Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 2, 1 February 1992 — Ho ʻolokahi, the re-birth of a naiion [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Ho ʻolokahi, the re-birth of a naiion

The Rev. Moses K. Keale Sr. Trustee, Kaua'i & Ni'ihau

ī History is shaped by people, events, dates and outcomes. Webster defines history as "a tale, a story ... a chronological record of significant events (as affecting a nation or institution) usually including an explanation

of their causes. What makes an event historical? What makes an event significant? What makes an event memorable? For the most part, timing is the single most important aspect of any event. The right action at the right time, in the right location, by the right people.

We stand today at a most significant point in our continued existence. We, you and I, the indigenous people of this land, the native Hawaiian people, are witness to events and outcomes of significant change not only in our world and nation, but right here in our own homeland. The time has eome for eaeh of us to dig down deep into our na'au, our gut, and determine to first eome to grips with our present circumstances; and to eome to grips with our future. Then we must eome together, united and resolved to pursue the course of action that will ultimately lead to the betterment of the conditions for our people. We must put away our individual differences and stand together, shoulder to shoulder, Hawaiian to Hawaiian, 'ohana to 'ohana.

Eaeh day we piek up the newspaper and read some new revelation about the services we have been entitled to but have not received. Eaeh day we leam more and more about the programs that were established for us but have fallen far short of the intentions for whieh they were created. We read about the civil rights that have been trampled upon. About lands that have diverted from its original intentions to other priorities. More than 70 years ago, the United States Congress established a program, a trust, between the Hawaiian people and the United States government. Its purpose was to provide homesteads to displaced Hawaiians through a federal government lease program on 200,000 acres of Hawaiian land. The trust was turned over to the state administration in 1959 without mueh change in its dismissal status of aeeomplishment.

We witness harsh criticism of that program and we lay the blame for this dismal program on the Hawaiian administrators of the past when the blame is really with the federal and state governments for understaffing, underfunding, laek of commitment and sometimes what appears to be enminal ignorance. We leam about the taking of hundreds, thousands of acres of land by the United States military through presidential executive order for the purpose of national defense during a period when war in Europe and the Pacific dominated the headlines. The promise was to return these lands when it was no longer needed. That war

ended in 1945. In December, the U.S. eommemorated the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. President Bush stood on our shores and proclaimed that 50 years of hurtful memories was enough and the time had eome to heal the wounds. Well, if the war is over and the purposes for the orders that took our land has passed, then why has the federal government not returned our lands? Lands such as Bellows Air Force Base whieh have stood vacant for many years. And how about the many thousands of acres of land still occupied by the military whieh sees little real use? Or how about installations such as Fort DeRussy, Schofield, Hiekam, Fort Ruger, Lualualei, Pearl Harbor, and Moanalua to name just a few on O'ahu whose continued use comes without compensation or benefit of leave revenues to the native Hawaiians.

Today, after more than 16 years of battling with the government over the future of Kaho'olawe we finally find that it eome down to an argument of how mueh it will cost to elean up this island if it is to be returned. Someone should have thought about that cost before the first bombs were dropped. Those who caused the problems should be forced to fix it. There does not seem to be any need for extended conversation on this matter. •

And then let us talk about the state government. Upon admission to the union of states of the United States of America, the Hawai'i state government was given, in trust, more that a million acres of land by the federal government to administer for two purposes — the betterment of the conditions of the native Hawaiians and for other public purposes. Our legislature, in its wisdom, established that there existed five original purposes thus determining that 20 percent of the revenue from this public trust would go directly to the native Hawaiian through the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

However, onee again we find that actions and practices fall far short of the original intent. Since 1959 the state has systematically sold, transferred, or exchanged large tracts of land without regard to the proportional impact this would have on the beneficiary. The native Hawaiian has been the loser in almost every instance and continues, even in today's events to loose ground.

When the public trust land is exchanged for the making of roads or building of public buildings or other public works projects, are these exchanges charged off to the 80 percent share of the revenues generated so that the native Hawaiians share is not diminished by that loss? When public trust properties are set aside for public housing or affordable housing are native Hawaiians guaranteed their 20 percent share of this housing program? When public trust lands are taken out of the inventory of revenue producing property to be converted to other public uses such as parks or golf courses, are native Hawaiians compensated for this diversion and subsequent loss of their 20 percent share of revenues or potential revenues?

Hawaiians are taxpayers! We receive no speeial exemptions from property taxes or ineome taxes from either the county, state, or federal governments. And yet we are required to subsi-

dize public education, state and county parks, public works projects, and other government operations. Most of the lands under the public school systems are lands taken from the public land trusts, over 3,683.27 acres. No lease value has ever been established for these lands. A recent report I received established the real property values on these lands as exceeding $2,088,889,000 based on county tax assessment values. Simple arithmetic using the presently practiced formuIa for establishing lease values on these lands indicated that the native Hawaiian should be entitled to more than

$16,700,000 in annual revenues for the continued use of these properties. (Basis for computation: 4 percent of the market value = annual lease charges 20 percent of this lease revenue = Native Hawaiian beneficiary share. $2,088,889,00 x 4 percent = $83,555, 560 per year and $83, 555,560 x 20 percent = $16,711,112 per year). Another way to look at this is that the native Hawaiian, by allowing the public schools to use this property without charge is subsidizing the school system by more than $16 million not to mention those services presently being provided to the state Department of Education by The Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate (A native Hawaiian private trust).

Reports also establish that the University of Hawaii system occupies more than 1,879.38 acres of public trust lands valued at $534,389,000 for whieh no lease is paid to the state. Using the same formula this amounts to a $4,274,000 annual lease subsidy of the university system by the native Hawaiian. ($534,289,000 x 4 percent = $21,371,560 — $21,371,560 x 20 percent = $4,274,312). I am reminded that during the past two legislative sessions the bills were introduced by native Hawaiian organizations asking for tuition waivers for Hawaiians. Eaeh time such a bill was introduced, it met with heavy opposition from the university.

Perhaps it is time to remind them about our contributions to their system. As hundreds of millions of dollars are spent in capital improvements on university campuses, we should remind ourselves of the laek of commitment to build a simple Hawaiian Studies Center on the university campus. Perhaps we should be reminding these officials about the excruciating battles we must fight to win expansion of Hawaiian programs on those campuses while they withhold our monies.

As I stated at the beginning of this article, our history is shaped by timing and events. This year will complete my 12th year of uninterrupted service to the native Hawaiian as a trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. We have eome a long, long way. In the last few years we have enjoyed major success but these successes are insignificant compared to the road that lies ahead. There has never been a more prominent time for unity among our people. We must use every total tool available to us to win this very important battle. The battle is about the right to exist as Hawaiians. And this battle is for the right to selfcontinued page 22

Trustee Keale

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determination. This battle is a battle that requires the ultimate in sacrifices from eaeh and every one of us. We must unite under one banner, one people and one race. We must not dissipate our energy worrying about whose picture is the best picture or whose organization is better suited to accomplish the task. We must make use of the tools, identify the mission, improve our conditions and move forward to victory for the Hawaiian race.

A i manao kekahi e lilo i pookele i waena o oukou, e pono no e lilo ia i kauwa na oukou. Na ke akua e malama a e alakai ia kakou apau.