Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 5, 1 May 2013 — OHA targets issues with new website [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA targets issues with new website

By Harold Nedd The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has unveiled a new cutting-edge website designed to bring new attention and powerful voices to critically important issues. More than a year in the making, kamakakoi. eom was introduced by OHA's top leadership as a bold, new platform designed for key audiences to get informed, take action and spread the word on policy issues that are front and center in the Native Hawaiian community. The new website features videos and articles that give a voice to community leaders, who are outspoken about such issues as water rights, the loss of ancient burial sites to development, and health risks on Pōhakuloa from exposure to depleted uranium. "With Kamakako'i, we are ramping up efforts to activate our community and help shape a brighter future for Hawai'i," said Kamana'opono Crabbe, chief executive officer at OHA. "With Kamakako'i, we are breaking new ground in our

ability to inspire action on policy matters important to the Native Hawaiian community. We will be able to rally people like we never have before." The site gives users the ability to mobilize others by, for example, sending e-mail alerts,

submitting testimony on legislation and signing petitions. Users are also able to share content through social-media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, chairperson of the O'ahu Island Burial Council, was among the 100plus community leaders who attended the April 1 1 launeh of kamakakoi.com at the Cupola Theatre in the Honolulu Design Center. "I feel that this is a positive step toward OHA enabling greater access to the hot-topic issues impacting the community today," she said. "Kamakako'i won't be the only access point, but it will be a great access point for the community to learn more about issues so we are able to affect positive change." Moses Haia III, executive director of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corp., summed up his reaction to Kamakako'i this way: "It makes me feel reassured that we as a people are bringing the pride and dignity we had as a people into the 21 st century. Our ancestors would be proud." For more information, visit kamakakoi.com. ■

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

GOVERNANGE To restore pono and ea, Native Hawaiians will achieve self-gover-nanee, after whieh the assets of OHAwillhe transferred to the new governing entity.

Neil Hannahs of Kamehameha Schools tried out kamakakoi. eom at a laptop station set up for guests at the launeh. - Photo: Helson Gaspar