Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 12, 1 December 2004 — Credibility of Hawaiian governing entity rests on the strength of enrollment: Kau Inoa [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Credibility of Hawaiian governing entity rests on the strength of enrollment: Kau Inoa

Aloha nui kākou e nā 'ōiwi 'ōlino, nā pulapula a Hāloa, mai Hawai'i a Ni'ihau, a puni ke ao mālamalama. As this December issue of Ka Wai Ola is the last for the year 2004, I want to say mahalo for your prayers of support and words of encouragement. There are certain Native Hawaiian policy initiatives launched and concluded in 2004. There are several more that flowed from 2003 into 2004, a few of whieh may be concluded in 2005. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees on Nov. 1 approved a replacement budget for FY 04-05 (July 2004-June 2005). This approved budget includes a multi-million dollar increase for awards to community grants. There is a community grants application packet available to prospective applicants and there is a prescribed process for applications, inclusive of the requirement is that the purpose falls within the priority areas of the OHA strategic plan. Such a community grants

program allows the community organization or community group to identify the need, the options to address the need, alone or in partnership with others, to serve Native Hawaiians at a community level. The community is empowered to act while concurrently being accountable to performance and outcome in the implementation. A stronger, responsible, accountable Native Hawaiian community is a fundamental precept for building a principled and successful Native Hawaiian governing entity, one of the unfinished initiatives going into 2005. In this trustee eolumn, as in last month's, I encourage you who are Native Hawaiian to enroll and be registered to participate in organizing the Native Hawaiian governing entity. For those of you with internet access, go to www.oha.org, select the Kau Inoa ieon, eliek on the registration form and information, print out the Kau Inoa form, fill it out and mail to Hawai'i Maoli ine. Get your children, mo'opuna and 'ohana to do the same. This is a

registry for all Native Hawaiians, whether you live in Hawai'i or away from Hawai'i. It is an enrollment for all, whether you support the status quo, independence, kingdom or nation within a nation form of governance. Building Native Hawaiian governance is a process in whieh all Native Hawaiians must participate. One hundred twelve years ago, Hawaiian Governance was snatched from unwilling hands who raised signatures and voices of protest. Now, when given the opportunity to participate and voice our mana'o, let us Native Hawaiians everywhere sign up, participate, voice our mana'o, serve as delegates. If one stays silent this time, we will fail our ancestors and our elders who preceded us, who tried but were unahle to stem the tide. The Native Hawaiian governance process will proceed forward, the quality and credibility of the process will rise or fall on the strength of the enrollment, the registration. It is from the enrollment that will emerge those who

will vote for delegates as well as those who will run for delegates. These elected delegates are responsible to develop options of governanee models that they must take back to those on the enrollment for approval or amendment before the structure of the Native Hawaiian governing entity is finalized. The first step in our Native Hawaiian governance process begins with our enrollment. The first substantive measure for the long-term quality and success of our process begins with our enrollment. The first credible manifestation that Native Hawaiians are serious about reconciling the wrongs of the past begins with our enrollment. Let us get on with the work for Native Hawaiians that lies ahead in 2005. Put Kau Inoa, enrollment at the top of your list of tasks to complete before Dec. 31, 2004. 'O ke Akua pū me 'oukou me ka maluhia i kēia kau Kalikimaka. 1/48 ■

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Haunani Apoliona, MSW Trustee, At-large