Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 7, 1 July 2011 — Native education, energy discussed in D.C. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Native education, energy discussed in D.C.

By Lisa Asato OHA Chairperson Colette Machado spoke at a Washington, D.C., forum of Senate Democrats in May that addressed issues facing American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities. The Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach

Committee ForumMay 4 at the U.S. Capitol addressed improving educational opportunities and proposals to spur energy development on Indian lands. In addition to Machado, the forum was attended by tribal leaders and was organized by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Committee Chairman Mark Begich of Alaska and Committee Vice Chairman Daniel Akaka. "Native Hawaiians are strong, dignified and resilient," Machado said in prepared remarks. "However, eeonomie changes and the suppression of political self-governance throughout the 20th century altered the heahh and social status of Native Hawaiians." Hawai'i, she noted, was

onee among the most literate nations in the world. Today, 45 percent of Native Hawaiian students do not meet proficiency on state reading assessments and 67 percent do not (

meet proficiency on - Courtesy photO math assessments. Native Hawaiians constitute 28 percent of the 177,871 K-12 students in Hawai'i's public schools, according to the state Education Department. In her remarks, Machado requested continued support and funding of the Native Hawaiian Education Act, reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and stronger eollaboration among Congress, the Obama administration, the Native Hawaiian Education Council (NHEC) and the Native Hawaiian Education Association, with OHA continuing to have its active

seat on the NHEC. "As an example of collaboration, we need to evaluate together how the Common Core State Standards initiative will affect Native Hawaiians," she said, according to prepared remarks. The education initiative has been adopted by a majority of states, including Hawai'i. "We need to leverage resources and dollars to increase Native Hawaiian educational access to our 17 culture-based charter schools, 31 HawaiSEE NATIVE EDUGATION ON PAGE 13

GOVERNANGE To restore pono and ea, Native Hawaiians will achieve self-gover-nanee, after whieh the assets of OHAwillhe transferred to the new governing entity.

www.oha.org/kwo | kwo@OHA.org NATIVE HAWAIIAN » NEWS I FEATURES I EVENTS

!hairperson Colefte Machado with Bo Mazzefti, Chairman of the Rincon Band of Luiserio lndians.

NATIVE EDUCATION

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ian language immersion schools and community-based educational programs that collectively rebuilt the bridge between schools, families and communities, and make school relevant and experiencebased. Peer-reviewed studies provide that Native Hawaiian children learn better in settings that bring their culture, language, history and traditional practices to life, providing them with reasons to be proud of themselves, their families and their heritage." On sustainability and elean energy, Machado said Hawai'i leads the nation in dependence upon fossil fuels and foreign oil, with an estimated 85 percent to 90 percent of the state's food being imported. She said that Hawai'i's puhlie trust lands - "the lands of our Hawaiian nation" - comprise about 43 percent of the lands in Hawai'i, and those lands may house renewable energy sources, such as geothermal, wind, solar and hydroelectric. "All of these resources have spiritual significance and are neeessary for our cultural gathering and access rights," she said. "Thus consultation on the possible use of these sacred resources must include a deep understanding of Native Hawaiian knowledge about these resources." When formulating policy, Machado requested two things: an assurance of meaningful and thorough consultation that seeks to ensure that Native Hawaiian perspectives and protected rights are not negatively impacted and that traditional ecological knowledge is not ignored, and a partnership with OHA and our Native Hawaiian conununities to develop culturally sound, sustainable energy opportunities using indigenous knowledge and values from our ancestors. "Together we ean ethically generate alternatives and better understand how to apply them throughout the country," she said. Machado also underscored the importance of federal lawmakers this session passing the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization

Act, whieh would establish a process of federal recognition for Native Hawaiians. "At the root of the challenges we face in energy and education is that, as Native Hawaiians, we do not have our own indigenous government through whieh to effectively exercise our self-determination as a people and a nation. We commend and fully support the leadership of our Sen. Daniel Akaka in sponsoring the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act as the foundation to achieve the vision for our people." While in D.C., Machado also attended the U.S. Department of Energy Tribal Sununit on May 4 and 5 along with OHA Chief Executive Clyde Nāmu'o and OHA Washington Bureau Chief Tim Johnson. Energy Secretary Steven Chu provided the opening keynote and took questions from tribal leaders. Providing policy remarks were White House Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Heather Zichal and White House Senior Policy Adviser on Native Anrerican Affairs Kinrberly Teehee, as well as Agriculture Secretary Tonr Vilsack, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Environnrental Protection Agency Adnrinistrator Lisa Jackson. Loretta Tuell, Staff Director for the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, also spoke. Secretary Chu announced two new energy initiatives at the summit. According to the department's web site: "He declared the intent to form an Indian elean energy and infrastructure working group - whieh will provide a forum to survey, analyze and provide viewpoints on real-time obstacles that tribes face in deploying elean energy as well as potential solutions." He also announced plans to develop guidance to direct the department to buy renewahle energy from tribal lands when possible. Machado, Nāmu'o and Johnson also attended the Asian Paeihe American Institute for Congressional Studies 17th annual gala awards dinner at the Ronald Reagan Building and Intemational Trade Center. The May 4 event celebrated the legacy of Asian Americans and Paeihe Islanders in puhlie service. ■