Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 1, 1 January 2022 — WE MUST HOLD FAST [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WE MUST HOLD FAST

_V 'OLELO A KA POUHANA V ^ MESSAGE FROM THE CEO *

'Onipa'a (vs. Fixed, immovable, motionless, steadfast, established, firm, resolute, determined.)

Aloha mai kakou,

pihi are amazing animals. They ean endure long periods of drying sun Ē ■ exposure at low tide and powerful crashing waves at high tide. Their ■ W muscular "foot" keeps them firmly attached to the rocks and their low, slightly rounded grooved shells help mitigate the impact of the waves by channeling the water down their sides. No matter the condition of the world around them, 'opihi cling firmly to their foundation. Sometimes I think we need to be more like 'opihi. For the past two years the waves crashing over us have felt particularly onerous and dangerous. And so we must hold tight to our foundation - our 'ohana, our mo'omeheu, and our aina - and remain 'onipa'a (steadfast) in the storm. Just last month, the Navy admitted that fuel from their massive tanks at Kapūkakī (Red Hill) had contaminated the drinking water of more than 92,000 O'ahu residents. Gov. Ige and the Department of Heahh issued an emergency order to immediately suspend operations at the facility, whieh the Navy has ignored. Their negligence has galvanized our community, but the path forward is long. Ironically, military land use leases for Hawaiian land at places like Pōhakuloa, Kahuku and Mākua will expire in seven years and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command has unveiled a new Hawai'i Military Land Use Master Plan that proposes expanding their existing acreage. Our state leaders should pay close attention to what is happening at Kapūkakībefore extending more land leases to the military. Our state leaders also need to address their own failure to fulfill the state's Puhlie Land Trust (PLT) revenue obligation to Native Hawaiians. The PLT includes the government and crown lands of the Hawaiian Kingdom seized during the overthrow and now held "in trust" by the State of Hawai'i. By its own laws, the state must allocate 20% of all PLT revenue to OHA - to be used to better the

conditions of Native Hawaiians. For 40 years the state has not fulfilled this kuleana. OHA will continue to pursue this matter at the legislature. Too often our precious value of aloha has been used as a tool against us by those for whom our discontent is uncomfortable and our resistance inconvenient. "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." Our time is now. January has been declared "Kalaupapa Month" and this issue oiKa Wai Ola eelebrates the people of Kalaupapa. Despite harsh, painful beginnings they built a vibrant, joyful community. Their stories are examples of 'onipa'a for ou1* ls1-.nl

Jan. 17, 2022, will be 129 years since the illegal overthrow of tf Hawaiian Kingdom and an 'Onipa'a March from Mauna'ala to 'Iolani Palaee has been organized to mark that dark day in our history. Notably, "'onipa'a" was also Queen Lili'uo- i kalani's motto. W

In these conditions that we presently find ourselves - as our lāhui is buffeted by waves of injustice and bad policy - we must hold fast to our rock and foundation. As were our kūpuna, we, too must be hopeful and grateful. We must be courageous and resolute. We must be 'onipa'a. ■

Sylvia M. Hussey, Ed.D. Ka Pouhana/Chief Executive 0fficer