Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 1, 1 January 2008 — Page 15 Advertisements Column 1 [ADVERTISEMENT]

@HA Deoember 200?

Aioh$ mei Memberg cf tf»e U,S Senale and House of Repfesentatves: The Oflic* of nawaiian Affair$ (OHA> and ūepaHmeni of Haweāian Home Lends (DHHL) sia^id iogethe/ ln stfong aupport of S 505, the Naīive Haweiian Government Reorgamzation A& of 2007 (IMHGRA). This bill aff)rms seif-dctefjriinaLKJn. seJr-govemance and se:f-£uffieieney, and passage enables nur ageocies lo fulfīll our mieeiona and increaee wr ccmmunrty sucī»sses OHA ls a umpue quasi-independerit sfate enlity establislied lhrough the Constilution of tbe State of Hawai'i. with a Bpgrd of Trustees etected by tf»e voterg of Hawai'i. OHA is responsitile for worlMng for Ihe betterment of condilions of all Nattve Hawai>ans throiigh pot)ey deostins, adveeaey, communily graits, perpetuation cf culture ar>d trust ovensight. The Hawaiian H«res CūmrrviKiūn Aet is administered by an appointed Hawauan Homes Commiss»ūn through DHHt. charged with managing the Hawaiian Homes Land Tmst, assurmg Hawaiians aeeess to affordable homes a nd farms on Hawai'i lartd intc perpatuity. Benefi ts for Future Ceneratiofis- Our agencies are forced to spend too mueh hme and money detanding ūur right to omst NHGRA prūtaet£ Nalivo Hawanan rights, lnuet$, assets ard programs. and frua protects and preserjes pur ūglture. Because our vi$itor indu3fry focuses on traditional Hawaiian culture and places. this benefit£ ali ln Hawai'i. Jt's documented tbat Nahve governm6flLs m lbe U.S. are tba besL lo perpetuate traditipnal native cul1ure 1hfOugh ttiair language and edocalional pmgrams, pratec!ion of religicus prsctice3 and sacred places. devefoprnent cf culture-based heahh and weial services. and roie models for youth. Increa£ed Eeonomie Wa1l-beEng. Passaga cf NHGR A meens &eff-5ufTcierrcy for our beneficianes, who wiil be ebie to delerm«ie the best use of Nalive Hawa an resources, and develop meaningful cūmmunity initiatives fo geierate raven ua and £pur eeonom ic growth. DHHL is becoming a self-susteining eoonomie engine ard since 2003, has daubled its inoeme thraugh genaral leese diaposition3, OHA has increased eoonomK self-sufJieisney through ioans to Hawa<ian-owned busmesses funds for job training programs, and nr ilhons ōī dollars in wmmunity slnengthening Nativa Hawaiian education. heallh and cultvrral perpeiue(ion grants statewide Ps3sage asstrres the progre99 contīnues end seif-3cffrciency expand3 successfuUy. FaimO£s rn U.S. Policy. A proca5s of formal U S reccgm1iūr> is alreody aveilable to Americar» (nd«an3 and Alaska Natives. and enaeimeni cf NHGRA extends a 3imiiar process 1o ihe th»rd tndigeflūus group. Naiiv« Hanwaiians. Tnis tMll is eonsistent vnth our U.S. Cūrstilution, more (han 130 Federal mea5ures enacted 3ince 1910, snd our Hawai'i Glate Consii(ution- OHA DHHL urge U-S- Senators to vcrte yes to pass NHGRA for all Ihe people of JHawai'i. snd deepfy appreoate U.S. House passage in Oclobc 2007. Mahalo j'thank you). iīinee™^, The Hanūrabla Haunam Apūliona, Chairparson Bbard bf Trustees of Ihe OPioe of Heweiian Affairs. State of Hawathi The HononaWe Mieah Kane. Chairman Hawaiian Homes Commis£ionn State of Hawai'i