Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 8, 1 August 2014 — On Kauaʻi, trustees hear concerns on governance, TMT [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

On Kauaʻi, trustees hear concerns on governance, TMT

By Harold Nedd LĪHU'E, KAUA'I — Concerns about the federal government weighing whether to develop a process to re-establish a government-to-government relationship with Hawaiians, as well as controversial plans

to build one of the world's largest telescopes atop Mauna Kea helped bring more than 50 people to an annual eommunity meeting hosted by the trustees for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Led by Kaua'i Island Trustee Dan Ahuna, the twohour meeting at the Wilcox Elementary School cafeteria eame the day after the OHA Board of Trustees submitted formal comments to the U.S. Interior and Justice departments supporting federal

rulemaking that could re-establish a government-to-government relationship with a Native Hawaiian governing entity onee one is formed. About four speakers, including Randy Naukana Rego, reacted with criticism during the comment period of OHA's community meeting, whieh was the third of five planned through September every year on eaeh of the major neighbor islands. "Your position on the Department of Interior was disappointing," Rego told OHA trustees, adding in a conversation afterward that "the majority of Hawaiians are saying 'no' to the Department of Interior, and the trustees are saying 'yes.' Who are they representing?" OHA trustees have acknowledged the opposition from Hawaiian communities to the Department of Interior that became eommonplaee during a series of recently completed public meetings. Even so, trustees believe that the opposition does not outweigh what they consider is their legal duty to advocate for the protection and advancement of Native Hawaiian benefits and rights, including millions of dollars in federal funding that flows to programs that support Native Hawaiians. In their comment to the Department of Interior, trustees also stressed that the rulemaking would open

one pathway that the Native Hawaiian governing entity could choose, insisting that it cannot limit Hawaiian rights to seek international redress. Even so, the most unexpected eoneem during the Kaua'i community meeting eame when E. Kalani Flores and his wife,

Pua Case, stood together at the microphone. After apologizing to Kaua'i residents for bringing up a Hawai'i Island issue, they took turns demanding answers from the trustees about their decision to forgo disputing the University of Hawai'i Board of Regents' approval of sublease terms for a $1.3 billion Thirty Meter Telescope project atop Mauna Kea, whieh was described as a sacred cultural site. The sublease is

considered the final hurdle to starting construction on a project expected to be completed in 2022. "There is so mueh wrong with this sublease," Flores told trustees, fighting back tears. "You chose to be our leaders and we need your leadership and help fighting this sublease." Case added that "no amount of money is worth" desecrating the mountain to build a telescope. "If getting on my knees to beg would make a difference, I would. I am not too proud to beg for your legal help to fight the sublease." In an effort to ease concems, Hawai'i Island Trustee Robert Lindsey acknowledged at the community meeting that it was he who persuaded his colleagues in their closed-door session the day before to withdraw from an administrative hearing over the Thirty Meter Telescope, an issue he described as extremely divisive on Hawai'i Island. "The great majority of our community supports the project," said Lindsey, adding that he met privately with Flores and Case immediately after the eommunity meeting on Kaua'i to assure them of his intent to help address their concerns. "But I did suggest to the other trustees that we try to stay away from litigation. I will take kuleana for trying to make that happen." ■

Pua Case and her husband, E. Kalani Flores, lake turns speaking to OHA trustees during the public-comment period of a community meeting on Kaua'i. - Photo:Alice Malepeai Silbanuz