Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 6, 1 Iune 2017 — Legislative Recap: Hawaiians have political power [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Legislative Recap: Hawaiians have political power

By Zuri Aki t goes by pretty fast. Blink and you just might miss the introduction of over one thousand legislative measures during the first week of legislative session. Blink and you just might miss the four months' worth of lawmaking on bills that may impact eaeh and every one of us. With puhlie hearings scheduled as little as two days in advance, keeping up with the changes ean be a daunting task, even for paid lobbyists. Whieh is why it is so inspiring, and critical, that OHA beneficiaries eonhnue to remain engaged in the legislative process, to ensure that new laws uphold the rights and interests of Native Hawaiians in all sectors of their lives. The idea of monitoring each-and-every-one of the hundreds of bills and resolutions introduced every year may seemlike a monumental task. The legislative process, in the big square building with limited parking and towering concrete pillars, ean be confusing and intimidating for the most seasoned advocate. However, time and again, it is the voice of the eommunity, of the people, that must carry the day. For when a bad bill gains momentum, it often takes an immovable object to stop it in its tracks. 'Onipa'a - to remain steadfast - a word used by our monarchs of a bygone age to both encourage and inspire the people to stand for pono and remain resolute against the tide of detriment. We are that immovable object. When we choose to be. Conversely, when a good bill doesn't get the

attention it deserves, sometimes it takes an unstoppahle force to see it through to the end. Pūpūkahi i holomua - unite to progress - a proverb that testifies to our capacity to accomplish anything, when we work together. We are that unstoppable force. When we choose to be. The lāhui's active participation in state and loeal government ean be a powerful thing. Our civic engagement ean mean life or death for laws that may impact us, and our 'ōpio, for many generations to eome. And as difficult as it may be for members of the puhlie to react to lightningquick testimony deadlines and community calls to aehon, whether by making phone calls, showing up in person, or just submitting testimony online, Native Hawaiians have and continue to do mueh to make their voices heard in Hawai'i's statehouse. Perhaps this is not so surprising, for when we nānā i ke kumu - look to the source - we ean see that Native Hawaiians have been civically engaged throughout mueh of our recent history.

Following the overthrow, approximately 124 years and four months ago, our ancestors were barred from participation in governance. But, that quickly changed. By the tum of the 20th century, our ancestors rallied back. They wielded whatever poliheal power they could grasp and catalyzed their unstoppable force, electing a Native Hawaiian-dom-inated legislature that spoke in 'Ōlelo Hawai'i and quickly passed laws providing tax relief to the poor, removing barriers to voting, and providing access to traditional healthcare. Although Govemor Sanford Dole did his best to reverse this progress, he could do little to stop the eleehon of two Native Hawaiian delegates to Congress - the latter of whom, Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana'ole, was able to shepherd through the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, secure bonds for major puhlie works projects, and obtain a grant to establish a puhlie college, now known as the University of Hawai'i. Unfortunately, these victories did not allow mueh time for the lāhui to rest on its laurels. Then, as now, Native Hawaiians have continued to civically engage for the betterment of our conditions, notwithstanding the challenges we face. As demonstrated eaeh legislative session, including the most recent, we most definitely have the ability to rise above, for our better future. When HB1469 was amended to eliminate the 65-year SEE LEGISLATURE ON PAGE 9

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G0VERNANCE To restore pono and ea, Native Hawaiians will achieve self-gover-nanee, after whieh the assets of OHAwillhe transferred to the new governing entity.

2017

LEGISLATIVE SESSIŪN

LEGISLATURE

Continued from page 4 eap on public land leases, social media ignited with calls to aehon, as beneficiaries saw how this could lead to near-perpetual leases of public lands - including the lease of Mauna Kea's summit. The unstoppable force was activated and, in the face of overwhelming opposition from the Native Hawaiian community, the bill was killed, for now. Similarly, sustained Native Hawaiian support throughout the legislative session resulted in the passage of HB45 1 , whieh would lower the required blood quantum for homestead lessees' immediate family members to inherit a lease, from one quarter to one thirty-second. Homestead leaders, the Sovereign Councils of Hawaiian Homeland Assembly, and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries from throughout the islands advocated for this historic measure, to prevent the ejection of families from homesteads they have

occupied for generations. — Other bills did not eome to such happy endings, including SB895, whieh, if signed by the Governor, could be used to criminalize the homeless and may also ehill the exercise of Native Hawaiian traditional and customary rights. Other measures, such as HB860, introduced "to reform the quiet title process and give Hawaiian families a fighting ehanee to hold onto their Kuleana lands," died despite strong community support. These unfortunate outcomes highlight the need for ever greater civic engagement from the lāhui, to hold our elected officials accountable to the rights and interests of the Native Hawaiian community. Civic engagement is an incredible tool that we possess to effect positive change in our lives and in securing the betterment of our conditions. This tool ean be a determining factor in whether we continue to suffer from oppression, or if we 'onipa'a a pūpūkahi i holomua to break it. ■