Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 1, 1 January 2006 — Beneficiary Advocacy & Empowerment Committee year-end review [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Beneficiary Advocacy & Empowerment Committee year-end review

Cūlette Y. Machadū TrustEE, Mūlūka'i and Lāna'i

Aloha kākou. Another year has eome and gone with a list of accomplishments to "eheek off," and an even longer list left to complete. Charged with planning, coordinating and implementing programs and activities that encourage advocacy efforts, the Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment (BAE) Committee has had a full and productive year. Advocacy efforts include legislative, health, human services, education, land use, housing, natural resources and the environment. These labors occur on every level from individual communities to the federal government. This year our attention started on the federal level with OHA's reaffirmation to support the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005, S. 147 and H.R. 309. Already into its sixth year, trailing numerous amendments, a listing on the Senate's calendar is still the goal. Locally, the year began with the introduction of OHA's 2005 Legislative Package. OHA's largest legislative submittal to date included 23 bills ranging from ceded land revenues to OHA's fiseal autonomy. By the end of the session six of the 23 legislative measures were passed in one form or another. During the five-month session, OHA's Government Relations and Legislative Affairs (GRLA) division reviewed more than 4,000 bills and resolutions. Approximately 500 of the measures had direct or indirect relationships affecting Hawaiians. Trustees were given reviews and recommendations by GRLA staff, whieh resulted in OHA's testimony either in support of or against 275 of them. At the community level, the BAE Committee began with a statewide water study presentation. Trustees were given an update on past and pending water rights disputes including the Waiāhole case on O'ahu and the Waiola case on Moloka'i. Both decisions extended the

public trust protection, affirming the water rights of native Hawaiians and confirmed that the state water commission is obligated to ensure that its actions protected the rights of native Hawaiians. Maintaining those rights in the face of continued pressure from development is the modern balancing act illustrated by the struggle over water across the state. The year has brought progress for Maui residents who are poised to see water flow back to the four great waters of 'īao, Waihe'e, Waikapū and Waiehu streams, if the county is successful in obtaining control of surface water from the four sources. Other issues reviewed by the BAE Committee included presentations on public access, housing, land acquisition and protection, communications, education and most recently a presentation on waste management and energy. Several presentations that developed into formal action by the Board of Trustees include a partnership with Habitat for Humanities, a Hawaiianfocused charter schools funding initiative and a collaboration with Kaua'i County to protect access to Pāpa'a Bay. Past programs approved by the eommittee were also brought back as evaluations for those that have been completed, or updates for those that are ongoing. The Native Hawaiian Historic Preservation Council, an advisory group to the trustees, shared its Biennium Implementation Plan. OHA's Heahh division updated trustees on the status of ongoing partnerships involving traditional healing and best practices. OHA's Native Rights Land and Culture division is often before the BAE Committee with recommendations for nominations to various councils and updates on land issues. Closing off the year, the HālawaLuluku Interpretive Development project is slated for approval of its Strategic Plan by the committee in its last meeting of the year. The plan is the second of three documents that will eomprise the Hālawa-Luluku Interpretive Development Plan. All BAE Committee agendas and minutes ean be found on OHA's website. Meetings are scheduled weekly during from Lebruary to May and twice a month from June to December. □

LEO 'ELELE • TRUSTEE M ESSAGES