and other legal advocates who are bringing cases such as the water cases in East Maui for our taro growers. Most importantly, OHA needs to ensure that our statewide system of trails and access ways are preserved. OHA needs to be proactive through policy bills in the state legislature to ensure ongoing protection in these areas. It is important that the Board of Trustees (B0T) of OHA make recommendations to the governor to sit Native Hawaiians on state boards and commissions that affect our natural resources. 2) OHA must review our portfolio investments on a quarterly basis and make adjustments as needed according to the performance of the investmentcompanies. Kaka'ako Makai should be master-planned by professionals with the input of the B0T in order to ensure the best project plan is developed. Kaka'ako is the largest area in Honolulu currently set for commercial development and will impact 0HA's and the community's needs for office space, small business, culture, etc. legacy lands need a conservation plan and budget. Wao Kele currently produces no ineome but costs over $200,000 to "manage" annually. OHA needs to address legacy lands with a preservation plan that generates ineome as well as costs. This could be cutting of invasive species for sale as timber, lumber and fence posts with monies going to invasive-speciescontrol.

[?]