Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 4, 1 April 2013 — Effecting change, from the inside out [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Effecting change, from the inside out

Aloha mai kākou,

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is striving to be an agent of change in the Hawaiian community. In the 33-year history of OHA, it has always been so; however, under my leadership, change is starting from within. Our goal is to be a strong and respected Hawaiian institution - one that uplifts the community we serve by putting people first and by being guided by the knowledge and values of our ancestors. Kūkulu Hou, the vision that has guided me since Day One, is the philosophical foundation andprocess to achieve OHA's vision and Strategic Plan in an intentional, integrated way. Kūkulu Hou is a process to rebuild our nation by protecting our ancestors and inherited mana - for greater achievement in building improved education, health, adequate shelter and assets - while valuing and participating in our traditional history and culture in our own homeland for all of us as beneficiaries. Ultimately, OHA's goal is to achieve systemic change to ensure Hawaiians have the opportunities they need to succeed in life. There are countless ways OHA is already effecting change in the community. And part of our task is to do a better job of letting you know just how we are working on your behalf. For instance, did you know that OHA is a member of the relatively young Nā Limahana o Lonopūhā Native Hawaiian Heahh Consortium consisting of more than a dozen agencies all working together to tackle heahh issues facing Hawaiians? Our partners in this effort, to name a few, are the John A. Burns School of Medicine, Queen's Heahh Systems, Hawai'i Medical Service Association, the state Department of Heahh, and community heahh een-

ters Kōkua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services, Waimānalo Heahh Center and Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Heahh Center. There are three main ways OHA provides for change in the eommunity. One is our grants program. Because OHA is not a direct servict provider, we support the work of our partners who are. We are also

advocates affecting policy at the city, state and federal levels of government. And lastly, we undertake advocacy initiatives, in heahh and other areas, to focus our resources on big-time i

probtems īn the Hawauan commumty such as obesity. What does all this mean for you, our beneficiaries? It means that OHA will lead by example - as a strong

Hawaiian institution for a strong Hawaiian eommunity. Change won't happen ovemight. However, I ean assure you that I, along with our 150 staff from Llhu'e to Washington, D.C., have taken the first steps. 'O au iho nō me ke aloha a me ka 'oia'i'o, V^**- ■ - » - — * iK».

Kamana'opono M. Crabbe, Ph.D. Ka Pouhana/CEO Photo: Ama Johnson

Followus:lā/oha_hawaii | Fan us:Ē/officeofhawaiianaffairs | Watoh us: Yūlll iT1 ĪTT| /OHĀHawaii A \ THE CEO