Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 15, Number 12, 1 December 1998 — OHA board reorganizes [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA board reorganizes

By Ryan Mielke Twenty-one days after Hawai'i voters made their selections for trustees at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs new and inenmhenl trnstees were. sworn

I in and the OHA board was reorganized, with I Trustee Rowena Akana elected as chair. Snnreme fnnrt īnstiee

Robert Klein administered the oath of office to Trustees Louis Hao and Mililani Trask, as well as re-elected incumbent Trustees Rowena Akana, Frenchy DeSoto and Clayton Hee. Almost immediately following was the process to reorganize the OHA Board of Trustees and then a 6-3 election of now-Chair-woman Rowena Akana. Elected by trustees as vice chairwoman was Trustee Hannah Springer. At press time, the board was scheduled to determine committee assignments and leadership positions Dec. I at OHA. Upon her eleehon, however, Chairwoman Akana took

some time to share her vision with trustees, beneficiaries and others in the standing-room-only board room Nov. 24. "First, I want to thank my constituents for returning me to OHA and my colleagues here who voted for me for chair. I appreciate your support and I am encouraged by your confidence in my ability to lead our people," said Akana. "After eight years on the board, I think all of you know that my commitment to this office is absolute, and I recognize in all of you a commitment that runs just as deep. Eaeh trustee is here to work toward the

betterment of the Hawaiian people," she added. She also addressed the perception people might have regarding the election of strong leaders in the Hawaiian community to the OHA board. "I think a safe conclusion here is that the constituents who voted

this way perceive us as speaking to their interests, and to their betterment. I would also like to think that they perceive our abilities

as strengths. Healthy disagreement on certain " issues ean foster insightful discussion toward new | ideas." Chairwoman Akana then outlined some of the issues she would like to see covered by the OHA board. ■ First, OHA must negotiate with the state toward a permanent delinition of Hawaiians' ceded land interests. Additionally, OHA needs to look at ceded lands that are in the city inventory. ■ OHA must work [ toward a resolution of OHA vs. State ofHawai'i. ■ OHA should look at a supplemental healthcare program for kūpuna who cannot meet their Medicare

deductible whieh will soon escalate to $1,000. She would also like to see OHA consider a 0-to-3 supplemental healthcare package for Hawaiian keiki who cannot qualify for other medical assistance. ■ Act 329 is the legislation whieh imposed a twoyear eap on ceded land revenues, and OHA is now in the second year of the eap. Akana said she is confident that in the coming legislative session, this subject will again surface. "Those who seek to break up OHA's trust will eome armed again with a determination that might prove devastating to our people."

■ And finally, Chairwoman Akana would like to face the blood quantum question. "This is a federal limitation that tears at our community and divides us artificially." While the meeting served to focus on fresh leader-

ship, OHA's most recent past BOT chair, Trustee Frenchy DeSoto, took a few moments to thank her supporters who returned her

to OHA on Nov. 3. She also reflected on some of the ; BOT's accomplishments while she was in OHA's top seat. "We pulled together on ■» many issues," she said. "We derailed the Native Hawaiian Autonomy Act and the attempt to legislate our native gathering rights out of exisM tence." She also discussed the ■ funding of programs by OHA I that served the betterment of B Hawaiians. "We appropriatI ed $8.2 million to help | II Hawaiians, including $3 mil- ■ lion for the Waimanalo ■ Kupuna Housing Project; ■ $1.1 million for the Kulana ^ 'Ōiwi Kalama'ula Multi-Ser-vice Center Project, and others."

I look forward to workmg with new Trustee Mililani Trask and returning Trustee Louis Hao, the six incumbent trustees and our newly organized board," she added. "None of us must ever forget why our people elected us to the OHA board. It was not to stall the engine that drives the destiny of our people - rather it was to lead." Both Akana and DeSoto spoke of the necessity for effective leadership and working with all OHA trustees toward the attainment of a eommon goal - the betterment of the Hawaiian people. ■

... — — — ™ — Newly elected Board Chairwoman Rowena Akana. OHA trustee-at-large.

Trustee-at-Large Frenchy DeSoto, former board chair.