Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 13, Number 4, 1 April 1996 — OHA Board Business [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA Board Business

Na Kuleana a ka Papa Kahu Waiwai

By Deborah Ward Acting Public Information Officer

February 15, 1996 The Board of Trustees met at OHA's Honolulu offiee. All trustees were present. After approval of the agenda was amended, receipt of the correspondence report from the Chairman and the Administrator's report, and hearing community concerns, the board considered the following business matters: Hawaiian Sovereignty Elections Council funding Following considerable community testimony both in opposition to, and in support for funding of the HSEC, the board voted, 5 ayes, 3 noes, 1 abstention, lo approve for release an amounī not to exceed $350,000 to pay for two technical contracts: one for registration, process and mailing, and another for ballot stuffing, mailing and counting of ballots in the Native Hawaiian Vote this summer. The monies are coming from trust funds previously appropriated by the board that were frozen by the governor in the 1995 fiscal year. Legal services to Legislative Review committee The board voted, 6 ayes and 3 noes, to appropriate up to $10,000 in trust funds to engage attorney Jon Van Dyke as a legai consultant to assist the Legislative Review Committee in its legislative efforts to protect and maintain OHA's revenue stream. DLNR 'iao Valley signage project The board voted, 6 ayes and 3 noes, to approve up to $4,734 to assist the state Dcpartment of Land and Natural Resources with a project to plaee interpretive signs on cultural and natural history in 'īao Valley, Maui. Hawaiian Home Lands Action Network grant The board voted, 5 ayes and 4 noes, to approve $12,379 for a grant request from Hawaiian Home Lands Aetion Network to present workshops for DHHL lessees on how to pre-qualify for residential and farm !oans, and on self-help housing. Cortez v. OHA The board voted, 5 ayes, 4 noes, to accept the recommendation proposed by legal counsel to continue the process of conciliation and to re-extend its last offer. March 14, 1996 The Board of Trustees met at OHA's Honolulu offtce. Trustees Hee, Akaka, Beamer, DeSoto, Kamali'i, Keale and Kealoha were present. Trustees Aiona and Akana were excused. After approval of the agenda as amended, receipt of Ihe correspondence report from the Chairman and the Administrator's report, and hearing community concerns, the board considered the following business matters: OHA v. HFDC case The board voted, 6 ayes, 1 no, to adopt a resolution to acknowledge the significance of the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai'i and the Apology Bill, Sen. Joint Resolution 19 (1993), and the signing of the Apology Bill by the President of the United States. The board, as the only duly elected representative of the Hawaiian people, adopted the resolulion to underscore the significance of these historieal events in support of its position in its suit opposing sale of ceded lands by the state. The State of Hawai'i through its attorney general has denied the admission and findings of fact set forth in the Apology Bill. Nominees for Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund advisory board ofdirectors and loan committee The board voted, 7 ayes, to approve the nomination of Momi Cazimero, Corbett Kalama, Kathy Alama and Jackie Mahi Erickson to serve on the advisory board of the Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund; and the nomination of Roland Watanabe and Randall Matsumoto to serve on the NHRLF loan committee. Volcano Circus funding The board voted, 7 ayes, to approve a funding grant request of $8,900 from trust funds for Hawai'i's Volcano Circus to conduct a weekly after-school program for children in the Keaukaha and Pana'ewa native Hawaiian communities, where recreational opportunities are presently limited. Keaukaha Elementary School funding The board voted, 7 ayes, to approve a request for $40,000 in trust funds from Keaukaha Elementary School for travel expenses of 41 continued page 18

Board Business from page 16 fifth and sixth grade classes going on an educational tour of the Eastern United Slates. These funds will be matched by $43,000 raised by the school and students. OHA DownpaymentlHome Improvement Loan The board voted, 7 ayes, to authorize First Hawaiian Bank to make an exception in processing a loan application of $33,360 from Samuelyn Gaison, a Hawaiian Homes lessee who participated in the Keaukaha-Waiakea self-help housing project, through OHA's Hawaiian Homesteader Home lmprovement Loan Program. The loan is needed to construct a new house to replace her original self-help house in Keaukaha. Fundingfor publication of "Hoaloha O Keauhou" by Lily Kong A motion was defeated, 4 ayes, 3 noes, to approve a $6,045 funding request by Lily Hong to cover transcript preparation costs for the publieauon of "Nā Hoaloha O Keauhou," a history of the families of Kona, Hawai'i. Resolution requesting DLNR to withdraw its eviction noliee to the Pai family The board voted, 7 ayes, to approve a letter requesting the Department of Land and Natural Resources to withdraw its eviction notice to the Pai family in 'Ai 'Opio, North Kona, island of Hawai'i. By taking this action, the board has agreed to support the Pai 'Ohana in its efforts to assert its traditional and cultural right to occupy and use the land whieh it has occupied for nine generations.