Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 24, Number 7, 1 July 2007 — Addressing independence advocates' complaints against OHA [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Addressing independence advocates' complaints against OHA

Aloha kākou. The other day I spoke to a friend who is an ardent supporter of one of the Hawaiian independence groups in Hawai'i and heard the eonunon refrain that OHA only lies, is unfair to other viewpoints, and is misleading the Hawaiian people. Let me address these complaints. 1. OHA only lies. He called me after viewing the OHA television show on federal recognition. I asked him to point out one lie that was said by any speaker and he responded with questions like, "Do you agree that the kingdom was taken unlawfully?" and "why shouldn't we get our kingdom back?" He never answered the question, and this is a eonunon response by those who clamor for complete independence. As a trustee for 4 1/2 years I am unaware of any lies foisted upon the Hawaiian people by OHA, period. People tend to identify the present board and administration with the past, for whieh I do not speak. They should understand that the present board is not ego-driven, activist-oriented or puhlieity driven. We simply are a board of trustees who take our fiduciary responsibility seriously, and telling lies does not fit into that disposition. OHA has a mission and a goal for our people that aim for the betterment and continued presence of Hawaiians in Hawai'i as a legally recognized people and the perpetuation for our posterity of our culture, language, traditions, and identity as the indigenous people of Hawai'i. We don't expect that untruths will help us to get there, and I invite any who still believe so to contact me with specifics. 2. OHA is unfair to other viewpoints. Again, regarding federal recognition, he claimed that the independence groups are not getting any help from OHA to spread their message around. Well, OHA has spent a goodly amount for 'ŌLELO programming for independents, for conferences and for speakers from the mainland to eome to Hawai'i on behalf of the inde-

pendence movement. Some Hawaiians even ask for money from OHA while suing us in court at the same time, but we are still considerate of the many different viewpoints that Hawaiians ean have on any issue, let alone recognition, and have sought to aeeonunodate them within reason. The OHA board has taken a firm stand for federal recognition as the best option open to us as a people in the face of repeated litigation against OHA, Hawaiian Homes, the state, and Kamehameha Schools seeking to take whatever we have today as a people and consign us to a "onee upon a time" civilization. It wouldn't surprise me to have the Amkaki plaintiffs eome to OHA for money to support their lawsuit against OHA, claiming that if we don't we're unfair. The bottom line is OHA has given an ear to all causes but must expend its efforts and resources on what will best help the Hawaiian people - and where the options are complete obliteration of our people or continued existence and recognition, the ehoiee must be obvious. 3. OHA is misleading the people. The fact that OHA has chosen to take the route whieh most protects the interests of the Hawaiian people has created an antagonism amongst those who would have it all despite the reality of us all being citizens of the United States. There are many who eomplain that we are giving up too mueh for what we will get from federal recognition. Illegal overthrow and international law notwithstanding, we are Americans and live in the 50th state. As Hawaiians, we ean either keep what we have and create a better way to help ourselves as Hawaiians and Americans, or we ean choose to be anti-American and live in exile with no opportunity to provide help to the sick and ill, the children in our schools, the elderly, the prisoners, the unemployed, the homeless, the working poor, our 'ōlelo, the college-bound, etc., etc. The threat against Hawaiians today is that some of our own want a color-blind, one-size-fits-all society and an end to any kind of recognition of Hawaiians as the aboriginal inhabitants of Hawai'i deserving of treatment as a nation similar to the Indians and Alaskans. Their success will be our defeat and downfall. OHA will fight to the end for justice and righteousness. Ua mau ke ea o ka 'āina i ka pono. E

LEO 'ELELE ■ TRUSTEE MESSAGES —

Bnyd P. Mūssman TrustEE, Maui