Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 12, 1 December 2016 — E Hana Kākou [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

E Hana Kākou

am humbled to have been chosen by the people of Hawai'i to take on the role of OHA Trustee-at-Larae. This

awesome responsibility is made even more so because I must step into the shoes of Trustee Haunani Apoliona, who is an outstanding steward of Hawaiian values and a dedicated public servant. I want to thank Trustee Apoliona for her tireless years of service to the people of Hawai'i, and I weleome her ongoing input on the advancement of Native Hawaiians. We eonhnue to need you, Trustee Apoliona. The 73 percent of all voters who participated in the Trustee-at-Large election this year is

unprecedented, demonstrating that OHA is relevant and of eoneem to the entire eommunity. To all voters, I say mahalo. And I eommk myself to be accountable to you. Please allow me to share my heart, and communicate my position on several issues important to the Hawaiian people. First of all, I promote the great Hawaiian value of Aloha, whieh unites all people as expressed in the 1840 Hawaiian Kingdom Constitution: " 'God hath made of one blood (koko) all nations of men to dwell on the earth,' in unity and blessedness." Therefore, I seek harmony between being Hawaiian and being American. I am proud to be Hawaiian and proud to be American. At the same time, I amabsolutely commit-

ted to the advancement of Native Hawaiians and will work to uphold the legal status of Hawaiian assets for Hawaiian ben-

eficiaries. I have fought to protect the foundational Hawaiian entitlements as secured by law, including the Hawaiian Homelands and the Ceded Lands trusts. I affirm the rights of Hawaiian beneficiaries and believe we should not take assets away from Hawaiians. I also affirm the private property rights of the Ali'i trusts, such as the Kamehameha Schools, to fulfill the wills of their benefactors. I am, after all, a proud alumnus of Kamehameha Schools as are my four children. And for my fellow Kanaka Maoli who seek various

models of self-determinism, I affirm their First Amendment right to advocate for independence or nationhood. I consider it a sacred responsibility to serve in OHA, and I will work with my fellow trustees to build a strong, transparent and effective OHA that empowers the quality of life of present and future generations of Hawaiians. As trustees, we must protect and grow the assets of OHA in order to meet the real needs of Hawaiians for housing, jobs, education, and healthcare, as well as for eeonomie empowerment. I ask for your help and prayers in the spirit of"E Hana Kākou" (Let's work together!) to meet the needs of OHA's beneficiaries. ■

j LEO 'ELELE ^ > TRUSTEE MESSSAGES /

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Keli'i Akina, Ph.D. TrustEE, At-largE