Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 2, 1 February 1999 — Civic club highlights self-determination [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Civic club highlights self-determination

ALOHA NUI, e nā 'ōiwi Hawai'i, ka hā Hawai'i o nā kūpuna. This 30th article of 46 highlights the Jan. 3 installation of the O'ahu Council of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs representing the 46 clubs and eomprised of five councils. The O'ahu Couneil represents 23 clubs. For 1999 - 2000, O'ahu Council officers and directors are president, Leimomi Khan; first vice president, Doreen Lindsey; second vice-pres-ident, Manuel Vierra; treasurer, Alberta Low; past president, Ike Ka'aihue; corresponding secretary, Luana Sala; and recording secretary, Teri Loo. Jalna Keala, Charles Kapua and Kaho'onei Panoke are association directors. Haniett N. Roxburgh, Pi'ikea Tomcyzk, Shelly Hao-Tamon and Ruth Holt are O'ahu Council directors. Norma Wong's keynote speech addressed obfigations, opportunities and challenges of self-determination. Here are some excerpts: "The manifestation of self-determina-tion of the Hawaiian people is one of the hardest, most challenging issues of these

times. Somehow, the . veryword "sovereignty" has raised barriers among our own people, heightened the competition for resources and power, and I presented a divided polit- | ieal and social ffont. There is a reason for this: Self-determination is about goveraance and control. "The current obligations of the State of Hawai'i to the Hawaiian people are clear. The obligation lies with the public lands, 99 percent

of whieh were the government and crown lands of the kingdom of Hawai'i. The federal government recognized that the origins and the laws that governed those lands were special, and it required as an obligation of statehood that the lands be held in trust, and that one of the primary beneficiaries would be the Native Hawaiian

people. The obfigation lies with the Hawaiian Home Lands Trast, an instrament created by the ali'i Kūhiō Kalaniana'ole. The obfigation lies in the fact that certain laws of the Hawaiian nation were practiced and recognized by the people in an unbroken line since the overthrow. The obfigation arises out of the resurgence of Hawaiian eulture, that the language, 'ōlelo Hawai'i, became an obligation of the

government as weli as the people, to be perpetuated, taught and spoken. These obligations, and more, define a special relationship between the Hawaiian people, Hawai'i's people, and the governments of Hawai'i, that does not exist in any other state in the nation. "Today, there are more than 100,000 registered Native Hawaiian voters. We

comprise one in six voters in the state, yet, there is a pervasive feefing of swimming against the tide. The past few years have been dominated by strategies of defending and blocking on all fronts. Our frustration is clear, and has spilled over to vigils and marches. We have successfully blocked bills, but protest is not enough. 1999 cries for a different strategy. "It begins, I believe, with having an understanding of the issues that are important to the future of our people — not in a complex legafistic way, but in practical, layman's terms. After self-edu-cation, there is the element of teaching others, to give voice to our issues-what they are, and what we want. We have all seen the power of advancing a cause during a campaign season. It is time for a campaign of our own. And there is the element of thoughtful action in actually writing down and advancing proposals for laws, for funding and building sustainable institutions. "The Hawaiians are still here. We have perservered. The challenge for us now is to lead." ■

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