Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 1, 1 January 2020 — Resolution Calling for DHHL to Consult with NH Beneficiaries [ARTICLE]

Resolution Calling for DHHL to Consult with NH Beneficiaries

On December 4th the Honolulu City Council approved a resolution authored by Councilwoman Heidi Tsuneyoshi calling for consultation with Native Hawaiian beneficiaries before the federal Secretary of the Interior takes any final action on DHHL and the City's request to exchange 50 acres of city land for 50 acres of Hawaiian Homelands that were used to build the rail. A decade ago, DHHL and the City agreed to the land exchange. A major eoneem, according to Robin Puanani Danner, Homestead Community Development Corporation CEO, is that 50 acres for 50 acres is not necessarily a "value for value trade." A 1995 federal law prohibits DHHL from selling or exchanging trust lands without the oversight and consent of the Department of the Interior. Tsuneyoshi is the first Native Hawaiian woman to serve on the Honolulu city Council.B