Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 12, 1 December 2013 — Trustees OK more funding for roll commission -- with conditions [ARTICLE]

Trustees OK more funding for roll commission -- with conditions

By Garett Kamemoto The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees voted to give almost $600,000 in funding to the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission, saying it is the hnal funding that will be approved for the commission. Trustees also demanded an exit plan to terminate the commission's operations. The funding is about a quarter of the amount requested by the commission in May. Since August 2011, trustees have approved $3.3 million for commission operations. As of Sept. 27, Kana'iolowalu reported registering 2 1 ,4 1 8 Native Hawaiians for the roll. Kana'iolowalu had been designed to be a yearlong campaign to create a base roll of Native Hawaiians who wouldbe eligible to participate in the formation of a sovereign government. Itlaunchedin July 2012. The deadline to enroll has been extended until January 2014. The commission is expected

to sunset on June 30, 2014, after the puhlieahon of a certified roll. Trustees expressed concerns about the cost effectiveness of the commission's campaign, and noted a large number of people whose names will be on the hnal roll will have eome directly from OHA. In September, OHA transferred more than 87,000 names to Kana'iolowalu after the state enacted a law including on the official roll all individuals registered with OHA as verified Native Hawaiians. That includes people who registered with Kau Inoa, the Hawaiian Registry Program and Operation 'Ohana. In the motion approving the $595,000 for commission operations, trustees demanded the commission eome up with an exit plan within two weeks. Trustees also said no further money would be given to the commission. In addition, the motion included recommendations made by Trustee Robert Lindsey, including:

• If a Kanaka Maoli puwalu (gathering) is to be convened, it would be convened by OHA and not the state Legislature and that OHA's role would be to facilitate the puwalu. • OHA should educate and inform the Hawaiian community on the overthrow, and the events surrounding the overthrow. • OHA will never negotiate away the sovereignty of the Hawaiian people and national lands. • OHA will facilitate discussions on all models of self-determination, including independence and international recognition. The Board of Trustees voted 7 to 1 to support the additional funding. The Native Hawaiian Roll Commission was formed by Act 195 in 20 1 1 . The law formally recognizes the Native Hawaiian people as the only indigenous, aboriginal, maoli people of Hawai'i. The commission is responsible for preparing a roll of qualifiedNative Hawaiians and certifying that the individuals on the roll meet the definition of Native Hawaiian. Under the provisions of the law, the commission is housed within OHA for administrative purposes only and OHA is responsible for funding the commission. ■