Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 4, 1 April 2014 — Trustee Haunani Apoliona's remarks [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Trustee Haunani Apoliona's remarks

Aloha nō kākou. I am speaking today as Chairperson of the Ad Hoe Committee who along with Trustee Waihe'e were appointed by the OHA Board of Trustees to figure out where we go from here on governance. The Hawaiian community has a great opportunity to consider how we will use the Native Hawaiian Roll, whieh includes 107,000 people eligible to participate in a nation building process.

As you know, the Roll commission will complete its work in June. Today, we take the next step to build a Hawaiian Nation - a nation that will bring opportunities to our people and strengthen all of Hawai'i. I am pleased to announee that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is eommitted to facilitating a process that empowers Native Hawaiians who are listed on the Roll to form a governing entity. This is different from past OHA efforts. We will remain neutral and ensure that the people ean provide meaningful input on the process and that the outcomes reflect the will of the Native Hawaiian people. As a facilitator, OHA is committed to encouraging Native Hawaiians to participate in the process of building a Hawaiian nahon. Simply put, our commitment is to provide support by letting Native Hawaiians determine the desired outcome. In light of our announcement today, OHA has asked the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission to reopen the Roll so that those who have yet to sign up ean be a part of the process. OHA will work with Hawaiian leaders who will help shape the process of nahon building. That process will likely include such steps as electing delegates, convening delegates to develop a document to build a Hawaiian nahon, and holding a referendum to approve or disapprove of the proposed goveming document. We look forward to helping ensure that this process of building a Hawaiian nation runs smoothly and effectively. A

The following are remarks delivered at 0HA's news conference on March 6, 2014.