Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 11, Number 6, 1 June 1994 — Board accomplishments [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Board accomplishments

b\ Abraham Aiona Trustee, Maui This month, I want to cover one of the most significant bills passed by the recent state Legislature. and to eall to your attention the accomplishments of the Board of Trustees in the past three years. S.B. 2261, "A Bill for an Act relating to Hawaiian Affairs," was passed by the Leaislature and has been

sent to Gov. Waihe'e for his signature into law. The significance of this bill is that OHA will be able to issue revenue bonds for projects, thereby allowing us to preserve our trust luiuK. II ihi-; luni not heen passed, OHA would be forced to use the trust funds or borrow against them. This bill allows us to

leverage our worth and givcs thc board greater flexibility. Can you envision the unlimited power that could be unleashed: building projects to enrich the lives of our kūpuna; cultural centers for the use of Hawaiians and others; housing projects for our people, and a host of ideas not yet discussed by the board, that are in the "egg" stage. It's a boon to what the board ean do in the future. Board aceomplishments Now, I want to recount the many, many accomplishments of the board during the past three years. Recently, two one-page ads appeared in the Honolulu dailies, one showing the importance of educating our youth, and the other listing the names of some Hawaiians and organizations that were helped by OHA in 1993. The list was too long to be printed in total. 1 believe we need to inform our beneficiaries and the conimunity at large of whal we are doing, instead of hearing the age-old question, "What is OHA doing for us?"

Here are some of the significant measures accomplished by the board: • Resolving and obtaining of the $135 million past-due entitlements. including interest; • Clarification of land use designations with regard to entitlcments; • Draft federal lcgislation dealing with recognition, reparations and claims; ♦ Financial and leehnieal

support for Hui Na'auao and the Hawaiian Sovereignty Advisory Commission; • Establishment of the $10 million OHA Education Foundation for post-sec-ondary schooi education; • Establishment of the OHA grants and donation pro1 gram, with grants in the first I round totaling $750,000 a • Reauthorization of the

Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund Program wilh a $3 million federal maieh of OHA's funds; • Start-up of community-based eeonomie development projects; • Establishment of two $10 million revolving loan fund programs for Hawaiian homesteaders; • Creation of an OHA Culture Office ; • Creation of an OHA Housing Office; • Disbursement of $250,000 for Hurricane 'Iniki relief on Kaua'i; • Continued support of the Native Hawaiian Land Title Project through the Native Hawaiian Lega) Corporation; • Support of Lunalilo Home operating expenses and fundraising program; • Appropriation for kidney dialysis program on Moloka'i from the Legislature; • Support for the retum of the island of Kaho'olawe to the State of Hawai'i. Therc are othcrs that are also nolewoilhy, but space is limited. In closing, we need to "blow our horn" instead of being passive and only reacting.