Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 7, 1 July 2004 — The difference between the OHA Hawaiian Registry and Kau Inoa [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The difference between the OHA Hawaiian Registry and Kau Inoa

Aloha. What is the difference between the Hawaiian Registry and the Kau Inoa Programs? Don't try to mix the subjects together. So there are four subjects I need to mention. 1) It is clear that the Hawaiian Registry is an OHA function whose purpose is to identify Hawaiians with Hawaiian lineage. It started about two generations ago when the Hawaiian Homes Applicants and waitlisters were having trouble connecting their genealogy to qualify for that program. Over the years, this information has heeome even more valuable to Hawaiian people who are trying to identify themselves. People use this benefit for complex issues that include

medical benefits, educational benefits, legal land issues, missing birth certificates for ancestors who have passed on, etc. There is no blood quantum, it is a confidential process and the identification card has the cardholders' pieture on the card. Free. This is not a political issue. It gets really fuzzy with the Kau Inoa program because we are told it is not an OHA function. Many of you know that OHA takes this program application to all of their Hawaiian governance meetings; but not necessarily the Hawaiian Registry. What's up with that? 2) OHA is willing to go to all of your community meetings and family gatherings and educate Hawaiians

about the issue of Hawaiian governanee. People! Hawaiian governance is a historical event — an important issue — and whether you agree or not, or don't know — I encourage you to find out. We are spending big bucks to get Hawaiians together. How many times have we heard the kūpuna say, "Why can't the Hawaiians get together?" Let them fight, yell, talk. This process is supposed to do that. You know a better way? Let us know. This is not an OHA function. This is a politieal Hawaiian self-determination process. OHA's role is to assist, financially and clerically. There have been meetings in the past that have failed for whatever reasons; hopefully this will be the last. Let's get it right.

3) The Akaka Bill. It is still important because many legal issues keep trying to impact our current benefits. The confusion comes with one section of this bill that requires Hawaiian who want to participate in building a Hawaiian nation to enroll (or register, register on a roll, sign up-la, la). Okay, I think I got all the terminology flying around in the correct order. 4) The Kau Inoa is handled by Hawaii'i Maoli ine.; a nonprofit organization. This is in line with self-deter-mination. OHA has been criticized by Hawaiians as being part of the government, so we are trying to find ways to let Hawaiians do what they gotta do. If you want answers, its fuzzy who to eall. Aloha nō. ■

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Linda Dela Cruz Trustee, Hawai'i