Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 6, 1 June 1988 — Take Care Our Land and People [ARTICLE]

Take Care Our Land and People

By Moanikeala Akaka Trustee, Hawai'i

Keopuolani, sacred wife of Kamehameha I, whom even the king approached on his knees, was the mother of Liholiho (Kamehameha II), Kauikeaouli (Kamehameha III), and Nahi'ena'ena. On her deathbed, Keopuolani said to her son, "exercise a tender care over our

land and our people!" In 1843 Kamehameha III, observing the onslaught of Christianity, the greed of Western man, and the demise of our people, proclaimed "Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono." Today, every true Hawaiian leader must remember those words from these sacred alii and should assume a mission and responsibility to carry them out. We owe this to our past, present and future generations. In all honesty, we must admit that it is some of our own past and present Hawaiian leadership that eonhnue to compromise the Hawaiian cause, keeping many of our people on the bottom of the socio-economic ladder struggling for survival on a day-to-day basis. Eighty-five percent of Hawaiian families eam less than $20,000 annually. We as responsible Hawaiians must choose our leadership as well as elected representatives wisely. The so-called "'alamihi (black crab) syndrome" analogy we've heard about all our lives (one Hawaiian crab pulling down the other in a bucket), is a self-defeating hoax used on oppressed minorities throughout American history . It is a matter of differences of values. Some Hawaiians have really assimilated to Western ways and are led around by the "pocketbook." These values may be based upon how mueh kala one has,

whether one has a higher education, social standing in the community, how new one's car happens to be, what societies including Hawaiian civic clubs one belongs, etc. On the other hand there are some Hawaiian leaders whose true values relate to resolving the needs and values of our people. As Keopuolani stated, take care of our aina and people. Now more than ever in these our Hawaiian islands those words should be a pnority. We must elect representatives that will do just that as true servants of the people , help kokua you and your ohana. And we Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees should also be paid a salary. It is up to you to vote responsibly and examine candidates for office finding out what they stand for relating to Hawaiian justice. You must elect representatives who care for our people, prove it through action, and are not afraid to stand up and be counted when necessary. And you must hold them accountable onee elected. There is a moral and physical obligation to be paid to our people. We only ask for justice and fairness; you ean help make the difference! This past legislative session, nothing substantial happened relating to our ceded land entitlements. Members of our OHA Ad Hoe Ceded Land Committee (of whieh I am one of five trustees) have been having exploratory talks with the Governor's staff to eome up with a package for the next legislative session relating to our ceded land entitlements. That is why you must elect senators and representatives that are not going to "shibai" us but pay attention and kokua obtaining these entitlements owned our Hawaiian people. Soyousee how crucial it is that we na poe o Hawaii register to vote and use that vote wisely. For too long the Hawaiian people and vote have been used and manipulated against Hawaiians best interests. If that were not the case we would not be in this sorry state of affairs; the dismal

statistics speak, "right to sue" or not. The Hawaiian vote in the past has been used and abused and we must not allow it to continue. As one of our kupuna from Kona said to me, "the true ali'i took care of our people and worked to better their conditions." This we need today more than ever!! I have been involved in these struggles since 1970 when a handful of us started the Hawaiian movement for justice in Kalama Valley. I have been your Hawaii Island trustee these past four years and although there have been difficulties as we are all aware, there have also been successes. And today there is reason to believe that OHA will play a significant role in determining our future in these Hawaiian islands. Malama pono. Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono. Eaeh year approximately 350,000 people die of heart attack before they reach the hospital. Many of them might have been saved, says the American Heart Association, because the average victim waits three hours before seeking medical help.

pr :jj. . ■* 0