Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 15, Number 6, 1 June 1998 — Aloha e Na Poʻe Hawaiʻi, [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

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Aloha e Na Poʻe Hawaiʻi,

All my life l've worked for the Hawaiian people. Ifthere has been one overriding eoneem that has driven my endeavors - it has been the welfare of Hawaiians. Using my background in law, Vve worked to improve the health, housing and social conditions of Hawaiians. My work for our community has been at all levels: loeal, national and international. Because home security is thefirst lenel of dignity, Ihave assisted over 400 Hawaiian families and Kupuna in obtaining ajfordable housing. My effort and commitment have caused me to oppose polUieal injustices against our people and to fight against abuse ofour 'aina - on Kaho 'olawe, atHalawa Valley and atAiopio with the Pai 'Ohana. During the 8 years I have served as Kia lāina of Ka Lūhui Hawai'i, I

have taken the plight and claims of Hawaiians into the international arena - to confere}ices in Genei>a, Cairo , Copenhagen and Washington D.C., so that the world will know the truth about the injustices against Hawaiian people. Through all this, one issue has persisted — What is the role of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs? This state agency, created by the state government to receive millio?is in trust funds owed the Hawaiian people, has been given too mueh discretionary power. OHA Trustees have a legal and pinaneial obligation to use these funds to better the conditions ofNative Hawaiians through direct and ejfective programs for educational scholarships, business development, housing loans, health care and other services whieh the Hawaiian community badly needs. OHA Trustees must live up to their legal obligations. In recentyears, OHA has eome under severe criticism from the StateAuditor for failing to acknowledge its financial responsibilities and for significant problems relating to program and fiscal management. Tt?e OHA Board has been unable to engage in decision making or policy setting because of continual fighting and factionalism among Board members. We need new leadership to address these problems, and this is something I intend to address if elected. Tve decided to run for OHA because the OHA Trustees need to be reminded of their legal andfinancial obligations and need to be reminded that their first duty is to the Hawaiian people. OHA is not a native sovereign entity or native naiion. OHA's appropriate role in the sovereignty movement is to support consensus-building ejforts on an even playing field, and to ensure that the right of Hawaiian people to selfdetermination becomes a reality through the creation of a sovereign nation whieh reflects the aspirations ofHawaiians. Instead, OHA has repeatedly tried to take away the right of the Hawaiian people to self-determination by proposing and fundingstate initiatives to transform OHA itself into a Hawaiian nation. In 1996 & 1997, OHA wasted 1 million trustdollars to support a state initiative whieh 70% of Hawaiian eligible voters who are OHA constituents did noj endorse. The vast land holdings. natural resources and financial assets of the Ceded La?ids Trust are the property of the Hawaiian people. For the past 10 years, the State has sought to cut back the benefits of this trustfor Hawaiian beneficiaries. Ihe State Legislature and administration have brought significant pressure to bear on the OHA Trustees to force them to aeeepi a low and final settlement of entitlements to the Ceded Lands Trust. OHA and the Hawaiian people need a Trustee who will not cower before this threat, but instead advocate for a complete inventory and accounting of the entire trust and a strategy to maximize its beneficial use for Hawaiians. The Ceded Lands Trust assets are our lands. our fisheries. our waters — it is the legacy whieh we leave to our children. Ihave spent my life working to defend and perpetuate the Ceded Land Trust. As an OHA Trustee, I will continue this commitment. lbelieve that ifyou look at my life, you 7/ see proof of my abiding, passionate, and peaceful commitment to the Hawaiian people. Iaskyou to allow me to eoniinue to serveyou , as a Trustee of the Ojfice of Hawaiian Ajfairs.

The People for Mi!ilani Trask • PO Box 10271 • Honolulu, HI 96816

Malama Pono, ' " . ; . 7: ..' ... , .

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