Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 1, 1 Ianuali 2013 — Ensuring 'a strong and vibrant nation' [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Ensuring 'a strong and vibrant nation'

By Treena Shapiro

Photos by Shane Tegarden

E 'auamo i ke kuleana e kukulu i ke kahua — Let us carry the kuleana of building the naūon

Over the past year, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has helped Native Hawaiians make strides toward success and self-determination, while increasing its landholdings in preparation for an independent governing entity. From OHA's viewpoint, 2012 was a milestone year, as proclaimed by OHA Board Chairwoman Colette Machado on Dec. 1 1 . Machado's remarks at the 2012 OHA Investiture ceremony for its Board of Trustees highlighted numerous accomplishments since the last State of OHA address in 201 1. Among them was a landmark resolution to the decades-old ceded land dispute with the State of Hawai'i, whieh transferred to OHA 30 acres of prime real estate in Kaka'ako Makai worth $200 million. The land deal is meant to settle OHA's claims to its share of past-due ceded land revenue dating back to 1978.

"This land ean and will generate millions of dollars to take care of our people in current and future generations and ensure a strong and vibrant nahon," Machado said in her speech before an audienee of approximately 500 people at Central Union Church in Honolulu. Those in attendance included Gov. Neil Abercrombie and state lawmakers who worked together, and with OHA, to get the historieal settlement passed. Machado and Abercrombie held hands as they exited the church, a sign of their continued commitment to collaboration. In other highlights, Machado pointed out that OHA expanded the Native Hawaiian nation land base with the acquisition of the Gentry Paeihe Design Center in Iwilei. Buying a commercial property was a first for OHA, whieh is diversifying its investment portfolio.

Looking beyond O'ahu, Machado brought up the Nā Wai 'Ehā lawsuit over water rights on Maui, whieh OHA helped to win. "In its ruling, the court instructed the state to take

Hawaiian traditional and cultural practices seriously. No shortcuts. No writing

special rules or exemptions. Follow the law," she described. "This made the ruling a major ^ victory not only for the Maui taro farmers but for all Native Hawaiians." Throughout 2012, OHA worked with the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission in support of the Kana'iolowalu enrollment process to register those eligible to participate in the organization of a Native Hawaiian governing entity. "We've had rolls before, but because this one has its origin in a state law (Act 195) whieh supports the organization of a Native Hawaiian goveming entity that shall be recognized by the State of Hawai'i and ean be recognized by the United States, it carries extra weight," she said. Continuing to work toward reunifying Native Hawaiians "in the self-recognition of our unrelinquished sovereignty" continues to be an OHA priority heading into 2013, Machado stated. OHA Chief Executive Officer Kamana'opono Crabbe also stressed the importance of the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission's work, recognizing former OHA CEO Clyde Nāmu'o, who began working with the commission after his retirement from OHA at the end of 201 1.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS Crabbe also spoke about OHA's accomplishments over the past year, including awarding $718,000 in college scholarships and eommitting to give the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands $3 million a year for 30 years. OHA hopes to create more affordable housing opportunities for Native Hawaiians, he said. In addition, "OHA is making a $13.8 million allotment in eommunity grants this year. It is OHA and our ability to solidify these relationships with grassroots organizations, community-based nonprofits, the City and County, state and federal agencies that maximize our dollars 100-fold," Crabbe said. Moving forward, OHA must continue in its mission to protect its beneficiaries' land, educate their children, care for their heahh and build the economy, he said. "OHA's immediate future depends on the ability to heeome more collaborative and mueh savvier about working with our community to use our collective reach and access to bring new resources, to preserve, perpetuate and protect Native Hawaiian culture and our lāhui," Crabbe said. Crabbe also acknowledged the trustees, including four ineumbents re-elected in November and new Trustee Dan Ahuna, who replaced longtime Kaua'i Trustee Donald Cataluna. "The mana of our organization continues to be acquired with eaeh election. Let

us demonstrate together that what is good for kānaka, for Native Hawaiians, is good for Hawai'i as a whole," Crabbe said. Ahuna, an educator and eoaeh, says he hopes his experience will add a valuable perspective to the board. His priorities are health and education. "We need to take care of ourselves first," he said after the ceremony. "If we ean just believe in ourselves and know that it's up to us to do things, I think we're going to be better off as a Hawaiian community."

LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP Nainoa Thompson, president of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, gave a keynote address that emphasized the need for strong leadership. Thompson spent mueh of his speech talking about the late Eddie Aikau, a legendary waterman who, with Thompson, was aboard the double-hulled voyaging eanoe Hōkūle'a when it capsized, in 1978. Aikau, whose parents were present for Thompson's speech, lost his life when he headed toward Lāna'i on his surfboard in an attempt to get help for his fellow crew members. Search and rescue crews combed the water for days after Aikau's disappearance, stopping only when the Aikau family asked them to because they didn't want anyone else injured. Thompson said his generation's weak leadership was responsible for the tragic voyage, but the previous generation, including his late father, Myron "Pinky" Thompson, and Solomon "Pops" Aikau, had the strength to help them back on their feet and create a vision for Hōkūle'a, whieh might have otherwise just been Hawai'i's contribution to the United States' bicentennial celebration, he noted. "This is the most important leadership story that I know because my generation was broken," SEE INVESTITURE ON PAGE 16

Office of Hawaiian Affairs 2012 Investiture of the Board of Trustees $ December 1 1, 2012

<MO'OLELO NUI v www.oha.org/kwo | kwo@OHA.org Followus: lLJ/oha_ .hawaii | Fan us:Ē/officeofhawaiianaffairs | Watoh us: Yūuf1T^ /user/OHAHawaii C0VER FEATURE f NATIVE HAWAIIAN » NEWS I FEATURES I EVENTS

Halona Kaopuiki presented a box containing lei hulu, a feather lei, to OHA Chairperson Colette Machado, whieh her husband, Myron Akutagawa, tied around her neek. The ceremonial tying of the lei hulu has become a tradition at lnvestiture.

[?]

Earl Kawa'a, a leader in the Hawaiian community, read scripture in Hawaiian and English.

I State Rep. Karen Awana, left, former Gov. John Waihe'e and his P wife, Lynne, enjoyed a light moment during the ceremony.

OHA Trustees Rowena Akana, foreground, and John Waihe'e IV.

OHA CE0 Kamana'opono Crabbe said 0HA's immediate future depends on its ability to become "savvier about working with our community to use our collective reach and access to bring new resources, to preserve, perpetuate and protect Native Hawaiian eulture and our lōhui."

In the keynote address, Nainoa Thompson, Polynesian Voyaging Society president, recalled the low point of Hōkūle'a - the 1978 capsizing of the double-hulled voyaging eanoe and the disappearance of Eddie Aikau, who paddled for help never to be seen again. At a time when his generation was suffering, Thompson said, the older generation showed them how to regain their footing, teaching them values and beliefs so they could begin again. He said, "This is the most important leadership story that I know because my generation was broken."

INVESTITURE Continued from page 15 Thompson said. "We were on our knees and we couldn't stand up. Fear, anger - the one that hurt the most was shame. My generation could not get together. My generation could not get up."

However, Thompson continued, there was an older generation watching over them. His father asked him how many generations it would take for the Hōkūle'a to be anything but a tragic symbol and another way to equate Hawaiians to failure. His father and his peers refused to let that happen. "They picked us up off the ground," Thompson said. "They gave us vision. They gave us courage. They gave us values. They gave us beliefs." Crabbe had also talked about leadership and OHA's responsibility to its beneficiaries: "The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, as an institution, has evolved and grown from its ineephon in 1978 until the present of 20 12. We have been given birth and life. We have crawled as an infant. We have even learned to walk as a child. And now it is time we leam to run as advocates for kānaka maoli and Native Hawaiian rights." ■ Treena Shapiro, afreelance writer, is aformer reporterfor the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Honolulu Advertiser.

j MO'OLELO NUI v > C0VER FEATURE /

www.oha.org/kwo | kwo@OHA.org NATIVE HAWAIIAN » NEWS | FEATURES | EVENTS

-H Office of Hawaiian Affairs 2012 Investiture of the Board of Trustees $ December 1 1, 2012

'Ahahui Ka'ahumanu was among Ihe royal benevolent societies in attendance.