Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 6, 1 June 2014 — OHA trustees address federal officials in DC [ARTICLE]

OHA trustees address federal officials in DC

n May the Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees met with federal officials in Washington, D.C., and participated in numerous forums to advocate for the betterment of Native Hawaiians. Meetings included roundtable discussions (set around Asian American and Paeihe Islander Heritage Month) with the U.S. departments of Education and Commerce, the Small Business Administration, and a briefing for the U.S. Department of the Interior on OHA's proposed nationbuilding framework. OHA is also participating in the U.S. Department of State consultation between the U.S. government and indigenous peoples in preparation for the World Conferenee on Indigenous Peoples to be held at the United Nations this fall. The trustees will discuss a number of issues of critical importance to the Native Hawaiian people, including the protection of sacred sites, the return of Native lands and Native Hawaiian rights to self-governance. OHA used the opportunities presented by Asian American and Paeihe Islander Heritage Month activities to give voice to issues of critical importance to Native Hawaiians, such as funding and assessment challenges for Hawaiian language immersion students and the need for more robust data on Native Hawaiianowned businesses. OHA will take advantage of all of these avenues to continue urging the federal government to acknowledge that Native Hawaiians are an indigenous people with lasting sovereign rights. "Because decisions that are made in Washington, D.C., impact on our land and ourpeople, it is essential that OHA have a presence at these various forums to continually advocate for Hawai'i's indigenous, aboriginal peoples and advance future opportunities for self-determination," said Kamana'opono Crabbe, Ph.D., Ka Pouhana/CEO of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. ■