Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 35, Number 7, 1 July 2018 — Office of Hawaiian Affairs [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Office of Hawaiian Affairs

Maui Question 1 How will your skills anel experiences enhanee the policymaking role of the OHA Board of Trustees? Question 2 As a trustee how would you fulfill your fiduciary duties and defend OHA's constitutional and statutory obligations to ensure OHA's trust resources are specifically expended to benefit Native Hawaiians? Question 3 OHA's 2010-2018 Strategic Plan outlines six strategic priorities to improve the conditions of Native Hawaiians. As this plan comes to a close, what strategic priorities would you suggest be the focus of OHA's next Strategic Plan and why?

KAPU, KE'EAUMOKU NPS Age: 55 © kapukapuakeaia)gmail.com © None © Cultural Coordinator for Na'aikane o Maui Cultural Center, Lahaina

1. I have been a strong advocate to Native Hawaiian entitlements while serving on boards and eommissions for over 16 plus years in understanding

first of all our constitutional rights under article 12 section 7. County HRS 343 rules the States protection of historic properties under HRS 6E HAR 13-300, and by being at the forefront of every issue that comes to the table for discussion and to assure there is accountability when advocating for every and all problematic situation for Native Hawaiians. Our cultural integrity, customary practices and the protection and preservation of our historical sacred sites and especially the respect for our burials that are being disturbed and are not being clearly addressed. 2. I believe as a trustee we need to first understand our source of authority and power to govern our selves and demonstrate our resolve through unity and clarity of purpose in serving the interest of our people here in Hawaii. We need to empowei' our communities so they become the decision makers in carving out our rightful plaee here in Hawaii through the legislative body of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. 3. By providing the necessary tools to our Native Hawaiian stake holders that way they become empowered when it comes to understanding our rights and responsibilities to our resources. To show them ways of taking ownership as was during the Mahele and assuring that we no longer accept status quo in our efforts to achieve self reliance, eultural integrity, eeonomie viability and organizational reliability. I am very confident that by having the necessary leadership and the right human resource capacity to make measured progress we ean start serving our beneficiaries with the tools they will need to find success, and if elected I will make it my priority to get it done.

1. The experi- | encelhavegained serving as the Maui Trustee for the past six years has definitely given me the skills to continue serving in a policymaking role on

the OHA Board of Tmstees. I have seen our successes and our weaknesses. As the Chairperson of the Resource Management Committee, I have initiated an "intemal" audit by an "extemal auditor" for OHA, focusing on fraud, waste and abuse. This audit was approved in Febmary 2017 by the Board of Tmstees and would examine activities and disbursements of our people's tmst assets. 2 . 1 would do what I have been doing — asking a lot of questions and initiating policy changes to strengthen our agency so we ean fulfill our nrandate to improve tlie conditions of our beneficiaties. We must also be fair in our dealings and be more accountable and transparent to iegain the tmst of our beneficiaries. Tmstees must support and work with the State Auditor for complete disclosure of all information, fiscal and programmatic. Tlte Board of Tmstees have begun implementing the Audit recommendations, giving priority to aieas where there was inadequate oversight of fiscal allocations. 3. A recent survey of our beneficiaries indicated tliat they believe our Strategic Plan should mainly focus on bread and butter issues — housing, employment, health (drug abuse), and education. Our people need decent work in order to purchase a home and afford a mortgage. Govemment must be innovative and involved in constructing affordable housing. The average person does not eam $39 an hour, whieh is the ineome one must eam to qualify for a home that is categorized as affordable today in Hawaii. We must provide OHA funds to create programs that will help our people that are drug users so that they ean become functioning adults in our communities. Our children need to be protected from dmg dealers that attempt to exploit them. Finally, no student should be denied the oppoitunity for higher education. OHA needs to continue the education grants and increase the amount invested in our young people as we decrease the costs of our operations.