Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 6, 1 June 2022 — My Time as an Intern at the Legislature [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

My Time as an Intern at the Legislature

V KA LEO O NA 'OPIO V ^ VOICE OF THE YOUTH *

By Hema Kealohanuikaiama Watson, Grade 11 Hālau Kū Māna New Century Public Charter School Eo'u mau po'e heluhelu mai kahakihi ā kahakihi, aloha! This past legislative session, I had the opportunity to intern for Rep. Jeanne Kapela at the state eapitol. During my time with her, I was able to eonduet my own personal researeh and refleet about where I stand and what I'd like to do with my future. As part of my work, I was tasked with

finding bills and traeking them. I even had the opportunity to offer testimony on a few measures. I reeognize that some may eonsider this proeess mundane, but it holds extreme value - espeeially for me and others. This legislative session was historie for our lāhui, as we are set to reeeive a reeord amount of funding and benefits: • $600 million was alloeated to the Department of Hawaiian Homelands. This signifieant amount of aid will provide support that our Hawaiian people deserve and need. • Our edueation systems will be reeeiving a well-deserved upgrade of $10 million for fans and eooling units. • Over $130 million will be spent for better teaeher pay (with $32.5 million for teaeher shortage differentials). • $2 million to address menstrual equity in puhlie sehools.

Another major highlight of the legislative session was being able to provide my mana'o on SB2021, a measure that would inerease the Ofīice of Hawaiian Affairs' pro rata share of the Puhlie Land Trust revenue. When I heard SB2021 was being considered by the House, I took action and made sure to write a letter to every House member to ensure that my voice (and the voices of my peers) was heard. That turned out to be one of the best ideas because when the bill was being debated on the House floor, Rep. Daniel Holt stood up

and used part of my letter in his speech urging his colleagues to support the measure. It felt powerful to hear my words, to hear my name recognized, and to feel our collective voice expressed through my words and Rep. Holt's ea. On May 3, 2022, I was able to visit the capitol to watch hundreds of bills be considered during final reading. Ka Leo O Nā 'Ōpio (KONO)

invited me and some of my peers to witness this important day in the legislative session. We learned a lot about the process and found it within ourselves to grow and find new answers. We, as Kānaka Maoli, must make those first moves to heeome literate like our kūpuna, becoming educated and steady people of this land. We cannot let these high tides wash our resolve or dreams away like small grains of sand. It may seem easy to look at my progress and applaud it - or look at it and not care - but I am a Hawaiian. I am Kanaka Maoli, a part of the Kānaka Maoli, and a part of who I am lives in this lāhui. Furthering my studies and strengthening my confidence in running this system assures my success and therefore my people's success. Hā'awi aku, hā'awi mai: What you give is what you receive. A hui hou, mālama pono! ■

I^K 1 1 Ilaief Hema Watson and his fellow KONO peers with Rep. Daniel Holt. - Photo: Courtesy