Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 8, 1 August 1989 — Congressional messages on 30 years of Statehood [ARTICLE]

Congressional messages on 30 years of Statehood

United States Senate August, 1989 KA WAI OLA O OHA Office of Hawaiian Affairs Honolulu, Hawaii Dear Friends: For the past 30 years, it has been my high honor and privilege to represent the people of Hawaii in the Congress of the United States. During these three decades, I have done my best to assist our Native Hawaiians in fulfilling their dreams and aspirations for a better life. By working together, I believe that we have accomplished mueh in areas of education and health. Let us eonhnue to work together to bring about greater improvements and seek a goal that many of you have been working towards — the restoration of some of the sovereign rights that Native Hawaiians lost in 1893. Aloha, DANIEL K. INOUYE United States Senator United States Senate WASHINGTON, DC 20510 August 1989 Dear Friends: It is with great pleasure that I extend my warmest aloha and best whishes to readers of Ka Wai Ola O OHA as we observe the 30th Anniversary of Hawaiian Statehood. March 13, 1959, the day that Congress passed the Statehood bill, will long be remembered as a day of unparalleled excitement, triumph and thanksgiving in Hawaii. But buried beneath the celebration, as the Reverend Abraham Akaka pointed out in a statement the following day, were "silent fears." "There are fears that Hawai'i as a state will be motivated by eeonomie greed; that statehood will turn Hawai'i (as someone has said) into a great big spiritual junkyard filled with smashed dreams (and) worn-out illusions; that it will make the Hawaiian people lonely, confused, insecure,

empty, anxious, restless, disillusioned— a wistful people. "For any collective anxiety," he said, "the answer is collective courage." During the last 30 years, a whole new generation that never knew Hawai'i as anything less than a state has been born, raised, and graduated into the adult community. For the most part, this new generation is healthier, better educated and more prosperous than their parents and grandparents were prior to statehood. Young Hawaiians, in particular, have witnessed and participated in a renaissance of Hawaiian culture never envisioned by their parents. Hawaiian music, language, dance and art, onee thought to be dying, are alive and flourishing today. Native Hawaiians serve in public office at every level of our govemment, from the U.S. Congress and the Govemor's Office down to the city and county councOs. These benefits that we have gained from statehood reflect the strength of the American system of government — a govemment that gives its citizens the right to elect their own leaders, to petition for redress of grievances, and to effect change peacefully. I hope that the youth of our state will never take these benefits for granted, and that they will face the future with "collective courage," hope and vision. Me ke aloha pumehana. Sincerely, Spark Matsunaga U.S. Senate Congress of the United States House of Reprsentative Washington, DC 20515 August 1989 As Hawai'i enters into it's fourth decade of statehood, we join in celebration of everything that historic union has meant to us and reaffirmation of the pride we ean take in what has been achieved. Let all who share our special eoneem about the Native Hawaiian condition, however, also

reflect upon what has yet to be accomplished and how we ean effectively apply ourselves to addressing the significant problems that still remain. From the Federal perspective, we have seen critical recognition of and movement toward remedying the vital needs of Native Hawaiians — albeit at a generally slower paee than we would have preferred. We have begun to realize a fair number of our goals, as assistance flows to multifaceted education, health, employment and housing programs in preliminary but meaningful levels. We in Hawaii's Congressional delegation find extreme gratification in observing such progress, having had to contend for eight years with an administration that, incredibly, deemed such initiatives discriminatory because they provided support based on race. Nonetheless, we have now secured a broad, stable foothold, and the future appears promising indeed. How truly fitting that, in the very month Hawai'i commemorates its 30th anniversary as a state, it will be the site of the first Congressional oversight hearings on the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act in as many years. This action by Senator Daniel Inouye and the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs is as important symbolically as I know it will be substantively. The cause of Native Hawaiians is finally approaching an encouraging degree of momentum, and although there are many demanding tasks that still await us, I foresee the next thirty years being filled with stunning advancements for our people that far outpace the arduously-acquired headway of the past thirty. I commend the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for the lead it has taken in the pursuit of a better life for all Hawaiians and join with all who are involved in its noble efforts in raising a cheer on the 30th birthday of the State of Hawaii. Aloha Pumehana, Daniel K. Akaka Member of Congress Housc of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 August, 1989 In commemoration of Hawaii's 30 years of statehood, I proudly join the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the people of Hawai'i as we recognize and celebrate our membership among the nation's 50 states. This tribute acknowledges the quality and uniqueness of the "Aloha Spirit" whieh not only represents but influences the quality of life here in the islands. While Hawai'i has clearly distinguished itself as a center of world attraction in cultural exchange, business, and recreation, we must continue to promote the important role Hawai'i has in national and international affairs. More importantly, we need to remain the Hawai'i, as we know it. Racial harmony, cultural diversity, family obligations, and the relationship between land, sea, and Hawaii's people need to be preserved to ensure a future that is productive and balanced for everyone. As a strong and active supporter of programs to benefit Native Hawaiians and the people of Hawai'i generally, I have worked to ensure that our state's concerns are being heard and acted upon in Washington, and will eonhnue to do so. So while we reflect upon our 30 years of statehood as an achievement, we need to continue to promote the well-being of our people and still retain the essential qualities that make Hawai'i the Aloha State.Sincerely yours, Patricia Saiki Member of Congress