Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 5, 1 May 1991 — Stepping down as committee chair-- the right decision [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Stepping down as committee chair-- the right decision

by Moanikeala Akaka Trustee, Hawai'i

I feel it is necessary to let you know that I am giving up my chairmanship of OHA's Health and Human Services committee to Unele Tommy Kaulukukui. Some of you have asked, "why?." The present Board of

Trustees was established at the end of 1990 due to the election of new trustees. Moses Keale was elected Chairman. With the new Chairman's reorganization, seven committees instead of four, were created. They are: Budget, Finance; Policy and Planning; Culture and Education; Health and Human Services; OHA Relations; Legislative Review; Native Hawaiian Status and Entitlements and Housing; and Eeonomie Development and Land. During reorganization, I was not given a ehoiee of committee assignments although I have been a trustee longer than two-thirds of the current board; most of the other trustees were allowed a ehoiee. I was appointed Chairperson of Health and Human Services whieh I feel is one of the most important areas of Hawaiian eoneem,

and I intend to remain a very active member of that committee as advocate for our people. I am chairing a new subcommittee for an allHawaiian health plan whieh is a crucial and important area of need for our Hawaiian 'ohana. Members of this subcommittee are Rowena Akana, Kamaki Kanahele, Tommy Kaulukukui, and myself. We are beginning to investigate the possibilities of OHA creating a health plan for all Hawaiians.

Let s face it, our people deserve to have adequate health services, and we are hoping that this plan will cover outstanding expenses after the primary health care now utilized by our Hawaiian community is exhausted. In other words, if you have a health plan at work or are on Medicare or Medicaid or other governmental health programs such as the State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) and Papa Ola Lokahi health services (onee it begins), the committee hopes that OHA's All Hawaiian Plan will cover the added costs your primary plans do not pay. We desire that all Hawaiians, including the homeless living on the beach, will be able to obtain adequate health services including dental care. Our kupuna will not have to worry about denying themselves needed medical attention whieh Medicare refuses to cover. Indian tribes and Alaskan natives have a card that entitles them to

obtain medical services whenever the need arises. We Hawaiians deserve no less as an entitlement from OHA. The prospect is exciting. As I mentioned earlier, I am giving up my chairmanship of Health and Human Services. During OHA's reorganization this past December, I was not appointed a member of the Entitlements and Housing Committee, nor to the Land and Eeonomie Development Committee. These are two areas I have been involved in for years even before I became a trustee— and are two areas I will always be involved in as they are paramount in importance to the Hawaiian people. Entitlements and housing deal with not only mueh needed housing for our people but also with the entitlements due our people including the "retroactive package" for Native Hawaiians that was passed last legislative session for those of 50 percent and more Hawaiian blood. There is also a "prospective package" still to be negotioted for all Hawoiians. Although all OHA committees are definitely important and I am honored to participate and contribute in any of them to the best of my ability as advocate for our people — I feel it imperative that I be a voting member of the Entitlements and Housing as well as the Eeonomie Development and Land Committees. These are two very crucial continued page 23

Trustee Akaka /rom page 19 committees in OHA and although I hate to give up my chairmanship of Health and Human Services, Unele Tommy, at my request and after some consideration, was willing to trade me his membership on these two committees for my chairmanship and seat on the OHA Relations Committee. Tommy and I discussed these committees trades with the Chair, and they were presented for ratification by the full Board at our Apr. 22 meeting. In Entitlements and Housing Committee, we will be negotiating a prospective package for all Hawaiians of any blood quantum. We must not only get decent revenues out of these negotiations; but must receive at least 300,000 acres of ceded lands to eventually be transferred to our Hawaiian sovereign nation. After all, this state is holding 1.4 million acres of our Hawaiian ceded lands.

Although OHA has been in existence only since 1980, mueh land is owed to OHA for the Hawaiian people due to the theft of our nation and the overthrow of Lili'uokalani in 1893. It is the State's responsibility to give us, the Hawaiian people, substantial acreage of that 'aina. We must not however let the Feds off the hook, for they too owe OHA the return of ceded lands that they hold.

The retroactive package was for revenues as limited by a 1981 law that entitled OHA to 20 percent of the revenues on/y from certain ceded lands. This is what we were limited to. However, the method of payment was in land or money. The OHA Entitlements and Housing Committee just took a position that the retroactive method of payment from the State whieh will amount to $92 million or more will be 65 percent in land and 35 percent in money and this positon was to be presented for adoption at the Apnl Board of Trustees' meeting. The prospective package however is notlimited to revenues on/y — and we cannot have a sovereign nation with only a few parcels of 'aina, nor should the state be able to have us buy back our own ceded lands. The Hawaiian people deserve lots of 'aina — Governor Waihe'e!!

1 too am concerned about land use and eeonomie development. You know of my deep eoneem for our 'aina. I get more than a little nervous when land is lumped with eeonomie development as in this committee. Does it mean that 'aina is just a commodity to be bought and sold to the highest bidder as so many foreign corporations are anxious to do? Too frequently there is no vision nor foresight about land preservation and its being a necessity for the present and future generations? OHA's master plan says we should preserve unique flora and fauna whieh means special 'aina in the spirit of Aloha 'Aina. It does not mean we should make bucks off the 'aina any way we ean! It is my opinion we ean make money working with the 'aina rather than through the physical destruction or spiritual desecration of it. Aloha 'Aina is an ecologically sane philosophy. I gave up my chairmanship for seats on these two committees. Those of you who know me fully understand my concerns and why I feel it is the

right decision. You also know that I have always been a watchdog and have kept fully informed on what happens with the 'aina. My vote on these committees is essential. Aloha 'aina. Malama pono. Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono.