12/21/2003

State of OHA address

State of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Address

by Trustee Haunani Apoliona

Chairperson, Board of Trustees

Kawaiahao Church

Wednesday, December 17, 2003

10:00 a.m.

On Dec. 17, OHA Chairperson Haunani Apoliona delivered the first-ever State of OHA address at Kawaiahao Church. As part of a service conducted by the Rev. Kaleo Patterson, Apoliona addressed an audience of community leaders, including Reps. Neil Abercombie and Ed Case, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands Director Micah Kane, and members of a broad range of Hawaiian organizations and benevolent societies.

Speaking at the close of what has been a very eventful year for OHA and the Hawaiian community at large, Apoliona covered the many strides that have been made, and the challenges that have had to be faced, in 2003--particularly on the issues of federal recognition and Hawaiian governance. She also laid out the agency’s goals and commitments as it moves forward into a new and even more critical year.

What follows is the full version of the Chairperson’s address, a text of which was distributed to the audience at the service. In the interest of time, Apoliona summarized some portions of this text in her actual spoken address.

I. Greeting & introduction

E na ‘oiwi ‘olino mai Hawai‘i a Ni‘ihau a puni ke ao malamalama, na hulu kupuna, na lei makua a me na maka ‘opiopio, aloha pumehana kakou. ‘Oiai e ku nei kakou ma ka palena lihilihi o keia makahiki, he wa kupono keia e huli a e ho‘omana‘o aku ai i na hana a me na mea maika‘i he nui i loa‘a mai ia kakou, ke kaiaulu Hawai‘i. No ke ke‘ena kuleana Hawai‘i, he makahiki keia i piha pu ‘ia me na hana ko‘iko‘i a me na hanana like ‘ole.

To you, the Native Hawaiians who seek wisdom and value knowledge and education, from Hawaii to Niihau and throughout this brilliant world – to our beloved elders, our respected parents and bright-eyed youth, a warm aloha to you all.

As we stand here at the fringe of 2003, it is a fitting time to turn back and reflect on the many endeavors of the year and recount the many good things as well as the challenges we faced head on. For the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, this has been a year of daunting tasks as well as a myriad of productive activities.

Today, OHA initiates a different way to communicate with our beneficiaries and the general public. On behalf of the OHA Board of Trustees, administrator, our staff and hundreds of volunteers, I am pleased to present this message to the community.

Similar to the governor’s "State of the State" and the president’s "State of the Union" messages, we will highlight what has been accomplished in the past year, not just by OHA, but by the Hawaiian community as a whole, which will necessarily include many other Hawaiian organizations and political groups who advocate for the Hawaiian people. We will talk about where Hawaiians stand today and where we, as a group, need to go. With that said, today, we have much to report.

II. Defense of Hawaiian rights

A. Legal attacks

In the past year, we witnessed attacks on Native Hawaiian rights like no other period since the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy over one hundred years ago. At no other time have Hawaiians faced attempts to dismantle the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, the Kamehameha Schools, the Queen Liliuokalani Trust, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

These legal attacks were not just against OHA, they were broad-based. In the Arakaki v. Lingle case, sixteen plaintiffs seek to stop all public funds to OHA and to eventually take back the 200,000 acres of land held by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. In the Doe v. Kamehameha Schools and Mohica-Cummings v. Kamehameha Schools cases, plaintiffs have sought to force Kamehameha to admit non-Hawaiian children, destroying the intent of founder Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop and the hopes of the Hawaiian community.

At the Honolulu City Council level, the Queen Liliuokalani Trust was being forced to sell its fee simple interest in the foster tower condominium, property whose income affects the lives of over 9,000 children. Kamehameha Schools suffered the impact of forced sale of its Kahala property.

These attacks were alarming to the Native Hawaiian community. At the core, institutions that helped define us as a people, institutions important to our sense of well-being, institutions that serve Hawaiian ohana were in danger of being shut down or redefined by others.

It is clear the long-term goal of most of the proponents of these lawsuits and legislative actions is to dismantle all rights Hawaiians had worked for many years to obtain. These attacks are made under the guise of innocent sounding names like "Color Blind America", "Aloha for All" and other euphemisms. Fundamentally, these attacks reinforce the need for Hawaiians to be alert, to react responsibly and to assert our rights for survival.

B. Response

1. Reactive response

Let me recount the ways that OHA, DHHL and other Hawaiian organizations and individuals have responded to lawsuits and asserted " judicial resolve" and "political activism" during this year.

We have challenged the lawsuits by putting in place legal teams to defend the right of Hawaiians to benefit from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, an entity established by our state Constitution, to defend through DHHL, established by federal law and State Constitution, the right for Hawaiians to benefit from homestead leases and the right to pass such leases to children and heirs.

Since the dawn of this year, OHA has engaged in "political activism". In January, we organized a rally with over one thousand Hawaiians, with kamaaina and malihini, who marched at the state capitol on opening day of the state Legislature. Participants included the University of Hawaii center for Hawaiian Studies, several Hawaiian charter schools, Hawaiian benevolent societies, the Ilioulaokalani Coalition, the State Council for Hawaiian Homestead Associations (SCHHA), Hui Kakoo, the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs and many other organizations.

In February, OHA established a Washington, D.C., Bureau, in the United States capitol, which is staffed by longtime OHA employee Martha Ross. This office consistently provides Congress and the administration information on issues important to Native Hawaiians and continues to gather support for Native Hawaiians from American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and minority and human and civil rights organizations.

Later in February, OHA joined the Queen Liliuokalani Trust and hundreds in our community to oppose the city’s attempt to force a lease conversion of the Foster Tower condominium. OHA submitted testimony in opposition to the bill and provided mea ai (food) for those who labored to support the trust.

At the state Legislature, OHA argued against last-minute House finance draft changes to SB 1151, which would have severely restricted the amount of revenue OHA would obtain from ceded lands. Hundreds of written testimony in opposition poured into the committee hearing and voices were raised to protest this proposed move.

Also in February, OHA trustees joined governor Linda Lingle in Washington, D.C., to testify at the introduction of the Akaka-Stevens Bill in the senate and encourage its passage. Clearly the senate co-sponsorship support is growing as it is currently the Akaka-Stevens-Reid-Inouye-Hatch-Smith Bill.

In June, OHA trustees and staff traveled to Arizona to propose passage of a 2003 resolution in support of federal recognition by the National Congress of American Indians, the oldest and largest American Indian and Alaska Native organization, representing over 250 member tribes. Trustees also sought support from individual tribes, Arizona leaders and Hawaiian organizations while in Arizona. One of our most formidable opponents to federal recognition has been Arizona Senator Jon Kyl.

In August, OHA and our volunteers gathered more than 25,000 letters in support of federal recognition. 10,000 of the letters were faxed starting at midnight in order to arrive in Washington, D.C., in the offices of congressional members on September 2, Queen Liliuokalani’s birthday. The original copies of the letters were hand-delivered in Washington, D.C., to congressional offices by volunteers from Hawaiian organizations in the D.C./Virginia/Maryland Tri-state area.

In September, members of the Hawaiian benevolent societies walked the halls of Congress in full regalia to talk with senators about the Hawaiian recognition bill. The society leaders who traveled to Washington, D.C., represented the Royal Order of Kamehameha, Ahahui Kaahumanu, Hale o Na Alii o Hawaii and Mamakakaua (Daughters & Sons of Hawaiian Warriors).

A week later, OHA joined with the Kamehameha Schools, the Ilioulaokalani Coalition, charter schools, alii trusts, commissioners and state legislators in the Ku i ka Pono march down Kalakaua Avenue. Over eight thousand Hawaiians, kamaaina and malihini, marched through Waikiki in red shirts, and at the head of the march were Governor Linda Lingle and Lt. Governor Duke Aiona. At the conclusion of the march in Kapiolani Park, we gathered for a day of family and education, Hooulu Lahui Aloha no na Keiki.

By September, the appeals for support from Indian tribes and other organizations brought in a flood of letters and resolutions in support of federal recognition for Native Hawaiians. In addition to the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), we received resolutions or letters of support from the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN), the Governors Interstate Indian Council, and the National Indian Education Association.

In October OHA representation attended the annual meeting of Alaska Natives in anchorage and OHA’s Board of Trustees transmitted its resolution of recognition and mahalo to the board of AFN.

In November, trustees traveled to New Mexico to support the National Congress of American Indians and to extend the reach for continuing support of Native Hawaiian recognition. OHA’s Board of Trustees also transmitted a resolution of recognition and mahalo to the board of NCAI.

By November, we had also received support for federal recognition for Native Hawaiians from 17 national and regional organizations, including: the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Japanese American Citizens League (national), The National Organization of Pacific Islanders in America, the National Asian Pacific Legal Consortium, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Organization of Chinese Americans and the Leadership Conference on Civil rights.

Federal recognition is supported by our entire congressional delegation (Sen. Inouye, Sen. Akaka, Rep. Abercrombie, and Rep. Case); Eni Faleomavaega, the congressional delegate from American Samoa; Howard Dean, Democratic candidate for president; and recent Republican co-sponsors Senators Orrin Hatch and Gordon Smith.

The message OHA and the Hawaiian community have sent is: "Hawaiians intend to stand up to all challenges and legal attacks on Native Hawaiian rights, trusts, and self-determination. We will mobilize and respond."

2. Proactive response

This year, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs tried to broaden awareness of issues facing the Hawaiian community by reaching out to different sectors of our local community. In addition to educational outreach, our goal was to engage in discussion and continuing dialogue.

To that end, we held five community meetings in Waialua, Waimanalo, central Honolulu, Hilo, and Kona. In addition we held more than 60 halawai, small gatherings for groups like civic clubs, neighborhood boards, Rotary clubs, business organizations, college classes, social service agencies and individual ohana, reaching more than 2,000 people in small, talk-story sessions on all six major islands.

Our outreach also extended to Hawaiians in other states. Out of the 401,000 Hawaiians identified in the 2000 U.S. Census, 162,000 live in other states. That is 40 percent of the Native Hawaiian population. More than half of these Hawaiians, 88,000, live in the western states. To reach these Hawaiians, OHA went, in August to E Hula Mau in Long Beach, California; to the Las Vegas Hoolaulea in September; and to Ia Oe e ka La in northern California in October. At these events, we connected with several hundred Hawaiians and got them signed on to the Hawaiian Registry, and obtained another thousand letters in support of federal recognition.

In November, halawai were conducted in both Arizona and Florida on Hawaiian governance and federal recognition. OHA also did outreach on the East Coast: In march, OHA partnered with the National Congress of American Indians and the Alaska Federation of Natives, along with the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA), in a "best practices" indigenous forum held in Washington, D.C.; in June, OHA participated in the Hawaii State Society Kamehameha lei draping ceremony and annual Hawaii State Society luau in Washington; in September, OHA held three halawai in the D.C. Tri-state area; in November, with the active support of Hawaiian educators present, OHA obtained a resolution in support of federal recognition from the National Indian Education Association meeting in North Carolina, which was attended by several Hawaiian educators and 2,300 Native American educators.

OHA’s position has never been that federal recognition is the only option for Native Hawaiians. To that end, this year, OHA supported various independence-oriented groups, including the Living Nation, by helping to fund their event in January and the Nation of Hawaii in Waimanalo, by providing mea ai (food) for an event in January. These groups are strong supporters of independence.

And OHA has also assisted: the Native Hawaiian Convention, in August, by sponsoring the cost of their neighbor island and moku kamaaina (U.S. Continent) delegates to attend the general assembly meeting in Honolulu. This group is examining two models of governance, integration and independence.

In addition, OHA sponsored three round-table discussions filmed by olelo on alternatives to federal recognition and options available to Native Hawaiians under international law. OHA also invited all sovereignty groups to participate in the Hooulu Lahui Aloha no na Keiki day at Kapiolani Park in September. Six groups took advantage of the opportunity to share their message with the several thousand Hawaiians who joined us that day: Living nation, Native Hawaiian Convention, Imua, KAHEA, Ka Lahui and Reinstated Hawaiian Government.

In June, OHA commissioned a survey by Ward Research to find out exactly what the Hawaiian community wants as to federal recognition and whether there is support among non-Hawaiians for federal recognition. More than 600 people were interviewed, and we learned that 86% of Hawaiians and 78% of non-Hawaiians support federal recognition. This showed resounding support for federal recognition.

In order to educate the community on Hawaiian issues, OHA hosted a panel to address Hawaiian governance at the 2nd annual Native Hawaiian Conference, organized by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. OHA also reactivated the website: NativeHawaiians.com to hold articles and commentary on federal recognition and how it could impact Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians, and commissioned a videotape, "Hooulu Lahui Aloha" on Hawaiian history, which was produced by Waianae High School’s Searider Productions.

To further community awareness, OHA sponsored a debate on federal recognition at the East-West Center in August. Arguing on the side in favor of federal recognition were former state Supreme Court Justice Robert Klein, now counsel to OHA’s Board of Trustees, and retired judge and OHA Trustee Boyd P. Mossman. Arguing against federal recognition were attorney and long-time activist Poka Laenui and UH Center for Hawaiian Studies professor Jon Osorio.

In October, the video "Hooulu Lahui Aloha," produced by the Waianae High School Seariders was shown during primetime television on KHON Channel 2. Following the videotape, a panel including the executive director of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, Mahealani Kamauu; attorney Bill Meheula, who is litigating the OHA v. State ceded land case; and myself invited viewers to call in with their questions and comments. We received more than 200 calls and responded to more than 50 questions.

Later in October, OHA extended the message of self-determination to kupuna by hosting a kupuna Sunday lunch at Washington Place. Several trustees spoke that day, explaining the legal and political challenges Hawaiians now face.

To start to identify and encourage potential leaders of the new Hawaiian nation, OHA sponsored its first leadership summit in November at Waimea Falls Park. The goal was to get potential leaders to begin talking about how a nation is formed and what a government would look like. Participants also discussed qualities that sound leadership for the nation should possess. Current sovereignty leaders attended, including Bumpy Kanahele, Soli Niheu, Hooipo Pa, Charles Rose and Palikapu Dedman.

To further broaden awareness of the issues, OHA reached out to keiki through its 2nd annual Na Oiwi Olino poster, essay, and debate competition held earlier this month. Seventeen schools and more than 250 students participated by drawing posters, writing essays and debating federal recognition. They drew and wrote about how the Hawaiian value "malama kekahi i kekahi" would be exemplified by leaders of a Hawaiian nation. The goal with this annual Na Oiwi Olino competition is to keep our opio and keiki constantly aware of the most current issues in Hawaiian governance. As our future leaders, they need to know what issues face the community and the nation that they will one day lead. The winners of the poster, essay and photo essay contests will become a part of the OHA 2004 calendar which will be distributed to state legislators and all members of Congress.

Throughout the year, OHA has been filming roundtable discussions on Olelo to be aired at a future date. Twelve one-hour sessions have been filmed, covering topics such as the history of the Hawaiian sovereignty issue, alternatives to federal recognition, ceded lands, international law, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and Ke Au Hou, a new youth group who have already recruited 1,000 opio to help bring awareness of these issues to other opio.

These are the proactive things OHA did in 2003 to bring awareness to the community and garner support for Hawaiian issues. Through these activities, we sought to bring more people into the hale, so to speak, including widely disparate groups, so that, as a people, we Native Hawaiians can focus on our common vision and move forward as one wherever possible.

C. Future

In terms of the legal attacks, and our reactive and proactive responses, our work is not done. For the future, we must exercise "political activism" and not just save it for election time. As a people, we need to recognize that rights we once thought were safe are at risk. We can no longer assume that issues we thought were resolved are out of harm’s way.

III. OHA’s role in the movement for self-determination

Much of this report, including OHA’s activities in support of federal recognition, brings to the forefront the question, "what is OHA’s role in the movement for Hawaiian self-determination?" We know this is a matter of contention among Hawaiian leaders who strongly support independence.

Today is an excellent time for me to clarify OHA’s position. OHA’s decision to support federal recognition is driven by our desire to protect Native Hawaiian rights, to protect 200,000 acres held by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, to protect approximately $325 million in OHA assets, to protect the right for the alii trusts to hold land in leasehold interest, to protect the right to admit only Hawaiian students to the Kamehameha Schools and to protect Native Hawaiian entitlement programs.

The Board of Trustees views federal recognition as one option available to Native Hawaiians. As part of its fiduciary duty to ensure options are open to beneficiaries, OHA trustees do support the passage of federal recognition. In the process of self-determination, the aha (constitutional convention) that is eventually convened to guide the Hawaiian nation can choose to continue down that road or any other road. It is not for nine trustees to decide. Also, it is not for OHA to preclude any options at this point in time.

We at OHA know that federal recognition is not the end all, be all. We know there are potential pitfalls and problems. We also know that we as a people can better allay problems if we work together, if we kukakuka and collaborate on how best to move forward as a people.

Our vision is that OHA is a transition entity and someday will go away. Contrary to statements made in the community and on the internet, OHA trustees did not support federal recognition for self-preservation of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Federal recognition is being supported for preservation of the assets for the Hawaiian people. After an aha is formed, pursuant to the procedures laid out in the Akaka-Stevens Bill, the aha may decide that some other kind of governing entity is desired. It may be an entity completely unaffiliated with the State of Hawaii government structure. It may have a different name. It may have a different structure for leadership. That is for the Hawaiian people to decide, upon recommendations from the delegates that they elect to the aha.

It is our position at OHA that it is the majority of the Hawaiian people who should decide whether risking these Hawaiian rights is more important than seeking federal recognition. As trustees, we are obligated to keep the option open for all Hawaiian people. We are obligated to give the majority an opportunity to be heard through their participation in the aha and through their voting voice.

It is important to note that there is some urgency. Without federal recognition, there is heightened risk of Hawaiian rights being eroded, one by one, by public policy or through the courts. The fight is not over. The plaintiff in Doe v. Kamehameha Schools intends to appeal. New plaintiffs may be readying their legal briefs as we speak. These attacks will continue until, once and for all, we can establish that Hawaiians are not just a racial minority, but that we are a group with a unique political status that entitles us to a considerable amount of autonomy. We need to be prepared for the continuing fight because any chipping away at one Hawaiian right threatens all Hawaiian rights.

To re-address the question: OHA’s role in Hawaiian self-determination is to give all Hawaiians an opportunity to participate in the discussion and decision, as a group, as to what our political status and future should be.

IV. OHA’s role in the "betterment of conditions of Hawaiians"

When the Office of Hawaiian Affairs was created in 1978, it was tasked with the responsibility for the betterment of conditions of native and Hawaiians. It takes significant funds and resources to address this outcome.

This year the Board of Trustees worked on two ways to increase its financial base. The first was to secure undisputed ceded lands revenues. The second way was to increase OHA’s investment portfolio. In the areas of ceded lands revenues:

On January 16, 2003, the board authorized creation of an Ad Hoc Comiittee on Resolving Issues Related to the Public Land Trust. The purpose of this committee was to review available information, facts and law and outline a strategy for negotiations with the state.

In February 2003, Governor Lingle resumed payment of the undisputed ceded land revenues to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, payments that had been terminated by Governor Cayetano. On April 23, 2003, Governor Lingle signed HB 1307, HD 1, SD 1, which provided for payment of past-due undisputed ceded land revenues due to OHA but stopped by Governor Cayetano. These past due amounts were codified in legislation passed by the state Legislature and signed into law by the governor.

On July 16, 2003, the board authorized creation of a four-member negotiating team for resolving outstanding issues relating to trust. In addition, the board authorized hiring experts to assist with preparation for and during negotiations with the state.

On July 21, 2003, OHA filed a complaint at the First Circuit Court, naming the State of Hawaii as defendant in the case. This action was necessary to protect OHA’s claim to a primary source of funds for Hawaiian programs. OHA contends that in 1997-1998, the state failed to perform its fiduciary duties as trustees of the ceded lands trust. We filed this lawsuit due to an approaching deadline on the statue of limitations.

On December 1, 2003, OHA provided a comprehensive history of act 304 to members of the state House of representatives. OHA has expended resources and significant efforts to ensure OHA is ready to address this important matter.

In increasing OHA’s investment portfolio, the OHA Board of Trustees changed the process to a "manager of managers" investment approach in March. Under this approach, the Native Hawaiian Trust fund grew in market value by 22 percent. Both of the fund managers, Frank Russell and Goldman Sachs, were provided $125 million each to invest. By the end of October, they had increased the portfolio by more than $58 million in seven months.

With the intent of betterment of conditions of Hawaiians, OHA sought to make funds available to community organizations and others working to help Native Hawaiians. This year, OHA provided more than $700,000 in matching funds to Alu Like, Inc., a Hawaiian services agency that has assisted over 100,000 Hawaiians in the areas of employment and job placement, early education, individual development, account and financial literacy programs, Native Hawaiian library, at-risk youth intervention programs and kupuna (elderly) services. Alu Like has earned national recognition in employment and job placement, fisheries observers training programs and the Native Hawaiian Science and Techonology Project in collaboration the Lawrence Livermore Laboratories of California, as well as been successful at re-entry of ex-offenders as successful contributing members of the community in Hawaii.

OHA also helped fund:

● The Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation (NHLC), a non-profit law firm that assists Hawaiians in preserving their kuleana and other ohana lands and water rights. This year, NHLC won a major victory for water rights in East Maui and for site protection at Hokulia on the big island.

● Na Pua Noeau, a program that provides educational opportunities to gifted and talented children.

● The Native Hawaiian diet, a cultural diet aimed at preventing or eliminating obesity and life-threatening diseases among Hawaiians, such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

In addition, OHA approved several million dollars in grants to community organizations. In the area of education, OHA allotted more than $1 million in grants, including:

● $200,000 to the Niihau School of Kekaha;

● $1.5 million to Na Leo Pulama o Maui, Inc. for its Hawaiian language immersion preschool and family language and resource community center;

● $60,000 to the Hawaiian charter school alliance to track improvement of students in Hawaiian charter schools;

● $500,000 to the D.O.E. to assist with Hawaiian language immersion program;

● $61,000 to the university of Hawaii at hilo for their master’s degree program; and

● $305,000 to the University of Hawaii at Manoa Kamakakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, for the development of courses and the inventory of ceded lands.

In the area of housing, the Board of Trustees approved:

● $1.5 million to guarantee Fanniemae loans to Native Hawaiians through First Hawaiian Bank and the Bank of Hawaii;

● More than $50,000 for home ownership and home counseling workshops conducted by three non-profit agencies; and

● Approximately $1.6 million for reinstatement of the homesteader loan program to help homesteaders with down payments, repairs, and new home loans.

In the area of health and human services, OHA:

● Expanded Sage Plus, a program to help kupuna apply for medicare and medicaid;

● Convened the Native Hawaiian Health Task Force to help formulate a health and human services plan for Native Hawaiians.

In the area of cultural preservation and native rights, OHA worked with our partner the Native Hawaiian Historic Preservation Council and:

● Reviewed more than 400 environmental assessments and environmental impact statements;

● Held the 2nd annual Ke Kuleana Pili ka Piko conference, attended by more than 200 practitioners;

● Joined with Hui Malama I Na Kupuna o Hawaii Nei and the Oahu Island Burial Council to secure the repatriation of two iwi poo from the American Museum of Natural History;

● Succeeded in retrieving nine items from Peabody Essex Museum for repatriation to Kanupa cave;

● Allocated $500,000 to the Audubon Society to support cultural preservation and education in Waimea Valley;

● Filed and won a lawsuit against NASA for failure to conduct a full impact study for its telescope development on Mauna Kea. The judge agreed that NASA’s Environmental Assessment was inadequate.

Over the past year, OHA received several letters from Native Hawaiian inmates in Arizona and Oklahoma who were not being allowed to practice their religion and culture. We are proud to report that the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation was successful in getting the Department of Public Safety to allow Native Hawaiian inmates to recognize the makahiki season as a critical tenet of their spiritual needs as Native Hawaiians. The Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation will continue to work toward a uniform and consistent policy that affords inmates the full panoply of religious rights enjoyed by inmates of more established faiths.

OHA maintains its commission membership on the Kahoolawe Island reserve commission and participated in ceremonies marking the return of Kahoolawe to the state, 62 years after the U.S. Government first took the island for use as a military target.

In the area of economic development, OHA:

● Made eight business loans to Hawaiian business, totaling more than $300,000 and creating or sustaining 28 jobs;

● Allotted several small community-based economic development projects for activities such as taro production and fin-fish hatching; and

● Approved $500,000 for a micro-loan program. Under this program, Native Hawaiians undergoing a financial hardship can borrow up to $7,500 for emergencies such as funeral expenses, mortgage payments, auto repairs or emergency medical care.

In addition, OHA keeps informed on issues of concern through its participation on several boards, including:

● Papa Ola Lokahi,

● Legislative hanai advisory task force,

● Department of Hawaiian Home Lands Kauai Island Plan Working Group,

● CBED Statewide Advisory Council,

● Native Hawaiian Education Council,

● Pihana na Mamo Advisory Council for Special Education, and

● Hui Imi Advisory Council

This listing is just a sampling of the many projects that OHA has supported and helped to fund this year. To continue this flow of funds into the community, the Board of Trustees in September approved an annual set-aside of at least 10 percent of the annual budget to grants and programs. Based on OHA’s current budget, this amounts to roughly $1.7 million of grant funds that will go out into the community, for new assistance each year. This does not include the more than $5 million in existing programs for which OHA matches funds or runs directly in-house.

OHA is also implementing steps to better monitor grants and evaluate them as to impact on the community. We will continue to seek collaboration with community groups and assist them with capacity building.

V. OHA and the community

A. Relations with the community

We know OHA’s relationship with the Hawaiian community has, at times, been troublesome. There has been a feeling in the community that OHA has not heard or responded to the Hawaiian community’s needs. This is not the kind of relationship OHA wants to have with the community.

We hope that by doing things differently in recent years, we have been more responsive to the community and those critical feelings have begun to change.

B. Apology and request for forgiveness

If we, as an office, have fallen short in our attempts to respond to our community, if we have hurt people in the process, and if we have failed as an office to rise to our mission, we apologize. We know OHA can do better.

We ask for your forgiveness to mihi, kala and oki. So that we, the Hawaiian people, can move forward unified in our search to find the right path for our people.

We want today to mark a turning point in OHA’s relationship with the Hawaiian community. We ask that the Hawaiian community place its faith in OHA to meet its mission to "better the conditions of native Hawaiians and Hawaiians."

C. Renewal and recommitment

We, the trustees, intend to demonstrate that OHA is worthy of your trust and recommitment. We hope you have seen changes at OHA in recent years, and we commit to you to continue to improve OHA’s outreach and response to the Native Hawaiian community.

We invite the Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian community to join us in this renewal, keeping in mind the vision of the constitutional convention in 1978 when delegates created the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and all voters of the state ratified the constitutional amendment that established OHA.

VI. Moving forward

So where do we go from here?

It is our hope at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, that we, as Hawaiians, can stand together against the legal attacks. We intend to stand together as we look for the right path to self-determination, and we invite all Hawaiians into the hale to discuss, deliberate and decide. As the decisions are made, we will not forget the many non-Hawaiians who now make Hawaii home and are members of our ohana.

Regardless of whether the Akaka-Stevens Bill passes, and we believe it will, the time is now for Native Hawaiians to begin the enrollment process. This is a process whereby all Hawaiians, wherever they may be, in Hawaii or away from our shores, whether incarcerated or living in another country, will have the opportunity to stand up and say "I am Hawaiian" and "I want to be part of the decision-making process." Those who enroll would be notified of the convening of an aha, a constitutional convention. They can choose to run as a delegate, and they will vote for delegates.

Once the delegates are elected, the aha will convene. It is the aha that will deliberate on what the political future of Native Hawaiians will be. The aha will recommend the path for self-determination.

The recommendations of the aha will then be put to the Hawaiian people for ratification. Hawaiians can vote for or against the proposal that the aha puts forth.

Although OHA is funding the enrollment, OHA can not be the sole sponsor or promoter of the enrollment. A coalition of many Hawaiian groups, including the civic clubs, the homestead associations, halau, ohana in and outside Hawaii, traditional practitioners, Hawaiian societies and kupuna organizations, must help to enroll Hawaiians. The enrollment information may likely be held by a neutral entity yet to be determined or formed.

Enrollment kick-off is targeted for January 17, one month from today, in front of Aliiolani Hale, the judiciary building that is fronted by the statue of King Kamehameha. We invite all of you to join us and sign up in this Hawaiian enrollment.

What else lies in our immediate future? We need to stand together in the face of the legal challenges still to come. With ceded lands revenue, we are not yet out of the woods. We will need joint support of the legislative and executive branches of our state government to advance fair and just resolution on this matter.

VII. Closing

I am reminded of a quote shared in opening remarks at Na Oiwi Olino poster, essay, and debate contest held at the east-west center. They are words uttered by Kamehameha the great as he embarked on his historic and difficult journey in establishing a unified Hawaiian nation:

I mua e na pokii a inu i ka wai awaawa. Aohe hope e hoi mai ai.

Let us move forward, my brothers and sisters, and drink of the bitter waters. There is no turning back now. There is no retreat.

We, the Native Hawaiian community, have courageously taken a sip of that bitter water and have stepped forward with spiritual resolve. We must continue to chart the course, accepting our kuleana and place in this struggle to make things right for Native Hawaiians. Where we can, we should step forward together, acknowledging where we have similarities while working through our differences.

Queen Liliuokalani gave us manao by which to move forward. While imprisoned at Iolani palace, she said, "I could not turn back the time for the political change, but there is still time to save our heritage. You must never cease to act because you fear you may fail. The way to lose any earthly kingdom is to be inflexible, intolerant and prejudicial. Another way is to