Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 1, Number 1, 1 October 1980 — A Positive Step Forward [ARTICLE]

A Positive Step Forward

On November 4, when OHA officially becomes operational, the nine Trustees will be given the reins of leadership for nearly 400.000 Hawaiians throughout the world. These Trustees, in effect, will have the power to determine the destiny of all Hawaiians as an ethnic group. The basic powers assigned to the Tmstees through the 1978 Constitutional Convention and further through the implementing provisions of the 1 979 and 1 980 State Legislature were designed to give the Trustees maximum flexibility in their own decision-making process. Their main purpose will be for the "betterment of the conditions of all Hawaiians." Principally these conditions ean be separated into five equal-priority parts: 1 . Eeonomieal conditions 2. Political conditions 3. Educational conditions 4. Sociological conditions 5. Cultural, history and language conditions No doubt that the T rustees will be hard pressed to imple-

ment new programs for Hawaiians; to evaluate existingprograms and policies of other agencies impacting on Hawaiians; to apply for, receive, and disburse grants and donations; and to serve as a receptacle for possible reparations. Needless to say, with all of these duties and responsibilities, it is absolutely crucial that the Tmstees be eompletely insulated from extemal influences — that is, influences that are not Hawaiian in nature, thereby maximizing its efforts to deliver all its monies, influence, and programs to the Hawaiian community. The designers of OHA took careful aim at these extemal forces and eliminated them from the statutory language. OHA's Board is elected and not appointed— therefore there is no obligation to the Executive Branch of State Govemment OHA's basic funding is derived from the 1959 Ceded Land Trust and is automatically funded to OHA eaeh year — therefore there is no obligations to the Legislative Branch conceming trust funds. (Continued on page 3, eol. 1)

OHA'S INDEPENDENCE:

A Positive Step Forward

Continued from page 2 OHA's ability under certain circumstanees to def>osit its monies in the Ban'k ofitsdhoie8 give's ifthe ihdependence to shop for its own banker. OHA's ability to choose its own attorneys to represent it as an entity in legal action gives fiexibility within the Judicial system. OHA's staff and employees will not be Civil Service rated. but they will receive the same benefits. The Administrator will have maximum flexibility to hire high-quality personnel for both long- and short-range projects. OHA's staff will not be unionized — therefore eliminating the possibility of that type of pressure that may be contra to OHA's policies and programs. Additionally with its own funding, OHA's staff may be paid on a level commensurate with private enterprise. It must be remembered that OHA's primary obligation is to the people ofthe Hawaiian community, whereverthey are, through the elective process. This independence has been most carefully inserted in the constitutional and statutory language of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to guarantee that its resources, policies, programs, and personnel are carefully protected and handled by its own people.