Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 5, 1 May 2013 — MANA IS OUR LEGACY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MANA IS OUR LEGACY

Aloha mai kākou, n the past few months, you may have noticed the phrase "Mana is our Legacy" coming from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Mana has been defined as supernatural or divine power and as one's ultimate possession. Mana is present all around you: in people, places and the land. There are two types of mana: inherited and acquired. You inherit the mana from your ancestors and the good work that they did. You also acquire mana from others through your actions. OHA has been given the gift of mana from the actions of our ancestors, and from the 1978 Constitutional Convention that charged us with improving eonditions for Native Hawaiians, preserving the culture and protecting traditional rights and customs. When we say "Mana is our Legacy," it means that we look on this mana we inherited as an heirloom, as a gift that must be nurtured, and preserved for future generations. The values that make up this heirloom, including land stewardship practices, water resource management, conflict resolution and strengthening our families and communities, have mueh to offer Native Hawaiians and people not just in Hawai'i, but around the world. But it isn't something that should be kept tucked away in a safe plaee, we must share it with everyone to allow them to acquire this mana. In return, we will acquire mana from our partners including Ali'i trusts and nonprofits, with whom we will work together to use these values to improve

conditions for Native Hawaiians, and leverage our strength with that of our community partners. But in order to do this, we need to more fully align what we do with our strategic plan and to maintain this focus. More information on our strategic plan ean be found at www.oha.org/about/strategic-plan. What it means for our community is OHA must not be seen as an unlimited funding source for every project. We have to learn to live within our

means to ensure we have money not just tor today, but money to keep us strong in perpetuity, through our investments and our

landholdings. We must be able to use money wisely to build thriving Native Hawaiian communities and work with others who will eome to the table to help us see the vision through.

And we need the courage to be more strategic and be able to say "no" if a project does not align with our strategic plan. So when I say "Mana is our Legacy," it is more than a slogan. It is my commitment to improve conditions for all Native Hawaiians.

'O au iho no me ke aloha a me ka 'oia'i'o,

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

Kamana'opono M. Crabbe, Ph.D. Ka Pouhana/Chief Executive Officer