Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 7, 1 Iulai 2016 — AKINA, KELIʻI [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AKINA, KELIʻI

>►01 RESPONSE:In its masterplan, OHA has identified great opportunities for advancing native Hawaiians, and I commend OHA for the goals in this document. Unfortunately, the trustees have fallen short of ensuring that these goals are met. According to the State Auditor: "Ineffectual oversight bars OHA from

ensuring grants achieve intended results..." Additionally, tens of millions of dollars have been wasted on political agendas such as the push for federal recognition. The solution is to stop wasting trust money on politics and, instead, to spend it on solving homelessness and meeting the real needs of Hawaiians forhousing, healthcare, jobs, and education. OHA does not laek the resources to help the Hawaiian people. Rather, it needs to manage them in an accountable and nonpolitical way. If elected Trustee, I will work hard to reform OHA so that it provides opportunities Hawaiians need. >► Q2 RESPONSE: I stand with those trustees who oppose the nationbuilding efforts by OHA that are dividing Hawaiians from nonHawaiians and Hawaiians from eaeh other. True Hawaiian nationhood has always included all people regardless of race. As the 1840 Hawaiian Constitution states, "Ua hana mai ke Akua i na lahui kanaka a pau i ke koko hookahi, e noho like lakou ma ka honua nei me ke kuikahi, a me ka pomaikai." "God hath made of one koko (blood) all nations of men to dwell on the earth, in unity and blessedness." If we as OHA"s beneficiaries eontinue to elect trustees who pursue a separatist, racebased nation, we will exclude our hanai keiki, many of our parents, spouses, and our beloved haole friends from citizenship. If elected Trustee, I will work hard so that OHA stops dividing Hawaii"s people and starts uniting them. >► Q3 RESPONSE: This is a great question because it looks to the future. In my university classes I teach students that Hawaiian wisdom has mueh to offer a world seeking eeonomie and ecological sustainability. Sadly, the current trustee board has taken actions, whieh interfere with promoting Hawaiian values globally. Recently, OHA withdrew its approval for the Thirty Meter Telescope and then tried to keep the telescope if its sponsors would pay higher rent to OHA! Tragically, this hnaneial greed has contributed to the potential loss of the telescope along with the loss of millions of dollars in scholarships, jobs and eeonomie development for Hawaiians. The ancient Hawaiians were brilliant scientists and saw no conflict between sacred and scientific. Thaf s why Nainoa Thompson and other Hokule'a navigators studied the stars in the Bishop Museum Planetarium as part of their sacred training. If elected Trustee, I will work hard to ensure that our keiki thrive in a world where Hawaiian values and scientific progress go hand in hand. ■