Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 4, 1 April 2000 — After Rice [ARTICLE]

After Rice

As a loeal haole of nearly 60 years in Hawai'i, I feel eompelleei to make a statement on the recent Rice decision. As a teenager, I learned most of the often used Hawaiian words, to eat Hawaiian food, enjoy singing Hawaiian music, to hula, to play the 'ukulele because I loved Hawai'i. Later I married a Hawaiian with a big family, studied the language, learned slack-key, taught at Kamehameha Schools and retired from teaching there. I have studied Hawaiian history, religion and land tenure. I have read many books, such as " Nānā i ke Kumu," "Plaee Names of Hawai'i," " The Great Māhele," "Ke Alanui a Puni o O'ahu," "Fragments of Hawaiian History," "Ruling Chiefs of Hawai'i" and many, many more. I have done several years of research for a book on the Hale'iwa-Waialua area of O'ahu. I have written a Hawaiian legend. I also read Ka Wai Ola regularly. In short, I am interested in and very aware of Hawaiian issues. At last I will be allowed to vote, as my husband does, in OHA elections. How could anyone doubt that this non-Hawaiian would vote intelligently for OHA trustees? Betty Woodward Wahiawā Is the Rice v,s. Cayetano decision being used to stampede Hawaiians into actions whieh will be ultimately detrimental? Should OHA be saved and morphed into a corporation? Would the OHA corporation be plundered as the AIaskan native corporations were? And the officers who stole the money walk away totally free? Before any changes are made, shouldn't the weaknesses in OHA be corrected? Shouldn't the shareholders of the new corporation (who must be only the native Hawaiians as the assets belong to them alone) set up tight controls on their money? Is the OHA trust in danger? Or is it the seats of the current trustees that are in danger? Where should our priorities be? Should we focus our energies on putting aside private agendas and moving together as one to push for political autonomy? Until the hearts, minds and souls of the ka po'e Hawai'i think, breathe and work toward the reestablishment of the Hawaiian nation, until that is our priority, our rights and our lands will continue to be eroded as we chase 50 different brush fires that dissipate our energies. Lela M. Hubbard 'Aiea With the Supreme Court's verdict, kaumaha (sadness) fell upon the islands. For the past 20 years, Hawaiian people had hoped a Native Hawaiian entity would represent us, take charge of our trust and use their revenues to improve the conditions of our people. OHA was implemented to create lōkahi and self-determi-

nation. How quickly we have forgotten the teachings of our kūpuna. Have we become so haole that we have lost our hā? Have we empowered the office of "wannabe" Hawaiian politicians that are arrogant, selfcentered and distant? OHA has lost the trust of the kanaka maoli because it has lost focus on its responsibilities. We have witnessed bickering over pay increases (not deserved) and disrespect for our kūpuna. Where were the priorities? In the pork barrel. You should have listened to Mililani Trask. Dan Inouye has been in Congress chairing the Native American Affairs Committee. He could have easily rectified the problem by awarding us status as kanaka maoli. No, he just pacified with crumbs and never gave us the justice we deserve. So while you were all brown-nosing Inouye and attacking Mililani, another bandit got away. Stand with our people, not against them. J. Keolalani Hānoa Nā'ālehu Freddy Rice's victory in the U.S. Supreme Court should serve as a final wake-up eall to all kanaka maoli. This case should never have eome before the Supreme Court to begin with. We are the original people of our land. We do not need the U.S. Supreme Court or the United States to tell us what our rights as kanaka maoli are. With the door now wide open for assaults on our most basic rights, it is time to unify onee and for all. I eall upon all kanaka maoli and all of our supporters to eome to Washington, D.C., Aug 1 112 and march with us in unity in the Aloha March 2000. We must show the United States that it cannot dictate our future to us. We, as kanaka maoli, are sick and tired of being told to forget our culture and assimilate. What I want for my 'ohana and my people is the basic right of self-deter-mination. Let us all march in unity in Washington, D.C„ in August and deliver our message to America and the world. For more information, eall 8227643 or visit www.aloha march2000.org. Butch Kekahu Keālia, Kaua'i

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