Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 10, 1 October 2004 — 2004 ELECTION [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

2004 ELECTION

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The views and opinions expressed are the individual candidates' and

Aloha mai kākou, e nā 'ōiwi 'ōlino, e nā 'ōiwi o Hawai'i. I am Haunani Apoliona, kaikamahine of Eugene and Anne Meta Grote Apoliona, mo'opuna of Elizabeth Loo, Samuel Apoliona, Annie Lujan Grote, Sylvester Scott, John Grote and of the 'ohana Komomua. I am Native Hawaiian and I seek re-elec-tion to my at-large seat on the OHA's Board of Trustees for a third term. For three decades, I have worked in and on behalf of the Hawaiian community, earning my master's degree in social work in 1976 from the University of Hawai'i, Mānoa, working from 1978 to 1997 with Alu Like and as Alu Like's president/CEO from 1991-1997. Upon taking my oath as an OHA trustee on January 10, 1997, I resigned as president/CEO of Alu Like. My community, administrative, organizational, governmental, business, poli-cy-making and OHA experience are strengths and assets that I will bring to a third term of olīiee. From 1996 to the present, reforming, improving and stabilizing the OHA board and our OHA operations to better serve our Hawaiian community remains my objective. In the 1996-2000 term, I served as vice-chair-person of the board and led trustee committees on budget and finance, program management

and legislative and government affairs. In this 2000-2004 term, I have served as chairperson of the Board of Trustees for almost four years, and would look forward to continuing as chair following the Nov. 2 election if it be the will of the board. Collectively, a majority of trustees works daily to improve our efforts in asset resource management and beneficiary advocacy and empowerment, with membership of all nine trustees on our two board committees of the same name. Highlights of this 2000-2004 term have included the board's approval of OHA's strategic plan - whieh has disciplined the board's fiscal planning and budgeting and provided focus to the OHA administration's annual productivity and accountability in use of resources - and the restoration of the ceded land revenue payments that were stopped by Cayetano in September 2001. In total, OHA received $12,353,391 to cover July 2001 to December 2002, and quarterly payments of ceded land revenue payments by the state to OHA have resumed. The OHA board has recently amended our Spending Policy, whieh calculates how many dollars ean be expended from our sources of revenue eaeh year. Amending this policy will enahle an increased amount of dollars to be disbursed into our Hawaiian community annually through

initiatives launched in partnership with OHA and the community. OHA's annual grants budget will increase by millions of dollars pursuant to this prudent and fiduciarily responsible board aelion to balance addressing both the current and future needs of our Hawaiian beneficiaries. Upcoming priorities for Native Hawaiians and Hawai'i include passage of the federal recognition bill, supported by vote of OHA trustees in February 2003, along with enabling Native Hawaiians in Hawai'i and away from our shores to enroll, to organize and to participate in forming a Native Hawaiian governing entity Those who enroll will elect Native Hawaiian delegates to deliberate and design governance options for ratification by those on the rolls and implementation by leaders to be elected. Additionally, we will advance negotiations with the State of Hawai'i to secure past-due revenue balances for the use of ceded lands that will in turn empower and leverage OHA initiatives to better conditions of native Hawaiians and Hawaiians as mandated by the Hawai'i Constitution and HRS Chapter 10, and lay foundation for transition to the Hawaiian governing entity. I ask for your vote on Nov. 2, so I may eonlinue to contribute and to serve. ■

"W" ~W" ~T hy do you want to be an OHA trustee ? I believe that I ean bring all Hawaiians together as one. One voice united under one Hawaiian government. What qualities woulā you bring to the position ? I bring simple answers to hard questions for the everyday Kanaka. I also bring entrepreneur ideas to capitalize on our resources needed to raise the quality of life for Kānaka Maoli. I bring experience of running my own business for eleven years involving retail, wholesale, licensing. Manufacturing of surfboards, clothing and accessories. In my business, I have traveled the world learning other cultures and how their govemments operate. We ean do so mueh more for our people.

What do you consider the most important issues confronting OHA and/or the Hawaiian people? The most important issue at hand is uniting the Kānaka Maoli. Educating the Kānaka on how important independence is toward the betterment of our future. Basically, we must control our own resources, control our govemment, control what goes on in Hawai'i. What past/current involvement and activities demonstrate your commitment to the Hawaiian community ? My job as a Hawaiian comedian brings me in front of many people on every island (concerts, schools, etc.) Making the people of Hawai'i feel proud to be a Hawaiian. My main goal as Bu La'ia is to make Hawaiians laugh (tourist can't understand my act) and in my act I bring out the hardships and struggles of the everyday Hawaiian in a eomieal way. There is

a message in my act for everyone, especially Hawaiian people. As an OHA trustee, how would you resolve those concerns? Education, we must thoroughly inform and educate everyone on eaeh eoneem and think of how it will affect future generations and us. Have kūpuna councils and Hawaiian community meetings on eaeh island. Televise these meetings. Being able to make mistakes and correcting them is important, or simply put it out for a vote. If you could only accomplish one goal as an OHA trustee, what would it be ? My one goal would be to unite all Hawaiian people to stand with one voice under the Independent Hawaiian Govemment of the now existing Office of Hawaiian Affairs. ■

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My name is Frank K. Kawelo, and I'm a candidate for OHA trustee. My father was George Kaelolani Hamau Kawelo, and my mother was Annie Hoopiaina Kuikahi Kawelo Gabriel. My father's family eame from Hawai'i, Maui, O'ahu and Kaua'i. My mother's family eame from Kuku Haile and Kaua'i. I grew up in Damon Tract where the airport is today, but then it was called John Rogers. Aloha and Hawaiian flew amphihian airplanes that landed both in the water and on land. I attended Kaloaloa School with John Pi'ilani Watkins, who composed Kaloaloa Kukui Ma'oma'o for Mā'ili. We both attended Farrington High School, and I left for the military. After retuming from Italy to live in San Francisco where my career in entertainment began, I performed at the Golden Gate

Theatre, where I got to be better because of artists like the Ink Spots, A1 Jolson, Gene Autry and the Mills Brothers. In 1948, I was on my way to becoming a great entertainer; I also performed in Los Angeles at the 7 Seas on Sunset Boulevard, and I played with unele Joe Keawe's club in Wilmington, and also at the Ambassador Hotel in Chicago. When I eame home, I went on the Lucky Luek Show, and Aunty Genoa Keawe and her performers were there on Channel 2. Then I met my wife Catherine Kalilihi Kane Arboleda, a graduate of Sacred Hearts Academy, then playing with the Kay sisters at Tony's Rendezvous at the corner of Beretania and King streets. We got together and formed a trio with Babalu Davies on bass, my wife on piano and me on guitar. We started at the Kapahulu Tavern where the

Jamba Juice is now, across from Jack in the Box. We later played at the Dipper located on the intersection of Kapahulu and Kalākaua avenues. Zulu was at the Queen Surf and Sterling Mossman was upstairs with Vora Tiki. The point I'm trying to send is this: This is what I'm all about, being around and with people all my 60 and some years. So being an OHA trustee, I ean do what I have always done - to help. I'm sure my qualities ean match some of the problems and issues that are most important confronting the Hawaiian community. Those issues include financing for housing and taking care of the children. As a trustee, I will do everything I ean to help with those concerns. The biggest accomplishment for me would be that the voters have faith and trust in me. ■

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