AN OPEN LETTER TO OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS CHAIR HAUNANI APOLIONA
Challenger Colin Kippen Asks "Why Did You Just Sit There?"
Earlier this year, the Hawaii State Supreme Court ruled in OHA’s favor by placing a freeze on the selling or transfer of ceded lands until there is a settlement between the state government and
Hawaiians.
Today the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal of this ruling, again placing our rights to our `aina in jeopardy.
OHA Chair Haunani Apoliona was fully aware of the possibility of this appeal, which was brought forth by Attorney General Mark Bennett on behalf of Governor Linda Lingle and the State of Hawai`i....
Apoliona sat mute on this issue even though at the time she was engaged in secret talks with the Governor and Attorney General to give millions to the Governor's Department of Hawaiian Homelands, to waive future native Hawaiian rights as requested by the Attorney General in their failed ceded lands deal with OHA, and to lobby to kill a bill calling for an audit of her spending by the State legislature.
Apoliona has also spent tens of millions of dollars to produce and run slick Kau Inoa commercials and to hire high priced lobbyists to do her bidding where it suits her political agenda.
Why wasn't protecting this ruling a priority for her? Why didn't she attempt to educate the public about the importance of enforcing this moratorium on selling ceded lands so that a full and fair reconciliation could have been reached with Native Hawaiians before those lands were forever lost?
Why has she not rallied the people to protect the Apology Resolution passed by the Congress, upon which the favorable State Supreme Court ruling was based?
Hawaiians should not be in this position now. This was a huge lost opportunity. This is another example of a lack of diplomacy, leadership, and statesmanship by Apoliona to the detriment of all Hawaiians.
