Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 11, 1 November 1986 — Two-Year Report [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Two-Year Report

By Moanikeala Akaka Trustee, Hawaii

As one of the four trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs who is not scheduled for re-election this year, 1 would like to make some observations based on OHA's past experiences as we proceed to select five new trustees this General Eleetion on Nov. 4. OHA is desperately in

need of an infusion of new blood. Openness to eaeh other and our people must be a priority. A sense of unity and purpose amongst trustees and staff is a necessary factor if OHA is to succeed and "better our peoples' conditions" whieh is OHA's mandate. We need more of an ohana spirit amongst the trustees and staff, not divisive, destructive, obstructionist attitudes as has been the case in the past. In my two years as a trustee, there has not been one occasion for all trustees to get together socially so that we may get to know eaeh other in an other than formal meeting. We as trustees must be more open and work to eliminate personality barriers. Acting together we ean set the example of unity all Hawaiians need for our lifestyle, culture and values are under constant threat these days. This is why I say it is necessary for "new blood" and a "elean house" amongst the trustees. In openness, with vision and foresight, we trustees ean make OHA an entity to be proud of, that ean more ably address the needs and problems of our people. Since I've been in office we trustees have taken a position against the unfair land exchange of Hilo, Waimea, Molokai airports, 214 acres of aina for 13 acres plus industrial buildings at Shafter Flats whieh would have meant a loss of $260,000 a year to Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. OHA would also lose $53,000 a year from Shafter Flats since it is ceded lands trusts. This illegal land exchange is on "hold" with the Department of the Interior at this time. We as trustees must not allow the theft of any more ceded lands, be it Diamond Head Beach, 10,000 acres at Kahauale'a by Campbell Estate or the three acres at Waikoloa that Chris Hemmeter and Hyatt Regency are stealing (valued at a million dollars an acre of whieh 20 percent belongs to Hawaiians through OHA). We trustees must not allow our ceded lands and DHHL resources to leave the Hawaiian treasury. In perpetuity Hawaii's children throughout the state should benefit from this ceded land trust while the native (with 50 percent blood) receive 20 percent through OHA. We as trustees have a fiduciary responsibility to protect this aina or you our constitutents ean sue us. We need trustees who will not sit idly while we eonhnue to see our aina ripped off. Mainstream intrusion into the Hawaiian lifestyle and culture are forcing us to assimilate and become low paying hotel maids and busboys as a limited alternative for our children.

If we in OH A receive the 20 percent of the ceded land revenues we are supposed to be getting (including Department of Transportation, Airports and Harbors lands now under litigation), we could create job training, health, educational, cultural, housing and other programs to help uplift our people. In a peripheral audit report of OHA's ceded land revenues from DLNR the CPA firm found that OHA from 1980-85 has been shortchanged $250,000, and that was just on a "spot eheek". We must elect trustees and a chairperson who will advocate justice for our people, not impede or obstruct this goal. It's been ho'omanawanui (be patient) for "too long". The aloha aina traditional philosophy of our people must be maintained in the modern age, as our ancestors took care of and lived "in balance" with the aina. Those conservation practices are anecessity ifwe are to have a Hawaiian tomorrow. The desecration and destruction of our important historical sites whether it be at Kaho'olawe, Mahukona or Puo O Kaiaka cannot be tolerated as we eonhnue to fight one step ahead of the bulldozer and bombs. Concerning the Puna cave Kapokohelele, there has always been great apprehension in the Hawaiian eommunity as to the way landowners 01sen and Cunningham sensationalized their "find", and our fears of their exploiting this sacred connection with our ancient past surfaced. In July of 1986, 01sen wrote OHA proposing

to sell us his half interest of our Hawaiian cave. At the same time our office had received information that 01sen was selling and duplicating for sale artifacts taken from this sacred Puna cave. Gard Kealoha, chairman of the Culture/Education Committee failed to inform his committee and the Board of this denigration of these Hawaiian religious artifacts. 01sen stated in his July letter that he and his family would be moving to live in Europe at the end of that month. Gard Kealoha should have assumed a protective posture, instead he chose to do nothing while the owners blasphemed the spirituality of our Hawaiian heritage. Where are the sacred implements of Kapokohelele? What is happening with this sacred site? As trustee of the island of this ancient temple it is painful that this kind of behavior is tolerated! There is also the question about Walter Ritte's involvement with that same cave when he was trustee three years ago. Ritte started a campaign and went on KCCN Radio soliciting funds from the Hawaiian community to purchase that Kapokohelele Puna cave. Many, many envelopes eame into the Honolulu OHA office addressed to Ritte in response to his appeal. Ritte instructed staff that those envelopes be set aside in a basket for him. No one at the OHA office has any knowledge as to how mueh was collected for the cave purchase, nor what has beeome of those funds. Mr. Ritte runs again for trustee this November 4. Before I vote for him I want an aecounting of those funds our community donated for a worthwhile cause. Accountability is the basis for democracy. Our people, our aina and our culture have been exploited and abused for these past 200 years, and our trustees as true leaders must rise above the abyss; trustees must remember our peoples' sufferings, the one reason why we hold office. We need trustees who will work hand in hand with you our constituents to resolve Hawaiian problems, not turn and hide from the people whieh unfortunately is what has been happening for years. We for months as trustees have not held community meetings on the neighbor islands, yet we are required to visit eaeh island but onee a year. You the people — the real Hawaiian power base — have demonstrated repeatedly a desire to meet with OHA's trustees. We the elected OHA trustees must be accountable to and communicate with those we serve. Community meetings are very important gatherings; they are the basis of our representation. We need trustees who show they care! There are strong indications that the Hawaiians are becoming more politically aware and participating in shaping the destiny of our Hawaiian islands. When you vote: Maka'ala! Malama pono. Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono.