Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 26, Number 10, 1 October 2009 — Decade for focused results ... transformational impact [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Decade for focused results ... transformational impact

Aloha e nā 'ōiwi 'ōlino, nā pulapula a Hāloa, mai Hawai'i a Ni'ihau a puni ke ao mālamalama. 2010 will mark 30 years since the eleehon of the first Board of Trustees of OHA in 1980. The landmark State Constitutional Convention of 1978 and its Delegates approved several constitutional changes, transformational for Native Hawaiians, subsequently ratified by all Hawai'i voters. Article X established the Hawaiian Education Program to "promote the study of Hawaiian culture, history and language"; Article XV, Section 4, "English and Hawaiian shall be the official languages of Hawaii, except that Hawaiian shall be required for puhlie acts and transactions only a provided by law"; Article XII Section 1 codified the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, stating "the legislature shall make sufficient sums available for the following purposes ..." mandating the legislature to fund DHHL. Previous language left funding to the discretion of the Legislature; Article XII, Section 7 Traditional and Customary Rights, "the State reaffirms and shall protect all rights, customarily and traditionally exercised for subsistence, eultural and religious purposes . . . "; and Article XII, Sections 5 and 6 established the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and established the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs who "shall exercise power as provided by law; to manage and administer the proceeds from sale or other disposition of the lands, natural resources, mineral and ineome derived from whatever sources for native Hawaiians and Hawaiians; and to exercise control over real and personal property assets set aside by state, federal or private sources and transferred to the board for native Hawaiians and Hawaiians." Fast forward 30 years, the Native Hawaiian governing entity expected from passage

of the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act in 2009 with participation by Native Hawaiians, wherever they reside. We navigate nahonal and state eeonomie distress with hope for an improving future and recognize State and Congressional leadership changes will follow the elections in 2010. These circumstances eompel OHA and the Board of Trustees to refocus on mission, clarify strategy to maximize resources and transform results for Native Hawaiians in the next decade. OHA's vision remains the same, "Ho'oulu Lāhui Aloha, To Raise A Beloved Nation," as does our mission, "To mālama Hawai'i's people and environmental resources, and OHA's assets, toward ensuring the perpetuation of the culture, the enhancement of lifestyle and the protection of entitlements of Native Hawaiians while enabling the building of a strong and healthy Hawaiian people and nahon, recognized nationally and internationally." Strategic Priorities and Strategic Results, as approved by the OHA Board of Trustees will serve to focus OHA's efforts over the next decade. Six Strategic Priorities address: Eeonomie Self-Sufficiency - Kahua Waiwai; Land and Water - 'Āina; Culture - Mo'omeheu; Heahh - Mauli Ola; Governance - Ke Ea; and Education - Ho'ona'auao, and are further defined by 10 Strategic Results. (Review the OHA web site, www.oha.org, for detailed language of the Strategic Priorities and Strategic Results.) In order to achieve the Strategic Priorities and Strategic Results, OHA is shifting its focus from a needs-based service organization to an advocacy organization focused on systemic change in the role of advocate, researcher and asset manager, to improve eonditions for all Native Hawaiians. The Ali'i Trusts and the Hawaiian Service Institutions and Agencies (HSIA), as eonsistent with their missions, must continue to serve Hawaiian needs. Collaboration among Ali'i Trusts, DHHL, HSIA organizations and other Hawaiian leaders and associations will be imperative in this next decade and ALL will fill an important role. OHA's advocate, researcher and asset manager role will interface with ALL. Collectively and collaboratively we will, together, improve conditions for all Native Hawaiians, and Hawai'i will benefit as well. 10/48 ■

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Haunani Apuliuna, MSW Chairpersūn, Trustee, At-larga