Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 7, 1 July 1993 — Just do it [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Just do it

by Rowena Akana, T rustee-at-Large Well ... they've finally done it. Hawai'i legislators approved Senate Bill 1 028 — the Hawaiian sovereignty referendum. It took 100 years, three months and 13 days, but a legislative body is finally helping Hawaiians do something about the wrongs committed against them. Some groups praised the bill, others denounced it. Like it or not, ready or not, it's here and all of us are going to have to deal with it. Soon. Four Hawaiian organizations are to nominate applicants from whieh the govemor must appoint 12 of a 19 member Hawaiian sovereignty commission. The appointments must be made by

Aug.l. Two weeks after that, the eommission will begin to meet, discuss and make a host of decisions

for a report it must deliver to legislators no later than 20 days before the 1994 session. The commission's report must discuss the value of a special election, the method of apportioning votine districts. the

requirements of delegate eligibility, composition and size, the establishment of election dates and the education of Hawaiian voters. The Legislature ean then use the commission's report to eon-

clude if and how to ask the Hawaiian voters whether or not they want to convene a convention to propose an organic docu-

ment for the governanee of a sovereign Hawaiian nation. If Hawaiians vote yes in 1994, then they will have the opportunity to elect constitutional convention delegates who will forge a document Hawaiians ean ratify or not sometime in 1995.

The bill demands mueh in a short order. My guess is most Hawaiians don't fully grasp the magnitude of the bill, its possibilities or its ramifications. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaiian Civic Clubs,

Ka Lāhui Hawai'i and the State Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations will start the deci-sion-making by their nominations. Gov. John Waihe'e appoints the Sovereignty Advisory Commission from their and his own choices. Hawaiians' first mistake would be to ignore the selection process. This is a process of self-determination. If Hawaiians ignore the process, they forsake self-determination

and leave the same people in charge to make the same decisions. The more we get involved, the greater our chances for discovering innovative leaders and fresh ideas to manage our affairs through the 2 1 st century and

beyond. If you feel you don't know enough to make an educated ehoiee, be brave enough to ask for help. If you think you know something, then express an opinion, ask a question, or decide an answer. Whatever you do, don't do nothing. We will educate only if we communicate. Talk to those

within you sovereignty organization. Join or at least visit one of these organizations. The Lieutenant Governor's office registers eligible Hawaiians to vote. Call 453-8683 to receive a Wiki Wiki registration form by mail. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs holds open meetings on all its activities. Attend one or watch it on cable access 22 until June 30. Call your elected trustees. Let them know what's on your minds or they'll just do what's on theirs. If OHA doesn't fit your style, try another organization like Ka Lāhui Hawai'i, Hawaiian Civic Clubs, the State Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations or a host of others. It is no ionger possible for Hawaiians to keep their opinions on sovereignty to themselves, even if they have no opinion. The silence will speak for itself if the questions are not asked, the answers not found and the ehoiees not made. Self-determination is at hand. If we don't embrace the process, we lose the opportunity to govern our future. This time is forever.

"The more we get involved the greater our chances for discovering innovative leaders and fresh ideas to manage our affairs through the 21 st century and beyond."