Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 6, 1 June 2004 — Evictions and waiting list are continuing challenges for Hawaiians [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Evictions and waiting list are continuing challenges for Hawaiians

In our quest for independence, sovereignty, a kingdom, and nationhood we have constantly referred to history. We talk about language, culture and especially the buried bones of our ancestors. For goodness sakes, when are we going to talk about the living Hawaiians of today? On May 6, 2004, on the evening news; there was an eviction of a homesteader in Papakōlea, Hawaiian Home Lands. These evictions have been going on for a long time and nobody has eome forward

to object or eomplain or to help our homesteaders. On the Big Island, several evictions have occurred and some have gone to court. Is this necessary? How do we solve the problem of evictions from Hawaiian Home Lands? I grew up in Papakōlea, Hawaiian Home Lands. I went to Pauoa Elementary School, Kawānanakoa Intermediate School and did finish at McKinley High School. In all this time, Papakōlea had a social worker, a health nurse, kindergarten school, welfare worker, etc. Years ago, all of these ben-

efits were eliminated and today we have the most vulnerable Hawaiians that are being evicted from their homestead lands. It is time to bring these services back to Hawaiian Homes and no more evictions of Hawaiians on Hawaiian Home Lands. There is also another problem for the Hawaiians on the Hawaiian Home Lands waiting list. If you are on the waiting list and you have no funds to build a home, you are automatically deferred from the waiting list and must go back on the list

until the next awarding cycle. Hawaiians are dying on the waiting list. This is not fair. What is rehabilitation? Guess What? In Governor Linda Lingle's speeches before her eleetion, she did eall for change. I hope and pray that she also meant a change at Hawaiian Home Lands. She also mentioned we could build a tent on Hawaiian Home Lands. Aloha, a hui hou. (Love, until we meet). ■

Linda Dela Cruz Trustee, Hawai'i