Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 32, Number 9, 1 September 2015 — Some Sort of Independence? [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Some Sort of Independence?

This past August, OHA was invited to celebrate 50 years of the Cook Islands' independence. Their aovernment

I planned a yearlong eelebration that included dignitaries from various different countries around the world. It was such an honor to be able to meet with our cousins from the Cook Islands, to celebrate and to witness their humhle, yet happy lifestyle. This historic year offered all those in attendance the opportunity to reflect on the past 50 years as well as look forward to the future of their homelands. Lookina back, the Cook Islands

were annexed by New Zealand in 1901 and remained a territory under their rule for 64 years. On August 4, 1965, following "an act of self-determination under United Nations auspices," the Cook Islands heeame self-gov-eming in free association with New Zealand. This arrangement allowed the people of the Cook Islands to establish their own government and develop their own constitution. The Cook Islanders' governmental relationship with New Zealand is a unique one. Under free association, the Cook Islands government has the power to make its own applieahle laws and does not allow for New Zealand to make laws for them - unless so enacted by the Cook Islands' parliament. Furthermore, New Zealand is largely responsible for providing military defense to the Cook Islands but ean only be enacted by requests made by the Cook Islands government. Their government has full executive powers and ean further pursue international relations. The people enjoy dual citizenship - New Zealand and Cook Islands - and are free to travel or live in either country. In recognition of 50 years of self-gov-ernment, the New Zealand govemment has made plans to gift the Cook Islands' college $ 1 1 .7 million next year and $42 million in

aid over the next three years. This special relationship allows for the Prime Minister - who works humbly out of his own home - to push the New Zealand

govemment to focus on things that the people of the Cook Islands need. In this case, education of their youth was at the forefront. While this free association relationship still ties the Cook Islands to New Zealand's realm, the people of these islands have full power to create and enact their own laws and policies over their people, land, resources, and eulture - something that we as Native peoples recognize as being of the hiahest importance. This is not to

say this is the end-all for the people and government of the Cook Islands. Their journey - as they point out in this year's celebration - has not been without trials and the future journey will not be either. Prime Minister, Henry Puna points out, "We will take time to recognize the efforts of the past 50 years and flag our milestonesboth our successes and our failures". The opportunity to visit the Cook Islands was humbling and inspiring. I am thankful to have been able to partake in a celebration of such a wonderful journey and aeeomplishment. We are a similar people: our identities, practices, and priorities as native people. As the Prime Minister exclaimed, "In 2015, we will sing and dance, and we will choreograph and compose, we will laugh and we will cry, we will eook and we will share. Because that is who we are!" It is my hope that our efforts to build our own Nation will be thought out and weighed very carefully so that our future generations will look back and be grateful for the foresight and fortitude our people of today has had to mold the future of tomorrow. Mahalo nui! ■

j LEO 'ELELE ^ > TRUSTEE MESSSAGES f

Carmen "Hulu" Lindsey Trustee, Maui