Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 6, 1 June 1997 — Panel's life extended to review Hawaiian Home Land claims [ARTICLE]

Panel's life extended to review Hawaiian Home Land claims

Louie Pelekai, 53, wonders how he will be eompensated for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands losing his wait list number. Pelekai has waited for 20 years to be awarded a homeland parcel. "All I want to do is get on the land," Pelekai said. Former Governor John Waihe'e created the Individual Claims Review Panel (ICRP) in 1988, to review the grievances of native Hawaiians on the DHHL wait

list between August 21, 1959 and June 30, 1988. The panel's life was meant to end on August 31, 1995. However, with a total of 4,327 claims filed the panel still has 3,516 claims left to review. House Bill 1857, regarding the life of the Individual Review Claims Panel, extends the Ufe of the review panel by two years. However, no money was alIocated to compensate claimants who were found to have valid claims. Of the 165 claims the panel decided were valid, $6 million for damages have been recommended for compensation. The Attorney General testified that the $600 million that DHHL received in the settlement with the state should be used to compensate claimants. Over 600 claims have been

declined for compensation by the panel. The legislature decided that the panel should pursue nonmonetary relief to claimants. "I'm really unclear as to what kind of nonmonetary remedial relief there could be," said Melodie MacKenzie, executive director of the Hawaiian Claims Office.

Pelekai too, is unclear on how claimants will be compensated. He has been on the list for 20 years and recently changed his request to agricultural land on Kaua'i because there are less claimants there, he said. "What land they going give us? And how long will it take to build infrastructure?" He asked. Pelekai and other claimants tracked the bill through the legislative session and provided testimony

to extend the life of the panel and honor their claims. The Senate version of HB 1857 had appropriated money for compensation to the claimants. However that was taken out in the joint conference between the two houses. A new formula to figure out nonmonetary compensation for eaeh claimant needs to be recreated, MacKenzie said. The committee consisting of the Attorney General, the Director of Finance, the Chair Person of the Hawaiian Homes Commission and the chair of the ICRP will work together to find a solution. For Pelekai and other claimants they will not receive any compensation this year, MacKenzie said. Pelekai is currently renting in

Waikiki and is unemployed. "The way I look at it is if they give me money now I ean make a downpayment on land," he said. "If they gave me land in * 85 1 could've paid the mortgage already." The bill is still awaiting Governor Ben Cayetano's signature.

ttThe way I look at it is if they give money now I ean make a downpayment on land...lf they gave me land in v85 I could've paid the mortgage already." — Louie Pelekal Clalmant

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