Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 19, Number 9, 1 September 2002 — 2002 KWO Readership Survey Comments [ARTICLE]

2002 KWO Readership Survey Comments

MAHALO • My veiy favorite eolumn is the histoiy eolumn (mo'olelo) done by Claire Hughes. Wish there were more cultural /historical pieces added from time to time - gives perspective to the present and helps rekindle and connect with the past. • With this new board of trastees3 1 like their way of thinking and writing in their columns. If s mueh more informative (than the last board) without all the jockeying and infighting. Keep up the informative trend. • Mahalo for continuing H o'ohui 'Ohana. This has really helped our 'ohana every other year. • I appreciate OHA and hope and pray for the continued funding in the future. My tvvo children and seven grandchildren all have a better knowledge of their culture from OHA and this newspaper. • I think one of the best features in Ka Wai Ola o OHA is Claire Hughes' eolumn. If s informative and interesting. I have yet to be bored by anything she writes. • Please keep Claire Hughes and Manu Boyd as columnists. Love the reunions and other 'ohana news. Need as mueh informa~ tion and mana'o as possible on all Hawaiian news and issues. Loeal media are doing nothing or are misleading and slanted. • Ua makemake loa au iā Ka Wai Ola o OHA. Ua maika'i nō nā 'aiikala. 'Oiai he kumu au, hāwai au i nā 'aiikala a pēlā aku i nā haumāna no ka ho'ona'auao ' ana. Mahalo no kēia mea waiwai. (I really like Ka Wai Ola o OHA. The ariicles are good. As I am a teacher, I give the articles to my students to teach them . Thanks for this valu~ able tool). • I've seen lots of improvements since the last survey: I like that KWO now alerts readers of upcoming events rather than reporting old news. • Keep up the great work that you're already doing. We love and wait for your paper eaeh month. • This newspaper is a blessing for all Hawaiians and hope all who receive it enjoy it as mueh as I do. I also use the website for other information. I was able to download the OHA regisfiy to update my old account and also made copies to share with other fiiends who don't have a computer. A suggesiion: print a copy of the OHA Regisfiy form in this paper for people who need to file one. • I don't want to change a thing. You're doing a wonderful job just as it is. Thanks so mueh. • I enjoy seeing what' s on the market with marketplace, the entertainment and sports. • Am not impressed by photos, appearance or design etc. As for the overall content, you are doing agoodjob! • KWO o OHA is a veiy fine and extremely valuable publication. As a candidate for the state House of Representatives 4th District (Puna) information to understand and help on Hawaiian issues is most appreciated. Keep up the good work throughout OHA. • I am pariicularly interested in information on the Hawaiian Homes Commission. • I like to read more on "Pā'oiliana" given to our Hawaiian people. Mahalo nui loa for gi\dng our Hawaiians the opportuniti.es to become successful business people. I like to see tvvo pages contributed onl}'' on "Ka Leo

Kaiāulu." I am proud of this informath''e newspaper. We mainland Hawaiians are ver}' thankful for KW O o OHA to remember us so we may be closely in touch with the happenings in our mother land. • Congratulations for continuing such an excellent paper — coverage really veiy edu~ eaiional presentations covering all phases of Hawaiian life. • I think the issues are veiy informative and I appreciate recei\dng KWO eaeh month. Thank you to all that are involved with producing this great newsletter. E malama! • I look forvvard to receiving Ka Wai Ola. It informs me of programs and any informa~ iion that could help me with Hawaiian Homestead lands, OHA registiy of Hawaiian ancestiy and what is available to Native Hawaiians. It has made me interested in taking up the Hawaiian language. • Keep up the good work. It's good not to see the in~fighting that has gone on in the past. There are too many differing §.ctions that need to be united, before the sovereign~ 1}' issue is resolved. OHA is a step, but in order to be the leading influence, ties with the state must be severed. That's a sticky point. P.S. Havvaiians must have unit}' in purpose and resolve (all factions). • C. Hughes' articles - veiy good (keep to health). Give us insights of hope and encouragement as to how Hawaiians are benefiting from ceded lands $$$ thra the efforts of the trastees. Seminars on leadership skills, education, professionalism, higher level. You somebody! ! ! • Highlight the good that the Hawaiian Ci\dc clubs do in the communit}'' - Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian. Mahalo for the job you do. It is impossible to please eveiy~ one all the time - but still, you tiy! COMPLAINTS • Too wordy. Print is too small. There's too mueh facts, information, issues, need stori.es featuring the people. • Ka Wai Ola is always late, so informaiion and issues are always addressed pre\dously by other medium. • Veiy lacking in all aspects. Should consult or mentor with Honolulu Aclvertiserto apply their techniques and experti.se. Overhaul and revise is needed. • I find the coverage of legislative issues and legal rights of Hawaiian people extremely inadequate because of insufficient clarit}'' and inadequate background. There needs to be a summaiy of laws alfecting Hawaiians and their rights, to explain what the laws provide, and what impact they have. • Am veiy tired of "letters to the editor" from incarcerated Hawaiians claiming they have been wronged "being a Hawaiian." We all live under the same laws but they chose to violate them and are disrespectful ofthe other law~abiding Havvaiians. • I believe an ineome and expense statement on OHA finances and budget would benefit most indi\'iduals with limited knowledge of OHA's accounting requirements. • I would like to hear and be more informed about concerns and issues that loeal people have being answered. • Can you explain why I am receiving this towards the end of the month every month?? TRUSTEES • Please have the trastees condense the

statements to 1 - 2 sentences. I really don't like to read them. They always seem to be bickering or ranning for some poliiieal eampaign. • OHA trastees must set aside their ^os and personal agendas and put the good of the Hawaiian people first at all times. Stop the embarrassing fighting and pro\dde leadership! OHA fails in uniting the Hawaiian Naiion. The system is only as good as the people who set the moral tone for it. • Rather than discuss their own agendas/ issues, it would be informath''e if all trastees address one topic, mueh like a "brainstorm~ ing" approach of the OHA administration. Also, Ka Wai Ola would be an elfec1ive tool to recrait kanaka maoli for assistance or in\'olvement with more cultural events and programs. • Trastee columns impersonal, boring, often laek focus: need improved writing st}de and clarit}'' for readers' attention and comprehen~ sion. SuggestTrastees put heart to task - say what they believe in words that readers will find their writings worthy to read! • Trastees'comments are too lengthy - 100 words or less is enough. Let the chairperson speak for the board. Let the administrator report the board's actions. • It is embarrassing to have tvvo trastees in their columns in the same paper talk stink about eaeh other. They need to grow up! SUGGESTIONS • I try to cross~check this paper with internet Bulletin and Advertiser. I keep looking for positive proacti\'it}''. Mostly, I find whining opinions. I don't fault the editor, just the contributors. The success stori.es are the best! ! • Shovvcase programs and services going on in the communiti.es that help the people. • Have a kupuna eolumn where kupuna contribute their own stori.es or are inter\devved (oral history) about their remem~ brances. • Better format, streamlined contents and better paper to increase readability and understanding of the contents. Better editing by staff - too wordy at times. Enlarge t}qre settings to emphasize words for makule kupuna. I receive my paper late and it seems that events are already pau. • Share more issues of small business Hawaiians who obtained an OHA loan, and share their success, challenges, even failure. • Include sovereignty issues of groups other than OHA; appreciate 1imely announeements of workshops; more health~related articles. • Need more accurate information on edu~ ealional issues and sovereignty issues, and reporting on how Hawaiian rights issues would affect loeal and maliliini people. • Education on ahupua'a; allodial avvards; royal patents; land commission; define kuleana land; explain the Kuleana Act; burial and water rights/programs; genealogy; title searching for the non-professional; principles and practices of Hawaiian real estate. • Although I am Hawaiian, I do not under~ stand because I am illiterate to the Hawaiian language. When reports are written in Hawaiian, I am sure there are others that feel the same way. We are left out on those reports. At my age, it is too late to learn Hawaiian.

• Let's hear more about people who are fighting for our 'āina and our sovereignty. • I think there should be a section on what exactly is being done to help the people of Hawaiian ancestiy with the OHA moneys. Is the money well~spent? • It would be interesting to read more feedback from "people on the street" on the issues. The nevvspaper should go out in the public and inter\dew a varie1y of the population and then print the responses. • Hawaiian cultural and social issues need broad coverage, especially when they're perceived to be controversial. More back~ ground and history are needed to educate both the Hawaiian eommunil}'' and the over~ lay culture. This could lead to bridge-build-ing of benefit to Hawaiians who need broad~ er general eommunil}'' support. • Would like to see more human interest stori.es about Hawaiian eommunil}'' leaders who ean be examples or models for the Hawaiian youth. Also let's hear what they ha\'e to say - ask them hard questions. • More polls, more articles that iacilitate communit}'' oiganizing. Focus in on indi\fid~ ual Hawaiians who have made a difference in their communities. Do biograplfi.es more often. • Should include items showing "Moku honu" perspective on hoe wa'a, sports and issues i.e., senior programs, affordable housing and medical programs/access for Native Hawaiians. • I miss your 'ōlelo stori.es with English translations. I am ayoung Hawaiian who's strongly wants to learn my veiy mueh "strong" language and would like to see your vocabulary stoiy section again. I love your newspaper and can't wait to hear more of Hawaiian issues. • Feature Havvaiians on Mainland sowing in culture, polilieal arenas. • Publish Edith McKinzie's old Hawaiian newspaper translation work. Children's arti~ cles and more genealogy would be good, too. • Paper is good, but it's always late, so it's a lot of old news. How about a daily? Would be niee to get breaking nevvs from a Hawaiian perspective rather than the AP or Joe Moore perspective. • More information on: results of OHA meetings, successes of Hawaiians ingener~ al.Adverti.se job opportuniti.es for Hawafians, scholarships, promotions, honors, etc. More emphasis on things positive! • Who wants to read about issues that happen 100 years ago! What about issues that are happening in 2002! How aboutgoing into the homestead land areas, such as Keaukaha, Anahola, Waimānalo and N anakuli and write issues on health, education, jobs, 1amily and drag abuse. I feel that writing articles about communities would be more interesting. • Kupunas need stori.es on dentist and hair care, sports, comments on our young adults' talents and achievements, outstanding stu~ dents, honor rolls, success in business, etc. • I dislike reading militant \fiews. We all must work together. It is no longer us and them. • Continue publishing but put the more lively issues on the Web - or maybe the whole issue of the paper! (Editor's note: KWO is regularly featured on www.OHA.org.) ■

[?]