Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 12, 1 December 2016 — MELODY KAPILIALOHA MACKENZIE KNOWING OUR RIGHTS HELPS US MOVE FORWARD WITH A COMMON UNDERSTANDING [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MELODY KAPILIALOHA MACKENZIE KNOWING OUR RIGHTS HELPS US MOVE FORWARD WITH A COMMON UNDERSTANDING

"UNDERSTANDING OUR RIGHTS IS IMPORTANT, so that we know we have options," explains Melody Kapilialoha MacKenzie, professor, editor, and director of Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law and the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. "We need to understand our histories, how our self-determination has been suppressed. There are possibilities to interact with other peoples and nations. Consequently, we need to be educated about eaeh of our possible paths forward. "These decisions affect not just Native Hawaiians but all Hawai'i." In addition to her work at the center, MacKenzie recently edited Native Hawaiian Law: A Treatise, an update ofthe1991 Native Hawaiian Rights Handbook. She began work on the treatise in 2000, and "one of the reasons it has taken so long to publish is that there has been a sea change, internationally, in the way governments view indigenous rights," she notes. "Our claims are being taken more seriously, especially in relation to traditional and customary practices, land ownership, and natural and cultural resources." Coupled with this global change of perspective is the work Hawaiians have been doing on their own. She spent mueh of February at the Native Hawaiian 'Aha, "observing what was going on and acting as a resource when asked" as participants crafted a Native Hawaiian Constitution. "There were so many obstacles to overcome in the process, and so many different perspectives-but the participants still had respect and aloha for eaeh other's positions. "Going forward, I hope we ean maintain that level of respect and aloha," MacKenzie says. "More important than a particular form of governance structure is the ability to give aloha and respect-and go forward together as a people."

GOVERNANACE & EDUCATION