Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 10, 1 October 2016 — OHA APPLAUDS ADMINISTRATION [ARTICLE]

OHA APPLAUDS ADMINISTRATION

"The 0ffice of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) applauds the Ohama Administration for bringing Native Hawaiians closerto having equality with other indigenous groups in the United States. Native Hawaiians have been the only major indigenous group in the 50 states without a process forestablishing a government-to-government relationship with the federal government. This rule finally remedies this injustice. OHA will spend the next few days closely examining the rule to better understand how the Native Hawaiian people ean - if they choose - pursue a government-to-government relationship." "As fiduciaries forthe Native Hawaiian trust, the OHA Board of Trustees has supported federal acknowledgement of Native Hawaiian indigenous status in orderto further strengthen and protect Native Hawaiian rights and resources. Having a federal rule availableto Native Hawaiians is also an important step towards achieving Native Hawaiian self-determination and self-governance. Duringthe 1978 Hawai'i State Constitutional Convention, these two goals served as bases forthe creation of the 0ffice of Hawaiian Affairs. Constitutional convention delegates in 1978 envisioned Native Hawaiians achieving 'self-determination, methods forself-sufficiencythrough assets and a land base, and the unification of all [N]ative Hawaiian people.'" - 0ffice of Hawaiian Affairs Chairman Robert K. Lindsey Jr. ■