Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 5, 1 May 2014 — Crowd rallies at state Capitol for Kaka'ako entitlements [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Crowd rallies at state Capitol for Kaka'ako entitlements

By Harold Nedd More than 100 Native Hawaiians and their supporters gathered at the state Capitol in Honolulu to lobby for legislation that would give the Office of Hawaiian Affairs the ability to pursue residential development on at least three of the 10 parcels its owns in Kaka'ako Makai. Wearing red T-shirts and carrying Hawaiian flags, the animated crowd marched to the rotunda of state Capitol, where OHA supporters listened to speeches, sang and watched a hula performance by dozens of students from the Hawaiian-

focused charter school Hālau Lōkahi. Many stood for more than an hour with signs, including messages such as "Support Hawaiian Management of Hawaiian Land," and "Everyone gets to live in Kaka'ako except Hawaiians." A handful of lawmakers also joined the rally, where they expressed their support for the OHA-led efforts to get enacted into law Senate Bill 3122, a measure that would that would eliminate the restrictions placed on the land eight years ago, and enahle OHA to commission a master plan for the area. If enacted into law, the legislation would allow OHA to maximize the value of several parcels of land that it now owns

as part of an estimated $200 million settlement with the state to resolve a longstanding dispute over ceded land revenues. "We ean take our future into our own hands," state Rep. Kaniela Ing said in his remarks to the crowd. "That's what this bill is about. It's also about self-determination and correcting injustices." In his remarks, state Sen. Brickwood Galuteria offered praise to the Hawaiians and other supporters of the measures. "We need your support, your spirit and your unity," Galuteria said. "This build-

ing listens to numbers. If we ean speak as one, there will be no denying us." Rep. Jo Jordan echoed his sentiment, praising the bills for their potential to help OHA make a

fair return on its investment and continue to fund programs that benefit future generations of Hawaiians. "We all need to eome together," Jordan said. In 20 1 2, OH A received the 10 parcels and 30 acres of land as a result of a settlement between the agency and the state. The settlement resolved a dispute that lasted 30 years, including three lawsuits and countless negotiations. The state agreed that OHA was owed $200 million; however,

the state did not have cash to pay OHA. Instead, Kaka'ako Makai lands were identified and transferred to OHA. "The land was transferred to us to support the lāhui," Kawika Burgess, OHA's Ka Pou Nui, Chief Operating Officer, said at the rally. "It was transferred to us to continue the programs, services and the good work for our lāhui." For more information, visit www.oha.org/kakaako. ■

On April 22 marchers called upon lawmakers to eliminale restrictions imposed on certain parcels of land that OHA now owns. - Photo: Pmneine Murray