Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 29, Number 10, 1 October 2012 — OHA TRUSTEE CANDIDATES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA TRUSTEE CANDIDATES

1) Native Hawaiian culture lives and thrives on the traditional practices that tie us to the 'āina (land), its resources and to eaeh other. OHA is the pnneipal puhlie agency responsible for advocacy efforts for Native Hawaiians. What would you do to advocate for continued access for Native Hawaiians to the 'āina, wai (water) and other natural resources?

2) How would you manage OHA's assets - such as its investment portfolio and landholdings, including Kaka'ako Makai and legacy lands such as Waimea Valley and Wao Kele o Puna - to ensure maximum benefit for the agency's beneficiaries?

1 ) Land and water are sacred. The values of connectivity to nature and to humanity are Hawaiian values. So we must establish and enforce laws to preserve and protect access to sacred resources. But we must also move forward and recognize that Hawaiian creativity calls for change and adaptation. The ancient Hawa iians were amongst the most advanced peoples in terms of exploration, innovation and adaptation.ThedrivetocrossthePacific, invent technologies and create a society whieh included malihini and kama'āina, are all partof the Hawaiian cultural spirit. Yet, while the ahupua'a land system created cultural interconnectivitycenturies ago, Hawaiians have advanced so that thousands of us across the world connect over the lnternet, on Facebook and other social media. And this is what our keiki will do increasingly. Lōkahi, or community with harmony, is what matters. Public policy for land and water must preserve culture but must also ensure eeonomie and technological development,

including sustainable and self-sufficientenergy. We must have the foresight to plan for change so it does not overwhelm us with its inevitability. As an OHA trustee, I will vigorously defend access of Hawaiians to sacred land and water, but will also seek to balance thiswith the greater good of all people, honoring the past of our ancestors and empowering the future of ourchildren. 2) I would insist on the exercise of two important Hawaiian values, kuleana and pono. Kuleana refers to the duty or due diligence required of trustees to maximize the financial value of the trust. For this reason, the board must hire the most qualified and competent asset managers. Additionally, the board must ensure that these managers collaborate beyond OHA and leverageOHA's resourcestoattract the cooperative investment of the other Hawaiian trusts including Kamehameha Schools and the Hawaiian monarch legacies. The value of pono, or righteousness, requires absolute integrity in asset management. Land has always produced power in Hawai'i. And power has always produced corruption. With its recent land acquisitions, the OHA trustee board has now become the most powerful non-re-

stricted trust board in the state, and it exercises this role with the least amount of accountability required by law in comparison to other state agencies. OHA votersmustdemandtransparencyand accountability. As an OHA trustee, I will make it my battle to ensure aggressive kuleana and faithful pono in the management of 0HA's assets for the people. ~~ N 1) The fundamental principal by whieh OHA should operate and advocate is lōkahi, that balance between Man, God and Nature. These three elements in balance of daily living will build a healthy, thriving, prosperous, productive OHA and in turn empower Native Hawaiians to sustain a strong Hawai'i for all. Natural resources will endure when documented sustainability practices are honored and exercised by consumers and stakeholders who stay informed and engaged in perpetuating "pono" methods. OHA has committed to six strategic priorities in its 2010-

2018 plan, there are two that require accelerated attention by administration with defined "initiatives" and action plans: 'Aina (land and water), "to maintain eonneehon to the past and a viable land base, Native Hawaiians will benefit from responsible stewardship of Ka Pae 'Aina 0 Hawai'i"; and Mo'omeheu (culture), "to strengthen identity, Native Hawaiians will preserve, practice and perpetuate theirculture." Increased OHA grant award allocations to eommunities whose efforts address these priority areas should occur; 0HA's advocacy strategies loeal, state, federal, international must push the public policy boundaries to ensure protection and access for Native Hawa iians "from the mountain to the sea," "from the wai to the kai" and for relevant and related priorities of 'Aina and Mo'omeheu. 2) 0HA's board imposes policies, guidelines, asset allocations and monitors advisers to ensure performance and adherence to the OHA investment policy. The board-approved investment policy and spending policyensure disciplined implementation and financial oversight. In the '90s, the board hired

and managed individual portfolio managers, but trustees' financial/investment expertise lacked. While OHA Chair, our board: 1) reduced standing committees from five to two making ALL nine trustees members; 2) hired advisers in an outsourced "manager or managers" investment approach, continuing to today. These advisers manage assets "subject to their oversight" making investment decisions, such as tactical asset allocation and manager selection. As "fiduciaries," OHA trustees must manage landholdings to minimize liability and maximize benefit to OHA's trust and beneficiaries. Since 2005, Wao Kele 0 Puna (26,000 acres) is directly managed by OHA. In 2006, OHA acquired Waimea Valley (1,800 acres). OHA's board established, and owns, parent LLC, Hi'ilei Aloha. Hi'ilei Aloha LLC created the subsidiary Hi'ipaka LLC, whieh owns, manages and operates Waimea Valley. This structure was determined to best minimize risk to the OHAtrust. Kaka'ako Makai parcelsof 2012, and any future landholdings, must be similarly evaluated and management be structured to minimize risk and maximize benefit.

I MANA KA LEO | EMPOWER YOUR VOICE

CANDIDATES E aXSDB KELI'I AKINA

CAL LEE

WALTER RITTE 3Ē

HAUNANI APOLIONA

KEALII MAKEKAU

CANDIDATES anai^^ ROBERT LINDSEY

CANDIDATES DAN AHUNA

KEOLA WORTHINGTON

LIBERTA ALBAO

JACKIE BURKE

KANANI KAGAWA FU

HAUNANI PACHECO

RONSON SAHUT

KALIKO SANTOS

BILLY SWAIN

LELANO YADAO

CANDIDATES JOHANNA AMORIN

ROSE DUEY

CARMEN LINDSEY

DOREEN GOMES

KE'EAUMOKU KAPU

DAIN KANE

nm 1) I supporttakinga broad approachtocultural protection. OHA supported the 'Aha Moku legislation that has passed into law. OHA should now ensure that the 'Aha Moku Oouneil is advising the DLNR when cultural issues, such as the rail impacting burials, are before policymakers and the courts. OHA should be advocating for protection and expansion of Hawaiian rights to access for cultural practice and subsistence gathering throughout Hawai'i, on trust and private lands and in the Northwest Hawaiian lslands. We have strongjudicial decisionsandconstitutional provisions that protect Hawaiian cultural rights, but these precedents are not always honored. OHA needs to be ready to litigate and legislate in this area to ensure that paper protections become real protections on the ground. 2) lnvestment portfolios should be a diversified mix of investments to hedge against dips in the economy. OHA lost millions in stock market investments during the 2008 Wall Street crash. Direct project investmentyields higher returns. Real estate development is an exa mple. Investment in alternative energy is another example. Geothermal is attractive as an investment since OHAwill receive 20 percent in mineral revenues in addition to ROI for direct financial investment. Kaka'ako Makai and legacy lands, such as Waimea Valley, present a stark contrast and challenge in land management. The former is

primarily revenue lands and the latter is stewardship or preservation lands. Different principles of land management apply. Kaka'ako Makai is the 25 acres constituting 10 parcels valued at $200 million thatwas given as settlementto OHA by the State of Hawai'i that ended a 33-year legal dispute over entitlement revenues from ceded lands. These lands are prime real estate that OHA ean develop to increase its revenue base for a variety programs that benefit Native Hawa iians. The property features a continuous corridor of prime waterfront parcels starting from Fisherman's Wharf to Point Panie. A natural "restaurant row" concept along the wharf. Guidelines have been developed by the Kaka'ako Community Planning Advisory Council. Legacy lands may require maintenance and infrastructure improvements and ean be costly - likeWaimea Valley. Infrastructure investments are necessary to preserve and maintain the land. Tourist revenues derived from Waimea Valley concessions ean be used to defray preservation expenses. ri>»lrrri"fM 1) lf I do get elected I would consult with the advocacy team about getting three things accomplished. One is eompile data, concerns or grievances and historical sites. Second, I would recommend that any efforts both past and current be compiled intoa public data base, whieh the public ean view via OHA's website. I then would eall on the BOT to make clear appropriations via their

policies and budget so that people could see both the legal effectiveness and the financial commitment of their resources. Lastly, if we have to sue, then we sue the state, city, the U ,S.A. or anyone who threatens accessing rights let alone any violation against our sacred 'āina. No more Mr. Niee Guy or give-up style. The 'āina comes first. 2) Managing 0HA's investmentand land portfolio will need some serious concerns to be addressed first. Is OHA now a land broker and is it the intent to try and buy back the land from the state like the Native Americans do? Do we still follow Trustee Oz Stender's advice for managing the portfolio, as it is now with trust assets at all-time low? My belief is we invest in ourselves first and then incorporate the outer surroundings. Kaka'ako waterfront land use should be for business use only given the environmental restrictions. Both small and large business ventures ean create revenues for OHA and our people. Other lands likeWaimea Valley and Wao Kele 0 Puna need a detailed business plan and qualified people to implement it. Finally we need a complete fiscal audit done on OHA's asset and resources to see what we are working with. 1 ) In 1978 I worked with Jon Van Dyke to introduce Article 12 Sec. 7 (Hawaiian Access and Gathering Rights) of our state Constitution, because access was being cut off by Moloka'i Ranch with fences and locked gates. I lobbied for

three months for the passage of the "Hawaiian Package" at the Constitutional Convention, whieh contained, among other things, the creation of OHA and Article 12 Sec. 7. Safety on the access trails was guaranteed by Kamehameha the Great in his first law punishable by death, Māmalahoe Kānāwai. Without access, our culture would not survive, and our ability toward food security and survival would be totally dependent on the dollar. (See my web site at http://walterritte.com for a full explanation). We ean not have food sovereignty without access to food and water, and wecannot have sovereignty if we cannot feed ourselves. Hawaiian water and access rights are being ignored and illegally interpreted by our government. For instance, the state Supreme Court has overturned the State Water Commission four straight times after the commission ruled against Hawaiians in favor of corporations. Also, the recent ruling against DLNR and City and County of O'ahu in the Rail case and our iwi kupuna. I will introduce laws to ensure that OHA has a seat on all county and state boards and commissions in order to protect our interests and lega I rights to access to the 'āina, wai and other natural resources. 2) I would invest our monies in our people here in Hawai'i and not in Wall Street, the banks or corporations. I would use the lands to produce food, building materials, medicine, ceremonial materials and education for our children on how to mālama the house of our gods and that produces our waters of life.

1 ) As Native Hawa iians, itisourbirthrightto be able to actively practice the Hawaiian culture; our traditional practices keep our body and mind and land hea lthy. Increased cultural access for Native Hawaiians to natural resources is vital to manifesting the destiny our ancestors intended for us, and to improving the well-being of our nation. We must be the stewards of our 'āina and stay forever connected to one another as an 'ohana. I am deeply committed to 0HA's identified strategic initiatives to provide the opportunity for better education, better hea lth, better values and a better life and future for all Hawaiians. 2) 0HA's assets are beneficial to the Hawaiian community to preserve traditional practices and natural resources. 0HA's assets are also vital to sustain and support Hawaiian education that actively engages our keiki and mākua in cultural practices and protocols. It is crucial for OHA experts to monitor the investment portfolio and landholdings that include industries' activities to ensure the least amount of disruption to our natural environment. My priorities for managing 0HA's assets would followtwoimportant values: preservationand prosperity. Preservation meansthatwe must preserve the assets we have inherited from our ancestors so thatwe ean pass this inheritance along to our own future generations; that our portfolio must to

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