Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 1, 1 January 2014 — 'We Hawaiians are moving on up' [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

'We Hawaiians are moving on up'

Thefollowing is the prepared textfor the State ofOHA address by Chairwoman Colette Machado: wanted to talk about a Hawaiian hynanal. It is called "Nū 'Oli" - Glad Tidings. It starts, "Nū 'oli, nū 'oli" and it means a happy song, but on November lst, I suffered a stroke at 63 years old. I was given a second ehanee to improve my heahh. So as we talk about building a nation and moving forward, we all have to be able to see the fruits of that labor. If we don't take care of ourselves and try to work together we may end up with the absence of that goal. I'm now working on a weight management program. I'm watching my diabetes very carefully. I've always been a workaholic. Long hours didn't bother me when I was younger; working hard was something my mother raised me to do. But I'mlearning how to do less. When you get to Moloka'i, you get off the plane and go to the first stop sign. The first thing you see is "slow down." You're on Moloka'i. When you are an active leader, especially when you are an elected offieial, people judge you on your record. And your record is whether you attend meetings, how effective you are in your deliberations. You need to do your homework. I've always been proud of that. When I was a young girl one of my mentors was George Helm. And he said, always do your homework. It's those principles that we apply in the work that we do to build our Lāhui. In your invitation, you had Kānaka on the front cover, and when you opened it up you saw 'Ohana and you saw the flag that said Lāhui. As leaders, we do not know exactly how things will play, but we cannot adopt an "all about me" syndrome. That's the story I heard when I was attending the university. We talked about this in Ethnic Studies. Why doesn't a Hawaiian crabber put a cover on his or her bucket? Because the crabs pull eaeh other down and no crabs ean escape. Those days should be over. I feel those days are over. We are now in a position to demand greater things to improve and advance SEE MAGHAD0 ON PAGE 22

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Trustee Chair Colefte Machado gives a heartfelt speech during the State of OHA, at Central Union Church, December 10. - Photo: iohn Matsuzaki

MAOHAPO Continued from page 18 our people. We Hawaiians are moving on up; you heard the theme from The Jeffersons. We're moving toward establishing a recognized government forNative Hawaiians. I want to thank the trustees for embracing the work that is being done by the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission. I also want to discuss motions to reconsider. Many times when we disagree at the table, it's heartfelt. The fact is that we are able to resolve those matters and eome back and reach out to our policymaking board and get them to reconsider decisions. I want to acknowledge Trustee Stender, for when I had my stroke

and I was in the hospital, I was praying that they would release me so I could attend the next board meeting because I knew my vote counted, because I was in favor of a measure to fund the roll eommission that was coming before the board. But the doctors did not discharge me. The board fell one vote short of funding the commission. But it took a lot of guts and a eommitment to understand that even if you voted no, if you received critical information later, you

should reconsider the vote. Trustee Stender did just that. If I had to name a mentor at OHA, and I say these things because he is not running for re-election, I would say he has graced our board with his aeumen as a person who understands real estate; but as a kupuna he was able to redirect the board to change a decision and the result was very positive. I also want to thank Trustee Stender for his work with the Gentry Pacific Design Center acquisition, OHA's new home. How wonderful it is I ean say that

OHA will be moving into its new home between Nimitz Highway and Iwilei Road. It was that kind of vision that eame forward and our ability to acquire the property became a reality. But it takes five votes, and I amproud to say that even after the motion failed onee, we were able to put aside our differences and reconsider that action and we were able to approve the purchase. Today, OHA stands firm on its decision to acquire that commereial property. So we say mahalo to Trustee Oswald Stender. Thank you, Trustee Oswald Stender for all you have done for Native Hawaiians. He is someone with a big heart who is constantly advocating for scholarships and doing all he ean for Hawaiians. All of us on the board, when we look at issues,

it brings out the best in all of us because we were taught how to share, to mālama one another, and we were taught certain principles that taught us aloha. If you go to Kaho'olawe, there's a memorial honoring the passing of George Helm and Kimo Mitchell. On that plaque are these words, "No greater love is a man to lay down his life for his fellow man." All of you are worthy of that, Trustees. I'd like to thank you for leading us to where we are today. ■

When you are an active leader, espetially when you are an elected offitial, people judge you on your record. And your record is whether you attend meetings, how effective you are in your deliberations. You need to do your homework. I've always been proud of that. When I was a young girl one of my mentors was George Helm. And he said, always do your homework. It s those printiples that we apply in the work that we do to build our Lāhui. — Chairwoman Colette Maehaāo

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Jeff Rasmussen performed his original "Be Recognized," whieh he composed for the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission's Kana'iolowalu movement.