Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 8, 1 August 2010 — Interviewed by Lisa Asato [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Interviewed by Lisa Asato

KWO: As ANA Commissioner, you have a direct line of communication with Heahh and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius through the Intra Departmental Council on Native American Affairs. What will be your message to her regarding Native Hawaiians? LS: My message will be that ANA should eontinue to support the programs (that we do) and we encourage more Paeihe Islander participation in our programs here at ANA. And we weleome suggestions from the department in terms of how

to work with Native Hawaiians. We're also willing to work with other departments to help them improve their outreach to Native Hawaiians. KWO: What will your priorities be as Commissioner? LS: I'm looking at (how) we ean increase services to native children and families through better ACF (Administration for Children and Families) programs as well as looking at how we ean strengthen the governance in our native

community, build capacity and strengthen infrastructure to provide for more efficient programs. KWO: How does ANA work with Native Hawaiians? LS: In regards to community organizations and strategic development, ANA is in a position to help the various Native Hawaiian communities organize around whatever specific projects they determine is important to them. That's an important point. We don't determine what the project should be; we have categories and allow the eommunities to decide. ANA's in a position to help Native Hawaiian communities that might want to organize around language activities, culture activities or even federal recognition activities. We are in a position to help in the planning and implementation of those. KWO: What are some of the grant and other opportunities available to Native Hawaiians through ANA? LS: (Some of what we offer are) native language grants, both preservation and maintenance, as well as the Esther Martinez Initiative, whieh supports native language immersion efforts and supports native language efforts in educational settings. KWO: How do people apply? LS: They ean look for funding announcements through our web site (tiny.cc/mlvx4), we get the word out on list serve and through T&TA (Training and Technical Assistance) providers located in the Paeihe Basin and in Hawai'i. KWO: How ean one learn more? LS: They ean contact us directly here at ANA, through our web site or through our help desk. (Call toll-free: 1-877-922-9262 or email anaeom ments @ acf.hhs.gov.) KWO: When will funding awards be announced? LS: I'mhoping we'll be able to announee some of our new awardees in September. KWO: How mueh does ANA award annually? LS:We are giving out $42 million in grants this year: $12 million in new awards and about $30 million in continuations. KWO: You served as Executive Director of the National Indian Education Association, NIEA, from 2004- 10. Can you talk about your work with Native Hawaiians in that capacity? LS: I worked very closely with the Native Hawaiian community. We have various board members who are Native Hawaiian. We held a conference in Honolulu back in 2007. I visited O'ahu numerous times, visited the schools there and I have attended the Native Hawaiian Educa-

tion Association conference numerous times and presented there as well. KWO: Is there any message you want to get out to Native Hawaiians? LS: We are looking at increasing and strengthening the relationships we have with our Native Hawaiian brothers and sisters.

We encourage individuals to participate in a number of programs we have, including the Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund. We certainly want everyone to know there are numerous opportunities both as a eommunity and as an individual that ANA supports, in particular the Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund. ... We encourage folks to take advantage of the interest rates that are made available through the loan fund and the general terms. The loan products that are available are to benefit families and to benefit young children and students. KWO: Are there any changes coming to the Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund? LS:We 're still working with OHA to say what possibilities might be out there regarding new loan products. We're hoping to expedite that process. We're encouraged by the progress the loan fund has made in the last several years. KWO: Yes, it's new and improved since 2007. Do you see good things happening with it? LS: Absolutely, yes. We're excited that so many folks are really beginning to take advantage (of it), but we definitely want to

increase the distribution we're able to provide to Native Hawaiian communities. KWO: Are you planning to visit Hawai'i again? LS: I'm hoping to be out there in October for the CNHA (Council on Native Hawaiian Advancement) convention. KWO: Will you be presenting? LS: I'm certainly open to invitations. (laughs) KWO: Do you have any other activities planned while you're here? LS: Definitely. I'll be visiting any grantees that we currently have and hopefully we'll also be able to visit with our T&TA providers to do some project development workshops. KWO: You are one of several high-profile American Indian appointments in the Ohama administration, including Larry Eeho Hawk at the Interior Department and Kim Tee Hee and Jodi Gillette at the White House . . . LS: Certainly the White House has taken a great not only interest but has made great effort in native communities and making sure they're included all the policy and initiatives

that the administration is putting forward. The creation of the position of the Native American Affairs Liaison with the Domestic Policy Council sends a strong message to all native communities that (Ohama) takes the relationship that tribal governments have with the federal government seriously and is willing to explore other ways in whieh native communities ean heeome more engaged. KWO: Has it had an impact on native affairs? LS: Absolutely. Increase in outreach has increased tremendously in the last 18 months in native communities. The White House Tribal National Conference is a huge aeeomplishment. The fact that the administration is taking a another look at the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is another strong signal that this administration is not taking its relationship with native eommunities lightly. KWO: Anything you would like to add? LS: ANA is now and will continue to be an agency that promotes accountability and transparency. I would love to hear from our grantees and I encourage any of our grantees to submit their ideas as to how we might be able to improve our services as an agency. ■

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