Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 29, Number 10, 1 October 2012 — Voyaging to the pae ʻāina of self-governance [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Voyaging to the pae ʻāina of self-governance

By Kēhaunani Abad OHA Community Engagement Director

Thousands of years ago, our kūpuna pushed the limits of oeean voyaging and established thriving soeieties throughout the Paeihe. One of their longest and most diffieult voyages was from Kahiki to the distant north seas. They braved the journey, diseovered the pae 'āina (archipelago) of Hawai'i, and used their ancestral knowledge, ingenuity and skills to create a uniquely Hawaiian world. For three decades now, a number of wa'a captains, navigators and lead crew members have prepared for a new journey, a metaphorical journey. They are all sailing toward self-governance. It's a pae 'āina where Hawaiian values, beliefs and practices shape the laws, institutions and initiatives of the nation - all for the betterment of our lāhui (people). These captains, navigators and crew members have been working toward reaching this pae 'āina, eaeh ultimately striving for similar goals. But in this metaphor of islands, the models of governance are distinct. Some navigators are aiming for a smaller island of state-recog-nized sovereignty, others for a larger island of federally recognized sovereignty and others for a still larger island of internationally recognized independence. Eaeh island has its unique traits. The smallest island requires the least work to establish a nation upon it but

includes the smallest range of opportunities. The largest island offers the largest range of opportunities but requires the most work to settle. The island in between offers a middle ground. Although plans to sail toward this pae 'āina have been underway for many years, what makes this moment in time different are the many favorable winds that offer us the best ehanee of success. Kana'iolowalu, the registration effort of the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission, is the wind beckoning us to join in the journey and do our part to help. We ean all kōkua with braiding the cordage to holdfast the canoes. The roll of cordage that eaeh wa'a needs is our roll of names affirming that we are ready to voyage toward the pae 'āina. A second favorable wind blowing is a wind carrying knowledge and insight to help us with our voyaging plans. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs will be hosting a series of educational forums in the next year so everyone ean hear from the various captains and navigators and - with the information shared - make informed decisions about our possible destinations. A third favorable wind is Act 195. It ensures that at a minimum, wa'a ean safely land on the smallest island of state-recognized sovereignty. It means the State of Hawai'i has committed to recognizing a Hawaiian "state-within-a-state," should those on the roll choose to follow that course.

If the decision is to sail to the island of federal recognition, Act 195 affirms that the state supports the federal government's recognition of a Hawaiian "nation-within-a-nation." (Act 195 does not comment on an intemationally recognized Hawaiian nation because it has no authority to do so as a state within the United States.) A fourth favorable wind includes recent strides those seeking independence have made at the United Nations involving the protest and demand filed with and received by the U.N. office of the president regarding the United States' illegal occupation of the Hawaiian Islands. A final wind pushing us toward our goal is OHA's commitment to facilitate a decision-making process that will allow all of us assembled on the heaeh to affect the sail and settlement plan choices that will eventually be made. OHA and Kana'iolowalu have no predetermined plans. Eaeh island in the pae 'āina could be a potential destination. However, at this point, we have mueh to do before any decisions are made. First, we must help to create the 'aha, the cord that will bind our wa'a to sail strong and true - the cord entwining eaeh of our names, the cord affirming that a determined lāhui is engaged in plans to set sail. With these winds blowing steadily in the direction of our pae 'āina of self-governance, we have a stronger ehanee today than ever before of taking the voyage and successfully landing. ■

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