Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 3, 1 March 2005 — Enroll inmates [ARTICLE]

Enroll inmates

I have been watching with great interest the progress of Native Hawaiians in gaining legal status as a sovereign nalion. What I cannot understand is why OHA has not made any grassroots effort to register people of Hawaiian ancestry who are incarcerated. I am a State of Hawai'i prisoner living with hundreds of Kānaka Maoli in Mississippi; others live in Oklahoma and Arizona. These are men who would gladly take part in building an independent nalion for Hawaiians. Yet we are thousands of miles away without a eommon understanding of how to obtain certified birth certificates or other means of proving Hawaiian ancestry. My suggestion is that OHA begin taking an active interest in the vast number of Kānaka Maoli in prison. These men have the capability to greatly increase your Kau Inoa initiative to register Hawaiian people. This will not happen, however, by simply placing advertisements in the OHA newspaper. Someone from OHA should consider visiting the mainland prisons with tools in hand to help register those who want to. Gregory Barnett Mississippi OHA reserves the right to edit all lettersfor length , defamatory and libelous material, and other objectionable content, and reserves the right not to print any submission. All letters must be typed, signed and not exceed 200 words. Letters eannol be published unless they and inehule a telephone contoctfor verification. Send letters to Ka Wai Ola o OHA, 711 Kapi'olani B!vd„ Ste. 500, Honolulu, HI 96813, or email kwo@oha.org.