Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 8, 1 August 1999 — Puwalu 2000 [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Puwalu 2000

/ A NO'AI KĀKOU! In just A two short months, we #1 trustees will face the biggest challenge to our # 1 mandate: the infamous Rice vj. Cayetano case. The ramifications of this important case will undoubtedly affect Hawaiians at all levels, and we trustees are firmly grounded in our commitment to providing our beneficiaries with a successful outcome. We simply cannot let our political stams as Hawaiians be threatened now or at any time. We have worked too hard for too long to let this status be stripped from us. With this legal challenge looming on the horizon, we must rally together and unite as

the indigenous people of this 'āina. Now is the time for all Hawaiians to present a unified front and show the nation that our poliheal stams will not be threatened at any time on any level. Please join me in supporting my fellow trustees, as we remain positively hopeful for a favorable ruling to be handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court. īo that end we are plaeing this monumental case as priority one. Due to the court's agreement to hear Rice vs, Cayetano sometime in October or November, we beheve it would be difficult for OHA to focus our attention simultaneously on the puwalu gathering (a self-determination, information-sharing meeting), scheduled to take plaee around the same time. Therefore, the puwalu gathering will be moved to early 2000. The public is also invited to attend.

I would like to take this opportunity to assure you that our staff is working hard on the rescheduling of this important gathering so that our full attention ean be equally placed on both issues without having to share our attention between the two. I think all Hawaiians ean agree that an event of this mag-

nitude must receive not only our full attention, but also allow discussion and dialog from all segments of our community. With the additional time provided, we will now be able to include more people in the gathering, thus widening the scope of discussion. I would also like to emphasize that all interested Hawaiian organizations, agencies, groups and individuals will

be invited to share their mana'o in the journey toward resolution and justice. The groundwork and preliminary planning and preparation for this historical event have already begun. All conversations and meetings with staff indicate our efforts will be fruitful. |have always been in support of OHA's taking the lead in planning a historic gathering of our people that would move the self-determination dialog in the direction of eonsensus and unity. With the help of my fellow trustees and our community leaders, this gathering is destined to make positive, forward strides. Please accept my invitation to attend this event now tentatively scheduled for spring or summer of 2000. Aloha pumehana kākou! ■

"Please accept my invitation to attend this event now tentatively scheduled ror spring or summer of 2000."

CHAIRPERSON'S MESSAGE

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TRUSTEE MESSAGES

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