Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 9, 1 September 1989 — Civic clubs recognize Inouye's contributions [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Civic clubs recognize Inouye's contributions

For his achievements on behalf of Native Hawaiians, Hawaii's senior U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye was honored by the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs at a testimonial dinner July 3. Association president Jalna Keala welcomed the 430 guests representing Hawaiian Civic clubs, the state Legislature, business and major Hawaiian service agencies, the University of Hawai'i and the Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate. All were gathered at the Honolulu lntemational Country Club to thank and praise lnouye for his leadership that has brought a wave of new federal support for Hawaiian programs. First to speak from the agencies that are receiving federal funds enabled by lnouye was Bishop Estate trustee Myron Thompson, honorary chairman of the testimonial. Thompson, who is ālso a director of Alu Like, Ine., called Inouye a "true friend of the Hawaiian people." He summarized the more than 20 years of effort by Inouye to benefit Native Hawaiians, first through seeking Congressional recognition of Native Hawaiians as Native Americans, then the direct funding for programs. Hawai'i has received $83 million in federal aid so far to establish new Native Hawaiian education, health, cultural, and business programs. In the next three years $90 million more has been authorized to carry them out, Thompson said. Thomas Kaulukukui, Sr., chairman of the Office; of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees, thanked the senator on behalf of the trustees and constituency of OHA. OHA is administering the Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund, a federally-funded $3 million, four-year demonstration project to promote eeonomie independence and self-suf-ficiency of native Hawaiians through small business ownership. Inouye was instrumental in establishing NHRLF. Kaulukukui said over 2,000 applications have been received from Hawaiians interested in starting or expanding their own business. OHA is also participating in the federally-funded Native Hawaiian Culture and Arts Program, established to preserve, revitalize, and perpetuate Native Hawaiian arts and culture and crafts, eonsistent with cultural teachings. Dr. Naleen Naupaka Andrade, president of the! E Ola Mau organization of Native Hawaiian health professional, lauded Senator Inouye for including "grassroots community" groups in federal legislation that became the landmark Native Hawaiian Health Care Act of 1988.

Rising at last to acknowledge the speeches made in his honor, Senator Daniel Inouye said testimony from the federal oversight hearings to be held in Hawai'i August 7-11 would serve as a record to base legislation for improving the operation of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Inouye is chair of the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs whieh is conducting the heanng jointly with the House of Representatives Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. Repeating his view that a wrong had been eommitted against the Hawaiian people when the U.S. government aided in the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom, Inouye pledged, "I will work together with you to eome up with legislation to onee more again establish a sovereign entity in Hawai'i. He said a land base could consist of Hawaiian Home Lands, ceded lands, and federal state lands not being used for government purposes. Realization of this aim will provide the opportunity for Hawaiians to "show their stuff," he said, to develop and invest on land. Inouye said he is confident this ean be worked out with the federal government and state. His experience in working with Native Americans has showed it will not be easy, but it is possible, he said. "It will take our energy — if not, forget it," he said. He added, if Hawaiians use their energy in a

positive way, there will some day be a sovereign entity of whieh Hawaiians ean say "That land is mine." In a concluding presentation, AHCC president Keala presented Inouye the lei hulu moe, fashioned by Ethelreda Kahalewai. The yellow feather lei with red highlights (to represent his years of public service) was reserved for very high ranking chiefs, she said.

Senator Daneil K. lnouye, honored by the Assoclation of Hawaiian Civic Club, pledged to work with Hawaiiana to establish a sovereign entity in Hawai'i.