Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 12, Number 1, 1 January 1995 — Let us hui to unite the Hawaiian nation [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Let us hui to unite the Hawaiian nation

by Moses K. Keale, Sr. Trustee, Kaua'i & Ni'ihau I recently attended the 35th Annual Convention of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs on Maui and I eame away with a good feeling of togetherness. As I listened and watched the proceedings the members, who eame

from all islands of the State of Hawai'i and five Mainland states, all had the same goal in eommon - to educate and unite the Hawaiian people. Speaker of the House Joseph Souki said there is a renaissance of the Hawaiian movement now. He recognizes it, the Legislature recognizes it, and the State of Hawai'i recognizes it - with

Hawaiian leaders like Representative Annelle Amaral, Majority Floor Leader in the House; Representative-elect Quentin Kawānanakoa; and Solomon Kaho'ohalahala, Chairman of the Hawaiian Sovereignty Elections Council and Councilman-elect of the County of Maui, in addition to many more Hawaiian leaders and organizations, all

working to better the conditions of the Hawaiian people. Mr. Kaho'ohalahala said it is time for us to now hui all of our resources, hui all of our ideas, because it is to the benefit of our people to be given the best advantage to learn as thoroughly as we ean all there is to know about who they are, what they are presently, and what they ean become. Panel members in a workshop on Hawaiian sovereignty included Dr. Kekuni Blaisdell, Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele and A'o Pōhaku Rodenhurst. Dr. Kekuni Blaisdell, head of Ka Pākaukau, believes in complete independence for the kānaka maoli - native Hawaiian people. This is strengthened by the opinion of Professor Francis Anthony Boyle, an expert on international law,

who in December 1993 said, "The native H a w ā i i a n people have all the requirements you need to go ahead and

do this, if this is your ehoiee." A strong voice in our community is "Bumpy" Kanahele, Head of State of the Nation State of Hawai'i, formerly the 'Ohana Council, who believes that sovereignty is real. ... that legally, the only true sovereignty is independence.

A'o Pōhaku Rodenhurst, leader of the Nation of Kū (spiritual consciousness) ranks education as a top priority. She does ho'oponopono to help restore spirituality of sacred sites such as Makapu'u. She also would look for sovereignty - complete independence. OHA is the first step to independence. Hawai'i Revised Statutes Chapter 10 declares that OHA shall be a separate entity as the fourth branch of government. That to me says OHA is sovereign. OHA has its own revenues and the only reason OHA is placed under the state is that we ask for general funds whieh we match with trust funds so we ean service all Hawaiians. So I say to you, if we ean hui, if we ean unite, we ean become a mighty nation!

OHA is sovereign. OHA has its own revenues. The only reason OHA is plaeeei under the state is that we ask for general funds whieh we match with trust funds so we ean service all Hawaiians.