Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 4, 1 April 2014 — Kākou: one people, one nation, one lāhui [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kākou: one people, one nation, one lāhui

Kamana'opono M. Crabbe, Ph.D. Ka Pouhana/Chief Executive Officer When the Offiee of Hawaiian Affairs announced a new plan to achieve nationhood, I knew there would be many skeptics. Had we not done this before only to have OHA pull the plug? We have been down this road. We've made mistakes and have bumps and bruises to prove it. We know people are skeptical about our pledge to remain neutral in this process and they have every right to be. As long as I'm the Pouhana at the

Office of Hawaiian Affairs, I will see this through. I won't allow it to fail. I've made a promise that we will see this process through and fulfill our commitment to the people. This time is different. We're listening and reconnecting with Native Hawaiians and we're more open to everyone's ideas. We are truly committed to be a facilitator and convener. This means we won't take sides, but we will bring together a broad cross-section of the Native Hawaiian eommunity in order to reach our goals. We've met with Ali'i trusts, Hawaiian benevolent societies and Native Hawaiian community organizations. We're talking to people who may have previously opposed OHA and we're pledging financial support to groups with divergent views on self-determination and sovereignty. While many are focused on the final form of govemance, we're eon-

cemed with making sure the final decision is the will of the Native Hawaiian people. So far, 120,000 are on the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission's roll. Every single person on the roll will have a voice. We want this to be an inclusive process. We need to stop focusing upon what divides us, but on what brings us together. We need to focus on our eommon bonds. We need to do this in the spirit of Kākou: one people, one nation, one lāhui. Nothing has been predetermined; there are so many things that are up in the air. We are committed to a process. The great value of this process is it brings hope to our people. At the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, we will help facilitate and educate the people on all options for selfgovernance. We are maintaining relationships with the state and federal governments and with the international community in order

to facilitate the will of the people. Cutting off these relationships would mean we couldn't bring the latest information to the table for the people to decide upon. So if you hear of "secret" trips or backroom dealing, rest assured that we aren't straying from the process. We're doing our job to keep diplomacy alive and keeping all options open for the Hawaiian people. This will be a movement. It's not an OHA-led movement; it is a people-driven movement. The people will make the decisions: first, the delegates to the 'aha and secondly, the people who will ratify the governing documents. OHA will serve the role of a convener - a group that brings a diverse group of people together to solve a problem. It's a role eonsidered essential to bring together groups to achieve positive eollahorative outcomes. Conveners get

people to find solutions together, but don't seek to impose their will. Our goal is to keep everyone at the table and everyone talking together. For us, a win isn't a specific form of government. A win for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs would be bringing everyone at the table, letting them talk, getting their mana'o and keeping them involved in the process. With a diverse and broad-based group working together, and getting the rest of the lāhui to buy into the fruits of their labor, we all win. And that's why OHA is committed to be a neutral party. And that's why we want to level the playing field so everyone ean participate. It's time we started working together, to be less suspicious of eaeh other's motives and to pledge to work together for the good of everyone to establish a nation that we ean be proud to leave to our ehildren and grandchildren. One that will live on in perpetuity, and will benefit all Native Hawaiians today and for generations to eome. A

EA www.oha.org/kwo | kwo@OHA.org G0VERNANCE NATIVE HAWAIIAN » NEWS | FEATURES | EVENTS