FROM THE COMMITTEE OF HAWAIIAN NATIONALS
In recent weeks, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has come under heavy fire (from Hawaiians) for its duplicity regarding it’s newest "nation-building” scheme. Although OHA announced that in facilitating the process, it would be “neutral” (not advocating for one particular outcome), their plans and actions say otherwise.
The citizen-base for this nation would be the fraudulent Kana’iolowalu roll (which OHA funded to the tune of $4 million of beneficiaries’ money.)
OHA/Kana'iolowalu set an agenda for a constitutional convention this September and a ratifying vote by the end of the year, obviously designed for an outcome favoring the nation-within-a-nation/Akaka bill/federal recognition/Indian tribe.
OHA and other State of Hawai`i actors made a last-ditch attempt to get the US Department of the Interior to extend “federal (Indian tribe) recognition.”
They were rebuffed by the US Department Of Interior.
Now OHA is engaged in "town-hall meetings” in Hawaiian communities (like they did with the Akaka Bill) to promote their convention/election scam.
As one OHA staff member said, “We getting bus’ up by the people out dea” (enraged at yet another OHA/State scam.)
Clearly OHA’s actions have not been "neutral.”
It is just playing a variation of the same discordant tune, but one well-funded by beneficiaries’ money.
It’s a tune that OHA has been playing all along.
The Rebellion -
The ‘town-hall’ meetings held in Waimanalo, Pahala (Ka’u), Keaukaha (Hilo) and Waimea (Hawaii island), were tumultuous with the people expressing extreme displeasure at OHA’s new scheme.
The people questioned OHA’s right to dictate policy for them and the right speak on behalf of the Hawaiian people in the area of governance.
The message from the Hawaiian community was loud and clear: that no one trusts the OHA trustees and they don't want to have anything to do with their phony "Native Hawaiian governing entity.”
In three day-long meetings at the OHA headquarters in Honolulu last week, independence proponents hammered away at the trustees and the staff to stop the deception and manipulations.
Those attending the meetings demanded of OHA three basic things -
1. Terminate OHAʻs involvement and support of the Act 195 process (the state law that created Kana’iolowalu- the Native Hawaiian Roll), cease funding and seeking “federal recognition,” immediately stopping the OHA/Kana'iolowalu timeline (con-con and election this Fall), pulling all media campaigns for the roll, and stopping all ultimatums, threats and scare tactics towards those who havenʻt signed up;
2. Extend the timeline and expand the educational process. This would allow the people to define the process ‘bottom up’ instead of OHA (or the state) dictating 'top down.’ Fund broader information education so that all modes of nation-building can be properly considered.
3. Full public accounting of money’s spent by OHA in advocating and advancing the governance model of 'federal recognition' (Akaka Bill, Kau Inoa, Kana’iolowalu, etc.). This could perhaps form the basis for parity in funding to educate about other processes such as full independence.
The Response from OHA -
At the end of the third day-long meeting this past Saturday, the OHA reps present agreed to the demands of the independence proponents.
OHA agreed to suspend for two years, OHA's push for the “federal recognition” model and provide commensurate support to disclose and fully discuss other options for the future governance of the Hawaiian Islands - including complete independence. How OHA is going to provide that support would have to be worked out.
The next big questions are -
Will the OHA trustees follow through with this “level playing field” scenario?
Are they legally able (as a state agency) to participate in what could very well lead to the end of the US claims over Hawai`i and the demise of the State of Hawai`i.
Can a government agency do that?
