OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS CEO RECOMMENDS DELAY IN NATION-BUILDING
Honolulu Star-Advertiser - May 30, 2013
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs' top administrator Thursday recommended a six- to nine-month delay in OHA's nation-building process to allow time for further education about the issues surrounding the proposed creation of a Hawaiian government.
OHA CEO Kamana`opono Crabbe also offered two alternative options for adding people to the list of those who would participate in the nation-building effort -
» Including those who have signed up for the OHA Registry Program, Na Mamo Oiwi Hawai`i, which provides those who can prove their Hawaiian heritage with an official card that verifies ancestry.
» Starting a new registration process separate from OHA.
Crabbe told the OHA trustees he made his recommendation based largely on the public comments he and his staff heard during a series of town hall meetings over the last few months.
Those comments included concerns that there was a lack of education about the nation-building process and that more people needed to be involved.
"We are at a fork in the road where we have to reassess," he said, referring to the impending certification of the Native Hawaiian Roll and the scheduled September election of convention delegates. "Not only is more time essential, but we need education to better inform ourselves and refine the nation-building process."
A large and spirited crowd filled the Iwilei boardroom Thursday for a meeting to gather input into the nation-building proces
Chairwoman Colette Machado said the trustees would make a decision on Crabbe's proposals at a later date and then opened a hearing that lasted all day with dozens of speakers.
Many expressed support for independence and the reinstatement of the Hawaiian kingdom. Many talked about the wrongs the United States committed against the Hawaiian nation.
They described as illegal the overthrow of Queen Lili`uokalani, the annexation of the Hawaiian kingdom and the statehood referendum. They said Hawai`i has been -- and still is -- illegally occupied by the U.S.
Some speakers asked for additional time for nation-building so people can be educated about the Hawaiian nation's history and learn how independence can be achieved through international arenas.
Manu Kaiama was among those who urged the trustees to not be afraid of reaching out for independence. At one time it seemed impossible to fly to the moon, she said.
"It's scary to think about independence," said Kaiama, a University of Hawai`i accounting instructor, "but it's the only thing that is pono."
Hawaiian Homes Commissioner Renwick "Uncle Joe" Tassill said, "We want you to get the nation back so we can hand it to our children."
Shane Cobb-Adams of Kauai urged the trustees not to settle for protecting entitlements in a process that might lead to Hawaiians being treated like Indians on a reservation. Hawai`i, he said, is a rich nation with many resources.
"I'm afraid you're stepping over dollars for pennies," he said.
Others condemned the Hawaiian Roll Commission's Kana`iolowalu effort to certify convention voters, describing it as a tool of the state.
They complained that the roll contains too many names of people who did not ask to be included, many of them from previously assembled rolls incorporated into the Kana`iolowalu list, which has more than 125,000 names.
Some people did testify in support of the current nation-building timeline, among them Hawaiian Roll Commissioner Lei Kihoi, who said OHA needs to accelerate a process that is long overdue.
"It's time we revive the nation. It's time to move on," she said.
A number of testifiers urged the trustees to overrule their action to rescind Crabbe's letter asking Secretary of State John Kerry whether the Hawaiian kingdom still exists under international law.
As it stands now, May 1 was the final day to register to participate in the nation-building effort, and the official roll is expected to be certified by the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission next month.
The current timeline calls for the election of delegates in September. A convention, or aha, to draft a governing document, would happen in October or November. An up-or-down vote on the document would be held in January with only those listed on the official roll eligible to vote.
