Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 8, 1 August 2003 — Your role in creating the Native Hawaiian governing entity [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Your role in creating the Native Hawaiian governing entity

Aloha mai kākou. Several months ago, I urged readers to get serious about the federal recognition issues before us. In those same months you have read, heard and seen materials about the Native Hawaiian Recognition Act of 2003, more commonly known as the Akaka/Stevens Bill (S.344). The purpose of the Akaka/Stevens Bill (S.344) as stated in the bill itself is "to provide a process for the recognition by the United States of for purposes of continuing a government to government relationship. S.344 would establish within the Department of Interior the Office for Native Hawaiian Relations to represent the United States in their relations with Native Hawaiians and their government. A Native Hawaiian Interagency Coordinating Group would also be established to coordinate Federal programs and policies that involve Native Hawaiians. A major component of S.344 is

the process for the recognition of the Native Hawaiian governing entity. This section introduces "The RolU, a certified listing of Native Hawaiian adults who choose to participate in creating a Native Hawaiian governing entity. Those on "The Roll" are then eligible to elect members to participate in the Interim Governing Council whieh would have the responsibility to create governing documents and hold elections for the Native government's officers. The importance of "The Roll" and "Your Role" starts here! This is where you and your 'ohana ean make your mark in history by getting informed and involved. Act 217, a newly signed law advocated by OHA, amends Chapter 10 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes to include the following: "§10 - Hawaiian registry. The office (OHA) shall establish and maintain a registry of all Hawaiians wherever such persons may reside. Inclusion of persons in the Hawaiian registry shall be based

upon genealogical records sufficient to establish the person's descent from the aboriginal peoples inhabiting the Hawaiian islands in 1778." This Native Hawaiian Registry will qualify you for "The Roll". To find out more about the program and to register, contact Mrs. Haunani Ching, Registry Specialist at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs at 594-1888. So, what if this bill doesn't pass? Well for now, things may not be any different than today for agencies like DHHL and OHA. But, should the several lawsuits pending against DHHL and OHA succeed, both entities have mueh to lose in both land and revenues. There might still be offices for DHHL and OHA but without land or continued revenues, these offices would be mere shells of the past with diminishing purposes. The Council on Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) has produced a very informative document entitled "Lawsuits & Legislation, The Arakaki Suit & Akaka Bill

Explained" whieh addresses the federal recognition issue. If you are interested in a copy of this document, contact CNHA at (808) 5215011, Neighbor Island and Continental U.S. residents may eall toll-free at (800) 709-2642. Therefore, the Akaka/Stevens Bill is extremely important for the Hawaiian people. Eaeh and every one of us needs to understand what could be gained or lost if the bill doesn't pass. Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, but today, I ask you to do what you need to do to get informed and learn about the issues. Then you decide how to go forward from here. Finally, as always, my staff and I invite your advice and counsel on the above or any other concerns within our purview. My OHA access numbers are: phone 5941854, fax 594-0210 and e-mail address - dantec@oha.org. A hui hou, aloha pumehana. ■

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Dante Keala Carpenter Trustee, O'ahu