Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 3, 1 March 2017 — A historical note on the wisdom of others regarding OHA... [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A historical note on the wisdom of others regarding OHA...

Aloha Mai Kakou! This month brings you a historical note taken from a 200 1 Honolulu Advertiser eolumn by David Shapiro. I discovered it as I reminisced on other times when OHA's Board of Trustees had engaged in bitterly fought battles for the Chairmanship. Since the eolumn is too long to reprint, I will highlight paragraphs whieh bring to light OHA's "democratic" style of electing its Chair.

Titled, "Clayton Hee is Making a Mess of OHA" (Excerpts fromV oleanie -Ash, Dave Shapiro's eolumn as posted on July 4, 2001) "In 1999, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs was in chaos as its trustees fought bitterly and vital land negotiations with the state broke down. Clayton Hee scolded his fellow trustees. 'It's frankly ridiculous that the board is unahle to work together,' he said.' Ultimately, it harms the beneficiaries we serve.'" "...The spectacle of OHA's attempt to select a new administrator finds the board as divided as ever. Battling trustees couldn't muster a quorum for a meeting last week, sending OHA into its new fiscal year with no permanent administrator or budget... [Hee has] been in a snit since Haunani Apoliona beat him out for OHA chair for the new term and seems bent on using his considerable political skills to disrupt her leadership."

"[Hee] seemed to elevate his game when he coolly led OHA through the tumult after the U.S. Supreme Court opened OHA elections to non-Hawaiians... But after being ousted as chairman, [Hee] reverted to his old form — joined by Charles Ota, the foul-mouthed loose eannon who is OHA's first non-Hawaiian trustee. Ota has attached himself to Hee like a carbuncle." "Hee has every right to voice

his dissent. But he owes it to OHA beneficiaries to find eommon ground with the majority. . ." "...It's too bad. Apoliona and majority trustees Oswald Stender, John Waihee IV, Donald Cataluna and Colette Machado have been diligent and reasonably businesslike in recruiting an administrator and dealing with the state auditor's critical report on OHA operations." "[Hee and Ota] boycotted interviews to select a new administrator. Hee instigated a puhlie tiff with OHA attorney Sherry Broder so unbecoming that Apoliona had to ask him to leave the meeting." I have to mahalo Dave Shapiro for aeeurately recording what happened in 1999 and into the summer of 2001. He could have reprinted this same article by just changing a few names and published date. Ke Aloha Nui, Trustee Leina'ala Ahu Isa ■

Follovv us: 3 /oha_hawaii | Fan us:E/officeofhawaiianaffairs | Watch us: YūuiiTfiD /OHĀHawaii ^

LEO 'ELELE v TRUSTEE MESSSAGES f

Leina'ala Ahu lsa, Ph.D. At-largE