Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 11, 1 November 2006 — Community feedback on OHA's 2008-'09 budget workshops [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Community feedback on OHA's 2008-'09 budget workshops

I A summary of public mana'o expressed at recent community meetings

In late September and early October, the OHA Board of Trustees' Assets and Resources Committee held a series of workshops throughout the islands to receive public input into planning for the

agency's budget over the next two fiscal years. At the meetings, participants expressed a broad range of opinions, suggestions and eoncerns regarding OHA's policies and activities. The Hawaiian communities in eaeh of the locations where the meetings were held - Kona and Hilo on Hawai'i Island; Kalama'ula on Moloka'i; Wailuku, Maui; Līhu'e, Kaua'i; and Nānākuli, Papakōlea and Kahalu'u on O'ahu - all expressed their appreciation in having OHA present the budget and especially to have their mana'o on hnaneial concerns heard. All eight communities requested OHA to regularly visit their areas in order that the dialogue could continue between the agency's beneficiaries and its trustees and administrative staff. An important concept was shared with the communities: OHA generally does not give funds directly to individuals, as funds are disbursed via grants to nonprofit organizations

who provide services to Hawaiians. Examples include Alu Like, Nā Pua No'eau, Wai'anae Community Outreach and the Hawai'i Community Foundation (scholarships). Funds that are given directly to individuals are disbursed by applying for loans to the Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund and the Consumer Micro Loan Program. Individuals could also receive funds from OHA by way of administrative grants and Board of Trustees initiatives. The following mana'o (comments, thoughts, suggestions) expressed by community members at the meetings have been categorized according to the goals of OHA's strategic plan. These comments will be incorporated into OHA's official 2008-'09 Biennium Budget documents. With appreciation to all community participants, administration staff and trustees, - OHA Committee on Asset and Resource Management

LAND: Acquire lcmdfor preservation, investment and programatic needs

1 . Are the purchases of Wao Kele o Puna and Waimea Valley ceded lands? -Ah'in, Kona Note: No. These privately held lands were purchased for cultural practices and preservation. 2. Can you establish a fund for the purpose of putting Hawaiians back on their land? Talking about the 2.1 million acres of konohiki land that was never ceded, the private property rights of the chiefs - those lands are still held by the Māhele Trust. We need to get our people back to our private lands. -Keoni, Hilo 3. We need funding for the celebration of Kāne'ohe in 2007, to educate the publie about our unique cultural heritage. -Māhealani, Kahalu'u 4. We need pōhaku for our fish ponds. -Ululani, Kahalu'u 5. We need help in restoring old lo'i across Waiāhole Poi Factory. Pa'ahao (prisoners) should be used for labor and rehabilitation. -John, Kahalu'u 6. Ahu o Laka sandbar in Kāne'ohe Bay should be preserved. -Leialoha, Kahalu'u

CULTURE: Safeguard endangered traditions, practices and rights

1. How ean OHA assist with the retrieval/return of iwi kupuna and repatriation of those iwi kupuna from museums in Europe? -William, Nānākuli 2. Why won't OHA assume the responsibility of State Historic Preservation? -William, Nānākuli 3. OHA needs to be a strong advocate for preservation of our historic sites and culture. OHA needs to protect our wahi pana and wahi kapu whieh are being lost to development. -Elizabeth, Kahalu'u 4. We need funding for our archaeology program in Nānākuli. We need storage space for the artifacts we have uncovered. -Moana, Kahalu'u

ADVOCACY/NATIVE RIGHTS: Protect natural and cultural resources via administrative,

legislative and legal actions 1. Support women's conferences. -Brenda, Kona 2. Will OHA take a more proactive role in the protection of submerged lands and prevent the privatization of the state's small boat harbor? -William, Nānākuli 3. Waterrights: Hawaiians first before anyone else. -William, Nānākuli 4. Water rights: Wailuku Agribusiness has diverted the water from Nā Wai 'Ehā; we need the water for Hawaiian Homesteads. -Various attendees, Kahului

5. We ask OHA to support civic clubs advocating on Native Hawaiian issues before the Legislature, federal government and the City Council. -Elizabeth, Kahalu'u 6. Pa'ahao should not be sent to the mainland. -Ululani, Kahalu'u 7. We would like gill net fishing to be allowed so that we ean do our hukilau. -Leialoha, Kahalu'u 8. OHA should be represented at the Regional Council of Kāne'ohe Bay's quarterly meetings. -Leialoha, Kahalu'u 9. Mahalo for supporting CNHA's voting campaign. -Paul, Papakōlea 10. We should not send pa'ahao to the mainland. -Lawrence, Moloka 'i

EC0N0MIC DEVELOPMENT: Native Hawaiian invest-

ments should: improve selfsufftciency ofNative Hawaiians through job creation; increase ineome; improve eeonomie literacy; expand entrepreneurial and partnership opportunities 1. Physical survey of land to create an accurate ceded land inventory. -Ah'in, Kona 2. Do we collect 20 percent revenue from bottled water and fish cages on submerged lands? -Ruby Kona 3. Invest in "green companies" in our

portfolio to help protect our environment. -Lani, Kona 4. Water issues at Nā Wai 'Ehā. We need continual support from OHA. Would OHA consider purchasing the watershed? -John, Kahului 5. We need an inventory of the ceded lands. -George and Blossom, Kahului 6. Watershed issues on Maui are on ceded lands; we should negotiate with the state. "We ean sell it to those guys and they ean sell it to whomever they like. Our mountains into their canals." -George, Kahului 7. We need help from OHA for our small farmers, specifically taro farmers, to obtain loans and establish farming cooperatives. -Elizabeth, Kahalu 'u 8. Why is there no direct funding for homesteaders? -Denise, Papakōlea 9. Does OHA have low-interest home repair loans? -Billy, Papakōlea 10. We need funding for our programs to help the community with training, heahh and education. -Puni, Papakōlea 11. OHA needs to clarify budget items and the support services for the beneficiaries. -Kīpūkai, Līhu'e 12. OHA needs to provide more timely direct services. -Kanani, Līhu'e 13. Mahalo for supporting the Hālawa Valley lo'i. -Lawrence, Moloka'i

HE AHA KOU MANA'O? • WHAĪ D0 Y0U ĪHINK?

EDUCATION:

Implement a plan to ensure I Native Hawaiians ' access r to all educational opportunities

1. We need to learn Hawaiian history in ourpublic schools. -Ah'in, Kona 2. We need more education so we ean afford the high cost of living in Hilo. -Kēliaulani, Hilo 3. We should do something. Most of them don't have the education. They work for minimum wage. - Nani , Hilo 4. Put a Pūnana Leo (Hawaiian immersion charter school) in Hāna. We have teachers trained in Hawaiian but no funds to teach in an immersion school. Pōmai , Hāna 5. Nā Pua No'eau kumu and students eame to the meeting to chant a mahalo oli to the trustees and administrator for OHA's support and to please continue the support. - 'Ōhua , Kahului 6. The "Americorps" environmental program, whieh supports 95 percent Native Hawaiian young adults on Maui and Moloka'i who volunteer to restore and preserve native forests and oceans to protect native plants and animals, needs funding in the amount of $70,000. -Donna, Kahului 7. 1 am pure Hawaiian, raised in California. I need help to pay my tuition at Maui Community College. -Kaulana, Kahului 8. 1 teach music to Native Hawaiian keiki. I need funding for purchasing musical instruments and maintenance and supplies. -John, Kahalu'u 9. We need funding in Nānākuli for our Hawaiian language immersion program. We need teachers, EAs, books, and classes for makua. - Kapua , Papakōlea 10. We need help at Moloka'i High School for our immersion program. We need teachers, instructional equipment and educational assistants. - Elizabeth , Moloka 'i 11. We would like assistance in modeling our immersion school to 'Ehunuikaimalino on the island of Hawai'i. - 'Iolani , Moloka'i

HUMAN SERVICES: Assist Native Hawaiians in improving quality oflife - food , shelter and safety

1. La'i'ōpua needs a community center. DHHL is building another 2,000 homes. "We don't want another urbanization like Kalihi." We need a $200,000 planning grant for our community center. - Craig , Kona 2. We have no hope - the rent, the mortgage. . . we're on the streets. How do we give our people back hope, motivation? ... The drugs, we're escaping people. -Kēhaulani, Hilo 3. Help kūpuna on Hawaiian homesteads to fix their homes. -Charlene, Nānākuli 4. We would like OHA to have a study done on Ko'olaupoko to identify the Native Hawaiian social, heahh, education and homelessness. - Elizabeth , Kahalu 'u 5. We need playground equipment for Wailau. -Tori, Kahalu 'u 6. We need funding to upgrade our computer system for our data collection program. - Adrienne , Papakōlea

H0USING: I Assist Native Hawaiian families in achieving housing goals

1. Keep our pa'ahao at home and not shipped off to U.S. continent. - Lani , Kona 2. We need a solution to our housing problems. We need help with our rent and mortgages. - Kēhaulani , Hilo 3. We need an old-folks' home - we want to grow old in Kalapana; we want to be treated the way kūpuna should be treated. - Enna , Hilo 4. We need to help the homeless. Look at Wai'anae; there are 800 families who are homeless, and most of them are Hawaiians. -Nani, Hilo 5. Would like to see a long-term care facility for kūpuna with interaction with ehildren. - Sandra , Hilo 6. Homelessness: Does OHA have any strategic plan to address the homeless issue

in Maui? Ninety percent of the last 12 families we helped were Hawaiians. - Maude , Kahului 7. We need more housing on Maui. Real estate is out of control. - George , Kahului 8. We need help for affordable housing on Kaua'i. - Kīpūkai , Līhu'e

HAWAIIAN GOVERNANCE: Enahle the creation ofa mified Hawaiian nation

1 . Draft a document to World Court and/or United Nations to inform the world that Hawaiians have been occupied for more than 100 years. We need to seek recognition from the world since the federal government will not recognize us. - Ah'in , Kona 2. Announced meeting of forming a reinstated Hawaiian Nation, not a tribe. - Hank , Kona 3. Focus on bringing families together to build a nation. - Kimo , Nānākuli 4. "I'm surprised we don't have our own govermnent, already. What's the hold-up?" - Pōmai , Hāna 5. How mueh did OHA spend on the Akaka Bill? - 'Umialīloa , Kahului 6. We would like to have a Native Hawaiian community center in Ko'olaupoko to provide outreach services and communications to the Hawaiian community. - Eliz,abeth , Kahalu 'u 7. Concerned about OHA's role in nation building. -Lehua, Papakōlea 8. OHA needs a stronger presence in our rural communities. -Kanani, Līliu'e

HEALĪH: | Prevention, treatment and health-care educationfor Native Hawaiians

1. Funding for substance-abuse programs and fatherhood initiative for older fathers mentoring new fathers. - Lani , Kona 2. We need alternative, affordable heahh plans and medicine for the elderly. Josephine , Kona

3. We need more drug rehab centers to foster hope and motivation. We need to help the people. - Kēhaulani , Hilo 4. Funding for Hāna Heahh Fair (5th year). Financial assistance for Hawaiian patients for medical heahh screening, transportation to Honolulu and medicine. Some patients don't have heahh insurance. - Pōmai , Hāna 5. We need funding for our heahh program for substance abuse, dental and adult day care. -Puni, Papakōlea 6. We need funding for drug rehabilitation, education and treatment. - Kīpīīkai , Līhu'e P0LICY: Establish and support policies

that meet constitutional and statutory mandates 1. The ceded land revenue

should be used for native Hawaiians and not for Hawaiians less than 50 percent. - Patrick , Hilo 2. Form a comprehensive master plan among the ali'i trusts to help the Hawaiian populahon. - Kimo , Nānākuli 3. Identify nonprofit agencies that have received funds to assist Hawaiians. - Kimo , Nānākuli 4. Could we have a list of organizations that service the conununity, funded by OHA? -George, Kahului 5. We need more community meetings to survey the needs assessment of the total Hawaiian community. -Lehua, Papakōlea 6. Have all the ali'i trusts create a "one stop shopping" area for services. - Kīpīīkai , Līhu'e 7. OHA needs to match community groups seeking grants with 501(c)3 organizations. - Kīpīīkai , Līhu'e

1 |ust want to ihank you folks for coming tonight | to share your mana'o with us, that's what is I supposed to eome, your mana'o, your thoughts, I ' y°u ',ave for us, so we ean learn... 8ut we I don't hove - it's not for us to have, anything for I Hawanans. We don't have, because we are left I haek. We re the end of the totem pole." I -Aunty Mary kupuna, Kona J

HE AHA KOU MANA'O? • WHAĪ D0 Y0U ĪHINK?