Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 8, 1 August 2004 — Aloha, a hui hou [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Aloha, a hui hou

On June 21, I attended the Hawaiian Homes Commission meeting in Papakōlea to plead to the commissioners to stop all evictions on Hawaiian Home Lands. These evictions have been going on for a long time. I ean still remember Hilbert C.K. Kahale Smith's eviction from his home in Anahola, Kaua'i. In January 1996, Kahale burned his home with him in the house. I guess he was trying to prove a point. That's the last we heard about that. There are many more evictions on Hawaiian Home Lands that have never been resolved in favor of homesteaders. All that Hawaiian Homes is interested in today is providing homes to the wealthy Hawaiians on the waiting list. My experience with the latest eviction of Mr. Bernard 01sen helps me to realize that I am correct in

saying, "no more evictions on Hawaiian Home Lands." The Hawaiians that are being evicted have the 50-percent Hawaiian blood quantum. With these evictions Hawaiian Homes has become a monster to the poorest Hawaiians in this state. In Papakōlea, and I am sure on the other homesteads, there are homes that are over 50 years old. I drove pass the Waimānalo homestead and saw roofs that were patched with different materials, I guess to keep out the rain. I am not sure of the names of the materials they used to patch the roofs. The homes are old and the lessee must be old too. Soon, I suspect the lessee with the old home that cannot afford renovations or a new home will also receive an eviction notice. All our people need is money and someone to take them step by step,

what to do and how to abide by the laws and for goodness sakes use patience, understanding and a lot of compassion. It is time to bring back to the homesteads the social worker, welfare worker and health nurse like we had in the old days. Somehow, we lost these services and yet we pay every tax in the books except the seven-year exemption on the land tax. Now, for some good news: on June 26, I went to Alaska and attended a leadership forum titled, "Building Knowledge-Based Economics." At this conference, Hawai'i had a ehanee to shine. Dr. Lilikalā Kame'eleihiwa, former director of the Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, did an excellent presentation on Hawaiian history and genealogy. Nainoa Thompson, president and

CEO of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, did an awesome presentation on the five waves to future directions for Hawaiians. Leialoha Danner, technical support officer for the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, did an excellent job providing information for organizations to increase their access to resources for social and eeonomie development. Well done. I guess by now, you must want to know what I learned about banking and economics and what else? You are correct, "nothing." Everything went right over my head and out into space. I guess this is something I should leave to the bankers and eeonomie experts. Aloha nō! Aloha, a hui hou (until we meet again). ■

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Linda Dela Cruz Trustee, Hawai'i