Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 1, 1 January 1988 — Mahealani Ing is New NARF Director [ARTICLE]

Mahealani Ing is New NARF Director

Mahealani Ing, executive director of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, was recently elected to the 13-member board of directors of the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), according to word from the organization's headquarters in Boulder, Colo.

She joins an all-Native governing board comprised of individuals from throughout the United States who are well-versed in, and committed to the promotion of Indian legal rights on a nahonal basis. Mrs. Ing, who has been involved with Native Hawaiian rights issues for 20 years, is currently a member of the boards of directors for the Coalition of Hawaiian Organizations, the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu and the Hawaiian Civic Political Action Committee (HACPAC). She previously served on numerous boards, includ-

ing Alu Like ine., Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, Aha Hui O Hawaii and the Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center.

NARF was established as a three-attorney project in 1970 in Caiifornia and today it is a 16-attorney organization with offices also in Washington, D.C. and Anchorage, Alaska. The organization represents approximately 70 native communities at any one time in more than half the states throughout the country. The Indian-controlled legal rights group is a not-for-profit organization focusing on tribal issues that impact a great number of native Americans. Its priorities include the preservation of tribal existence, the protection of tribal resources and the promotion of Indian human riahts.

NARF is supported by private and public grants, elients fees and individual contributions from throughout the U.S. Norman Ration (Navajo-Laguna) of Window Rock, Ariz., is chairman of the board of directors. John Eehohawk, a Pawnee and one of the founding attorneys, is the executive director.