Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 12, 1 December 1992 — Keale and Akaka re-elected [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Keale and Akaka re-elected

Kealoha, Kamali'i win seats on OHA board

by Deborah Lee Ward This month two newcomers to the OHA board of tmstees will ioin two

re-elected tmstees and the five other incumbents to take the oath of office on Dec. 1, and participate in investiture ceremonies Dec. 4 at Kawaiaha'o Church. There were

68,180 voters registered in the OHA eleehon, and 74.9 percent, or 51,029, turned out on Nov. 3 to elect these candidates to four-year terms: Kina'u Boyd Kamali'i (at-large); Samuel Lyons Kealoha, Jr. (Moloka'i & Lāna'i); Moanike'ala Akaka (Hawai'i island) and Moses Keale, Sr. (Kaua'i). Akaka will begin her third term, and Keale his fourth. OHA tmstees serve staggered four-year terms. Work ahead for the new board will be: reorganization of the board, preparation of a legislative package including a biennium budget for fiscal year

1993-95, and continuation of OHA's initiatives at the county, state and federal levels. This includes, among other matters, seeking county property tax relief for Hawaiian homesteaders, revenues from the ceded land tmst to fund OHA programs, and pursuit of legislation and funding from

Congress for Native Hawaiian programs. Newcomers Kamali'i and Kealoha eaeh faced stiff eōmpetition in their respective races. Kamali'i ran against seven other candidates,

including incumbent Moloka'i tmstee Louis Hao, who was seeking the atlarge seat being vacated by retiring tmstee Thomas Kaulukukui. Kealoha ran in a field ol six candidates from Moloka'i, most of whom are Hawaiian homesteaders and active in a range of community organizations. New trustee Kamali'i is administra-

tor of the state Health Planning and Development Agency. Her experience with both state and federal government includes 10 years as an elected state representative, and she was the presidentially-appointed chair of the Native Hawaiians Study Commission whieh studied the culture, needs and concerns of native Hawaiians. Kamali'i was a co-author of the dissentine minoritv reDort of the eom-

mission. This report disputed the administrationinfluenced majority report whieh argued that the U.S. had no legal or moral responsibility or blame for the actions of American officials in the overthrow of

the Hawaiian kingdom. Kamali'i has also had a long involvement with Hawaiian eommunity organizations including the Prince Kūhiō Hawaiian Civic Club, continued on page 2

Samuel Kealoha

Kina'u Boyd Kamali'i

Moanike'ala Akaka

Elections: Kamali'i, Kealoha join OHA board

from page 1 'Ahahui Ka'ahumanu and Hale O Na Ali'i. She is a member of the OHA Native Hawaiian Historic Preservation Council. Representing the islands of Moloka'i and Lāna'i will be new trustee Samuel Lyons Kealoha, Jr. Kealoha, a taro farmer at Ka'amola, Moloka'i and a homesteader, has been active in the native Hawaiian movement since 1974. He was arrested and jailed for trespassing on Kaho'olawe in 1976 and sought refuge from federal court jurisdiction at the Pu'uhonua

O Hōnaunau. He was a delegate to the first constitutional convention of Ka Lāhui Hawai'i in 1987 and continues to be active as a citizen. Kealoha is a Vietnam veteran, and is president of Moloka'i iee House, a fishery cooperative. He has been involved with the Moloka'i chamber of commerce, Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and Eastend Taro Association. While Kealoha said he didn't expect to be elected trustee, he said, "It looks

like this is the will of the people." He received the third-highest number of votes of candidates elected. Big Island trustee Moanike'ala Akaka has been involved in native Hawaiian struggles and issues for more than two decades. She has been an outspoken advocate of grassroots activism in all areas, including the impact of resort development and geothermal energy on Hawaii's environment and native people. She is chair of the OHA committee on heahh and human services and vicechair of the committee on eeonomie development and land. She is also a member of the committee on entitlements. Kaua'i island trustee Moses K. Keale, Sr. is an Anahola homesteader and the only board member who has served as trustee since OHA's beginning. Keale has been chairman of the board twice. He is chairman of the OHA committee on education and culture and vice-chair of the committee on heahh and human services. He is also a member of the committees on legislative review and OHA relations.

OHA eiection results At-large Kamali'i, Kina'u Boyd 16,467 Hao, Louis 14,340 Gill, Kawehi 6,185 De Fries, Artha 3.037 Pelekai, Edward 2,709 Pa, Chauncey 2,221 Poohina, Eric 1,124 Sabey, John 726 Moloka'i Keāloha, Samuel L. Jr. 16,727 Purdy, Harry 9,998 Ragsdale, Walter 5,419 Kahae, Martin 4,622 Grambusch, Liko 3,984 Aleain, Bobby 2,889 Kaua'i Keale,Moses 34,070 Pomroy, Sharon 11,327 Big Island Akaka, Moanike'ala 27,295 Ross, Lili'uokalani 9,916 Keanaaina, Marcel 8,442 1992 registered voters: 68,122 1992 voter turnout: 51,029