Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 7, 1 July 2013 — Alaska-Hawaiʻi Roundtable [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Alaska-Hawaiʻi Roundtable

Last month I had the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., to attend a historic event that was hosted by the Alaska Federation of Natives and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. It was the Alaska-Hawai'i Roundtable. This roundtable eelebrated the special relationship and legacy of the late U.S. Sen. Daniel

K. Inouye and the late U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, who held one of the most admired bipartisan partnerships. Through their partnership, friendship and brotherhood they worked together to advance the interests of the 49th and 50th states for five decades, and promoted passage of initiatives for education, heahh and housing acts, and small business initiatives for the Native people. The roundtable was held in the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing room. Hawai'i Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono, Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich, Hawai'i Reps. Colleen Hanabusa and Tulsi Gabbard, and Alaska Rep. Don Young all attended. They engaged in policy dialogue with about 100 Native leaders from both Alaska and Hawai'i. The Alaska Federation of Natives and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement invited a diverse group of Native Hawaiian leaders and Alaska Native leaders that ranged from business leaders, community organizations and policy advocate. The Alaska-Hawai'i Roundtable launches a collaborative effort between Native Hawaiians and Alaska Native leaders to share federal policy priorities with one another, and to keep members of both delegations briefed and informed. Native leaders brought forward various issues, including the appointment of Native judges, protecting important

Native programs in the budgetary work, improving education, stimulating Native-owned business and taking care of the country's veterans and understanding the fact that Native veterans have served to defend the country and democracy in higher numbers per capita than any other group. Alaska and Hawai'i congressional delegations listened to the concerns of the Native groups and took their matters to heart and provided comments on the

issues. The roundtable was followed by a reception honoring Congressman Don Young to weleome his 80th birthday. At the reception we got to mahalo Congressman Young for his friendship and work with our representatives and senators. I had the opportunity to present Congressman Young, on behalf of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, a koa flag box with a Hawaiian flag encased. At the reception Congressman Young mentioned that: "The working relationship between Hawai'i and Alaska is historic. We have proven we ean do good work and we are going to continue that." This Alaska-Hawai'i Roundtable will be a regular event. The Alaska Federation of Natives and Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement have engaged in a long-term eollaboration to host the roundtable every year, they plan to alternate the location of the roundtable between Alaska and Hawai'i. At these annual meetings they hope to perpetuate the collaborative spirit of both Senators Inouye and Stevens and ensure that Alaska and Hawai'i are better served for generations to eome. At the roundtables they will be able to conduct an annual brieflng of policy priorities important to eaeh Native group and to host evening receptions to foster and grow friendships among Native leaders. ■

LEO 'ELELE V www.oha.org/kwo | kwo@OHA.org TRUSTEE MESSSAGES ' NATiVE HAWAIIAN » NEWS l FEATURES I EVENT S

Cūlette Y. Machade

ChairpErsūn, TrustEE Muluka'i aud Lāua'i