Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 36, Number 1, 1 January 2019 — READER'S RESPONSE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

READER'S RESPONSE

C0MPILED BY LIZA SIM0N Where do you believe that the OHA board should focus its efforts in advocating for the betterment of Native Hawaiians in the coming year? This was a question asked by Ka Wai Ola at the December 11th investiture ceremony. Here are a few responses.

Vernon Viernes MllllANI

0HA could help put a plan in plaee for our Hawaiian families that have no plaee to live. This is important, because children's development depends on (having a home). There ean be delays in the development of skills and all, when children have no plaee to live. This contributes to a cycle of homelessness among Hawaiians.

Francine Murray H0N0LULU

This is a new team and so there is a lot of promise that they will work together and move us forward. I would like this happen especially in education and eeonomie development, so that individuals ean take control of their lives better and better learn to advance themselves.

Ke'alohikeaokalani Mossman MĀN0A

ln general, I am hopeful about today's message of unity. I would like to see this clearly focused on a direction and movement for eeonomie development for Native Hawaiians. Then the culture ean be strengthened and preserved throughout Hawai'i.

Keali'i Makekau H0N0LULU

ln order for 0HA to be successful, it could be selfsustaining. This should involve not only transparency with spending practices, but, on the flip side, generating more revenue with 0HA resources of mauka to makai land at Kaka'ako given us in the (recent) ceded lands settlement. I applaud the work of one 0HA trustee in particular-Lei Ahu lsa-in giving this attention. But I believe more ean be done.

Jalene Kanani Bell KAP0LEI

I would like to see 0HA protect Native Hawaiian culture and cultural properties-for instance, the pueo, whieh has been identified akua of 0'ahu. I would like to see 0HA step forward to increase protection and preservation for the pueo. It would be wonderful if 0HA could work with the statelegislature to create a preserve for the pueo and other species. Not only would this protect critical heritage of our people, but perhaps it be of help to people who eome here to study and learn about our heritage, culture and indigenous species.