Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 1, 1 January 2016 — Aloha mai kākou, [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Aloha mai kākou,

Back in 1980, when the Office of Hawaiian Affairs was in its infancy, life was different. Most of us only had phones in our homes and offices. We didn't have instant access to sports scores and actually had to stand up to change the ehannel on our television sets. Our kupuna had to wait to get letters and photographs to find out how their mo'opuna were doing. The progress we've made in technology has been stunning. We're all more connected. With social media and other advances, we know eaeh other's business even though our families and friends might be halfway around the world. You ean monitor the exact position of the Hōkūle'a by navigating to hokulea.com. The world has changed but have we? Are we stuck in the 1980s? Are we still listening to KC and the Sunshine Band looking for our boogie man? That might sound a little silly, but it reminds us at OH A and in the New Year, we need to take a step back and evaluate where we were and where we want to be.

In this age of unprecedented connectivity, we have to listen more and talk less. And not just hear what people are saying, but to listen and connect with our na'au. We know we have a diverse community, and might not always agree, but we ean listen and understand eaeh other and eome to an understanding that takes into account eaeh other's mana'o. But we cannot afford to shout instructions down from our ivory tower. That's not how things work anymore. We have to find ways to work with eaeh other and take the long view. We need to take a step back and figure out whether we are winning the battle or the war. And in the 21st Century, winning the war might consist of conceding some battles but realizing what our goals are. At the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, it means Administration and Trustees need to work together to eome out with one voice that is informed by our beneficiaries from all walks of life. We need to listen more and talk less, and then work collaboratively with some folks we've never worked with before. Change is incremental; it doesn't happen overnight. One of our biggest changes last year won't

generate any headlines. We've reached out to many people we've never reached out to before. They've invited us to the table and they're willing to listen and we're willing to educate. But we're at the table. We're taking the long view. Make no mistake, we disagree on many things, but over the long haul, they want to do right by Native Hawaiians. And as long as we're at the table, we're not on the menu. Our vision for this year is for there to be one j OHA, unified with the community. We will cut j down on the politics in favor of partnerships. J There will be less controversy and more eol- J laboration. And above all, our leadership ;■ will be pono and work with you. Jj| And so I ask, will you work with us so we ean lead together? 'O au iho nō me ke aloha a me ka 'oia'i'o, |

V- «■ C^JLAj-C Kamana'opono M. Crabbe, Ph.D. Ka Pouhana/Chief Executive 0fficer

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