Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 4, Number 5, 1 May 1987 — Mai Wakinekona [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Mai Wakinekona

By Larry Kamakawiwo'ole Federal Liaison Officer

Increased Inoolvement

The month of March saw the Office of Hawaiian Affairs increase its involvement in the activities of the current Congress in the following ways: 1. S. 136 and S. 360 (Companion bills H.R. 1136 and H.R. 1081, respectively). OHA, in cooperation with E Ola Mau. Drooosed substan-

tive changes to S. 136 (H.R. 1136), the native Hawaiian health bill, before the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs at its public hearing held on Mar. 6 in Honolulu. Furthermore, OHA also strongly supported S. 360 in its testimony before that same Committee. Mark-up session for both bills were held Mar. 19 in Washington, D.C. Congressman Daniel K. Akaka introduced the eompanion bills in the House with Congresswoman Patricia Saiki as cosponsor. A key strategy move was made when Congressman Dale E. Kildee of Michigan alsocosponsored H.R. 1081, the native Hawaiian education bill, because Kildee is a ranking member of the House Committee on Education and.Labor, whieh is where that bill awaits a mark-up session. H.R. 1136 was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and no date has been set for a mark-up session. 2. S. 187, the Native American Cultural Preservation Act. The office of Senator John Melcher of Montana has invited OHA to make comments and recommendations on S. 187. Briefly, S. 187 permits Indians and Hawaiians to take sacred artifacts and human skeletal remains located in museums, universities and government agencies and retum them to the families, bands and tribes. A significant component of the bill is the estabiishment of a Native American Museum Advisory Board ("Board"), whieh iscomprised of 17 members including six Indians and one native Hawaiian appointed by the

President from among a list of elders and spiritual leaders submitted by the Governor of Hawai'i. A crucial and important function of the Board is to resolve disputes between Hawaiians who elaim certain sacred artifacts and human skeletal remains and the institutions that house them. There is need to improve the resolution process and OHA plays an important part in this area. 3. 1 recently received a letter from Senator Daniel K. Inouye informing me that President Reagan's budget proposal for fiscal year ("FY") 1988 includes a request to rescind FY 1987 appropriations for several programs affecting Hawaiians: (a) the Pacific Basin project ($1.5 million): (b) the Native Hawaiian Children Health Care program ($1 million); (b) the Native Hawaiian Children Health Care program ($1 million) whieh expands an existing program currently being funded by the Maternal and Child Health block grant and administered by the Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate; and (e) the Pediatric Emergency Medical Services ($2 million) whieh is a demonstration project funded for the past two years. I have recommended to the OHA Board of Trustees that they take action to oppose the President's proposed budget cuts to the foregoing programs. Additionally, the President's proposed budget cuts also include a 50 percent cut in the anti-drug abuse program budget for FY 1987 ($200,000 from $400,000 authorized to be appropriated) that is allocated to Hawaiians in need of prevention, education, rehabilitation and referral programs. 4. Senator Inouye was keynote speaker at the National Congress of Americīn Indians ("NCAI") Congressional Awards Banquet heldon Mar. 11 in Washington, D.C. Congressman Akaka was also present at the banquet. Carol Ford and I were invited to be the guests of the Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate. Sherlyn Franklin of the Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate and 'lwalani Minton, Federal Liaison Officer for E Ola Mau, were also in attendance. In his keynote speech, the Senator expressed strong support for the American Indian cause in the U.S. Congress. 5. Carol Ford and I had a good introductory meeting with Alan Parker, new staff director of the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs. Parker is of American Indian descent and the former president of the Ameriean Indian National Bank in Washington, D.C. In conclusion, the paee for federal legislation affecting Hawaiians has been quick. Hawaiian organizations have been working together to support the Hawai'i delegation on Capitol Hill. The Hawaiian leadership must be united if we are to get a fair share of federal aid in the current Congress.