Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 15, Number 10, 1 October 1998 — WHY I AM RUNNING FOR OHA [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WHY I AM RUNNING FOR OHA

Aloha e Na Po'e Hawai'i,

All my life I've worked for the Hawaiian people. Ifthere has been one overriding concern that has driven my endeavors - it has been the welfare of Hawaiians. Using my background in law, I've worked to improve the heaUh, housing and social conditions of Hawaiians. My work for our community has been at all levels: loeal, national and international. Because home security is the first level ofdignity, I have assisted over 400 Hawaiian families and Kapuna in obtaining affordable housing. My ejfort and commitment have caused me to oppose political injustices against our people and to fight against abuse ofour 'āina - on Kaho 'olawe, at Halawa Valley and aiAiopio with the

Pai 'Ohana. During the 8years I have served as Kia 'aina ofKa Lahui Hawai'i, I have taken the plight and claims of Hawaiians into the international arena - to conferences in Geneva, Cairo , Copenhagen and Washington D.C., so that the world will know the truth about the injustices committed against Hawaiian people. mm

ihrough all this. one issue has persisted — What is the role of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs? % This state agency, created by the state government to receive millions in trust funcls owed the Hawaiian people. has been given too mueh discretionary power. OHA Trustees have a legal and pinaneml obligation to use these funds to better the conditions of Native Hawaiians through direct and ejfective programs for educational scholarships, business development, housing loam, health care and other services that the Hawaiian community badly needs. OHA Trmtees must live up to their legal obligatiom. In recentyears, OHA has eome under severe criticism from the StateAuditor for failing to fulfill its financial responsibilities and for significant problems unth program and fiscal management. The OHA Board has been unable to engage in decision making or policy setting because of continual fighting and factionalism among Board members. We need new leadership to address these problems, and this is something I intend to address if elected. Tve decided to run for OHA because the OHA Trustees need to be reminded of their legal and financial obligations and need to be reminded that their first duty is to the Hawaiian people. OHA is not a native sovereign entity or native nation. OHA's appropriate role in the sovereignty movement is to support consemus-building ejforts on an even playingfield, and to ensure that the right of Hawaiian people to self-determination becomes a reality through the creation ofa sovereign nation that refiects the aspirations of Hawaiians. Instead, OHA has repeatedly tried to take away the right of the Hawaiian people to selfdetermination by proposing and funding state initiatives to tramform OHA itself into a Hawaiian nation. In 1996 & 1997, OHA wasted 1 million trust dollars to support a state initiative whieh 70% of Hawaiian eligible voters who are OHA constituents did not endorse.

The vast land holdings, natural resources and financial assets of the Ceded Lands Trust are the property of the Hawaiian people. For the past 10 years, the State has sought to cut back the benefits of this trust for Hawaiian beneficiarm. 'lhe State Legislature and administration have brought significant pressure to bear on the OHA Trustees to force Ihem to accept a final-low-settlement

of entitlements to the Ceded Lands Trust. OHA and the Hawaiian people need a Trustee who will not cower before this threat, but instead advocate for a complete inventory and accounting of the entire trust and a strateg}> to maximize its beneficial usefor Hawaiiam. The Ceded Lands Trust assets are our lands, our fisheries . our waters — it is the legacy whieh we leave to our children. Ihave spent my life working to defend and perpetuate the Ceded Land Trust. As an OHA Trustee, I will continue this commitment.

I believe that ifyou look at my life, you 'll see proofofmy abiding, passionate, and peaceful commitment to the Hawaiian people. I ask you to allow me to continue to serve you, as a Trustee of the Ojfice of Hawaiian Affairs. *

Malama Pono,

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