Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 3, 1 March 1989 — "Mai Wakinekona" Liaison Resʻgns [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

"Mai Wakinekona" Liaison Resʻgns

OHA federal liaison officer Larry Kamakawiwo'ole resigned last month after two and a half years of groundbreaking work representing the agency in Washington, D.C. Kamakawiwo'ole was the first person to serve as a fulltime,

official liaison and information link between the four offices of Hawaii's congressional delegation and OHA. He initiated regular columns in Ka Wai Ola O OHA, entitled "Mai Wakinekona" (From Washington) in whieh he kept the Hawaiian community informed of federal legislation impacting on native Hawaiians. Kamakawiwo'ole also feels he helped heighten OHA's awareness of federal government process and its impact on native Hawaiians. His most important recent role was to help prepare the OHA Board of Trustees for inclusion of OHA in federal legislation. He said OHA will play a significant role in future legislation involving redress of wrongs committed against the Hawaiian kingdom in 1893, whether through reparations or sovereignty. Prior to working for OHA, Kamakawiwo'ole attended Georgetown University law school.