Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 2, 1 February 1986 — Careful Deliberations [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Careful Deliberations

By Moanikeala Akaka Trustee, Hawaii

The enel of this past year, the trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs received a response from our Congressional delegation, U.S. Senators Daniel K. Inouye, Spark M. Matsunaga, and Congressmen Daniel K. Akaka and Cec Heftel, to the Native Hawaiian Study Commission Report. Initially in 1982, publie hearings were heard state-

wide sometimes until 4 in the morning while our people and supporters poured out facts in the sufferings of our lahui since the illegal overthrow of Liliuokalani and our Hawaiian nation. Of the nine study commissioners appointed by President Reagan, only three were Hawaiians, while six were federal Washington, D.C. employees who ended up being rubber stamps for the government that dep>osed our Hawaiian monarchy. Through twisting and distorting the (facts) truth, the mainland majority concluded that America had nothing to do with the overthrow of our monarchy . How ean Americans in eill clear conscience allow lies like this to be disseminated? Any semi-astute student of our history of that time knows that for months before the overthrow, Minister John Stevens, American emissary to Hawaii, was not only corresponding with then President Benjamin Harrison about annexation for Hawaii, but he was also going around Honolulu advocating (and inciting) the overthrow. It is eommon knowledge that President Grover Cleveland, according to his personal papers for Princeton University, was "outraged at the injustice done to the Hawaiian people and govemment". The Blout Report commissioned by Cleveland substantiates this injustice to our Hawaiian nation occurred; and this is the sentiment of the Hawaiian minority on the Commission. Our present Congressional delegation has taken a first step in offering this response to the Commission Rep»rt. At least it is that "admission of guilt" for having stolen our nationhood; and it supports the minority position. But no way ean we accept mueh of this response as is stated by our congressman, nor in the time frame originally requested whieh was Jan. 31, 1986. OnJan. 13, OHA Chairman Joseph Kealoha, Trustee Thomas K. Kaulukukui Sr., myself and three attorney advisors met with Congressman Akaka in his Honolulu office. The Congressman agreed that it would be wise to extend the deadline so that we may get more input from the community and eome up with a more viable package than the one offered, for it has many flaws. One serious flaw is that this native claims act as is stated, would extinguish all native claims 12 years after the act is signed. No way ean we agree to extinguish our rights as the first people of this aina. You, your keiki, mo'opuna and those coming after should be able to receive native benefits and resources in perpetuity . No one, not even we trustees, have any right to dissolve or give up your native right. Right now in Alaska, many native groups fear the year 1991, when their Alaskan Native Claims Act ends, as their land will be able to be transferrable to non-native hands. So you see how imp>ortant it is that we trustees in the Hawaiian community deliberate very carefully on this native Hawaiian claims settlement act offered, for it has broadreaching implications, whieh will affect Hawaiians forever. It is good to see that this resp>onse mentions making available job training, educational, health service programs when it addresses social issues. I am sure affordable housing is an understood social matter amongst Hawaiians; remember the beach people. This trustee in the past has stressed the need to have programs such as these available to get our p>eople out of the vicious cycle of poverty so many are forced to live. It is a matter of survival. What is absurd is that our resources and aina for Hawaiian Home and Ceded Land Trusts are many, but we are denied access to them. Why aren't the recommendations from the Hawaiian State/Federal Task Force implementation not called for by this congressional federal response? There must also be a mechanism included for a selfdetermination and "self-governance" whieh are Nixon and Reagan administrative policies relating to native Americans. We trustees will be holding meetings throughout the state on this reparation package in upcoming months. It is important that you understand what is going on and the ramifications.