Tag: Nai Aupuni

The Time Has Come Again For Solidarity

Let us make room for all voices and respect each other’s views no matter how different they are from our own.

`Ano`ai kakou…  Many of us still mark August 20, 2003 as a black day in Hawaiian history when a federal court judge forced Kamehameha Schools to enroll a non-Hawaiian student.  This act was so egregious that on September 7, 2003, the Trustees and staff of OHA marched side-by-side down Kalakaua Avenue with more than 5,000 supporters of Native Hawaiian rights in a powerful show of unity.

The marchers included representatives from Kamehameha Schools, Hawaiian Ali’i Trusts, Royal Benevolent Society members, and sovereignty advocates.  Also showing their support were many non-Hawaiians.  The march was organized by the ‘Ilio’ulaokalani Coalition and ended in a rally at the Kapi’olani Park Bandstand.  It was encouraging to see that people who often found themselves on opposite sides regarding nationhood could come together to support justice for all Native Hawaiians.

THE ‘AHA

On February 26, 2016, the majority of the Na‘i Aupuni ‘aha participants voted to adopt The Constitution of the Native Hawaiian Nation.  Again, it was moving to see people who were often on opposite sides of an issue come together for the good of the whole.  There were several participants that frequently came to OHA to protest our positions on nationhood and yet we were all able to put those differences aside and finally draft the governing documents needed to restore our nation.

The governing documents drafted during the ‘aha must be voted on and approved by the Hawaiian people before they can be implemented.  The Hawaiian people currently have the opportunity to examine the documents before deciding whether to accept them.  Once the provisions of the governing documents are ratified, they can finally be implemented and the officers and legislative arm of the nation will be selected.

MOVING FORWARD

What we face today as Hawaiians, the indigenous people of our lands, is no different than what occurred over 100 years ago. We are still fighting to protect our culture, rights to our lands, and our entitlements.  Times may have changed but people are still the same.  Greed is still the motivation behind efforts to relieve us of whatever entitlements we have left.  The fight is even more difficult now that our enemies have become more sophisticated in ways to manipulate us and the law.

We are one people. We cannot afford to be divided, not when so much work remains to be done. The struggle to regain our sovereign rights requires unity and the strength of numbers.

As the federal court decision regarding Kamehameha schools proved, the future of OHA and other Hawaiian Trusts are certainly at risk.  Hawaiian leaders will have to work together and use whatever resources that are necessary to protect that last remaining Hawaiian Trusts.

Let us work together for the cause of nationhood.  Let us agree on the things that we can agree to and set aside the things we differ on and move forward together for the future generations of Hawaiians yet to come.

We cannot continue to let others decide our future.  We will be one nation and one people.

“I appeal to you….that there be no division among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.”  I Corinthians 1:10

Let us embrace each other’s views no matter how different they are from our own.  Only then can we be as our Queen wished… ONIPA’A, steadfast in what is good!  Aloha Ke Akua.

The Constitution of the Native Hawaiian Nation

`Ano`ai kakou…  On February 26, 2016, the majority of the Na‘i Aupuni ‘aha participants voted to adopt The Constitution of the Native Hawaiian Nation by a vote of 88 to 30 and one abstention.

There were 10 to 15 participants that were absent and a few sat outside when the vote took place.  All of them were given every opportunity to return and vote if they had missed their turn for whatever reason.

It is very difficult to put into words the awesome experience this was for me.  Not only was this an important historical turning point in our history, but it was also at times a very emotional for me to experience.

In the room sat kupuna, makua, and our young warriors.  Among them our leaders who have been at the forefront of the movement to reunify our people and restore our nation’s sovereignty.

They included Emmett Aluli, Lilikala Kameꞌeleihiwa, Poka Laenui, Aꞌo Pohaku, Keoni Agard, Melody MacKenzie, Devianna McGregor, Dr. Claire Hughes, Mahealani Cypher, Bumpy Kanahele, and, in spirit, Uncle Buzzy Agard, Dr. Kekuni Blaisdell, and Peggy Hao Ross.

Unfortunately missing from this auspicious occasion were two sisters who should be credited with helping to drive the sovereignty movement to where it is today.  They are, of course, the Trask sisters, Haunani K. and Mililani.

This constitution is in honor of all of those warriors who came before us and who could not be there.

It was moving to see people who were often on opposite sides of an issue come together for the good of the whole.  There were several participants that frequently came to OHA to protest our positions on nationhood and yet we were all able to put those differences aside and finally draft the governing documents needed to restore our nation.

I guess the most amazing aspect of the ‘Aha was to see our young people so energized and ready to take our efforts to the next level.  I have no doubt that they will make our dreams to form a new Hawaiian nation a reality.

The next step is to ratify the Constitution by taking it out to our people.  I encourage all of our ꞌohana to give the Constitution serious consideration.  While it is not a perfect document, it is a beginning.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any assistance in understand the document.  If you are would like a copy of the Constitution, please visit my website at www.rowenaakana.org or e-mail me at rowenaa@oha.org to request a copy.  Aloha Ke Akua.

We need nationhood to protect our lands

`Ano`ai kakou…  Throughout the month of February, I was privileged to participated in the Na‘i Aupuni ‘aha to discuss self-governance.  I believe that calling for an ‘aha is an excellent opportunity to provide an open and democratic forum to discuss possible governing documents of our new nation.  This is where the ultimate form of the Hawaiian government can be debated and considered.

I have always advocated that gaining federal recognition as a native people would finally allow Hawaiians to negotiate with the state and federal governments for the return of some of our ceded lands that the state holds in trust.  Federal recognition would also put us in a stronger position to protect our lands and trust assets.

The three key elements of nationhood are sovereignty, self-determination and self-sufficiency.  In order for Hawaiians to exercise control over their lands and lives, they must achieve self-determination by organizing a mechanism for self-governance.  Hawaiians must create a government which provides for democratic representation before they can begin to interrelate with the State and the Federal governments who control their lands and trust assets. The ultimate goal of nationhood is to become self-sufficient and self-supporting.

My hope is that, as a result of the ‘aha, we will be able to draft the articles or provisions of our constitution for the new Hawaiian nation, whatever form it ultimately takes.  It is important to remember these documents can be changed or annulled.  This is only the beginning.  Once these governing documents are ratified by the Hawaiian people, they can be implemented to protect our lands and trust resources.  We would then be able to care for our people without assistance from anyone.

The window of opportunity for us to act on controlling our lands is closing.  For those who think we have lots of time to talk about this, they only need to look at all of the laws that have been passed in the last ten years to realize time is running out.

A good example of why nationhood is so critical for our people is the recent attempt in the legislature to pass the “forced land sales bills.”  Kamehameha Schools (KS) recently led the charge against legislation that would have forced Hawai‘i’s landowners to sell leasehold lands to their lessees.

If HB 1635 and HB 2173 had become law, all commercial, agriculture, conservation and industrial lands would have been put under threat to be forcibly sold.  KS would have been hurt by these bills since nearly 80 percent of their commercial properties are ground leased.  Our ceded lands controlled by DLNR would also be threatened.

Private land developers could have moved in to condemn and remove historical lands that were passed from generation to generation of Hawaiians.  This would have also negatively impacted the ability of Native Hawaiian organizations and trusts to fulfill their missions.  HB 1635 and HB 2173 represent yet another example of the government’s shameful history of removing Native Hawaiians from their ancestral lands.

Thankfully, on February 8th, KS announced that the House cancelled the hearing for HB 1635 and HB 2173, which effectively killed the bills.  However, there are other land bills in the legislature we need to be concerned about such as DLNR selling off remnants and the transfer of land to the military.  Let us be makaꞌala (watchful).  Aloha Ke Akua.

February ‘aha to discuss self-governance

`Ano`ai kakou…  On January 6th, Na‘i Aupuni announced that a total of 154 individuals will participate in the February ‘aha to discuss self-governance.

The ‘aha participants were derived from a list of 196 former candidates of an election that would have resulted in 40 delegates attending a constitutional convention.  Na‘i Aupuni decided to terminate the election on December 15, 2015 because of pending federal litigation that would probably stall the vote count for years.  So instead, Na‘i Aupuni offered all of the then-registered candidates a chance to participate in a gathering to discuss a path to self-governance.

As one of the 154 participants, I have been receiving emails of conversations between other ‘aha participants and while I am enthused by their excitement and the wide varieties of topics being discussed, I would like to steer the conversation back to the essentials of forming a nation.

I believe that calling for an ‘aha is an excellent opportunity to provide an open and democratic forum to discuss possible governing documents of our new nation.  This is where the ultimate form of the Hawaiian government can be debated and considered.

The first step is for everyone attending the ‘aha to come with an open mind and clean slate.  We must all be willing to learn how other native peoples have drafted constitutions and formed governments that serve their people.  To do that, we must focus on questions such as:

  • What kinds of powers would we want our nation to have?
  • What will our new nation’s relationship with the State of Hawaii, the Federal Government and the International community, including other Pacific islanders entail?
  • What are the fundamental rules we would like to see written in our constitution?
  • Will our new nation have the power to tax?
  • Will our new nation be free from state and federal taxes?

These are the kinds of important issues that I would like the ‘aha to focus on.

Given the fact that there are so many participants and such a short amount of time, it is clear that it will be challenging to build a consensus by the close of the ‘aha.  However, I am hopeful that the more experienced participants will help to organize smaller working groups and also assist in steering the discussion towards constructive topics such as what it takes to form a government.

Hawaiians have a spirituality that is admired by the world – the Aloha spirit.  It’s a feeling in the heart that can’t be described.  It’s a feeling that we all feel when we come together as one and recognize that while we may have differing views, all views are welcomed and respected.

No matter what the outcome of the ‘aha may be, let us all remember to move forward, together as one people.  Aloha Ke Akua.

The Naʻi Aupuni Election Process

`Ano`ai kakou…  The ballots for the Naʻi Aupuni Election were mailed to certified voters on November 1, 2015 and voting ended on November 30, 2015.  So the Election results should be announced by the time this column is published.

This is an exciting time for Native Hawaiians.  We have not had this type of consensus-building opportunity since the overthrow of our kingdom and we should take hold of this opportunity to start the process of deciding how we want to move forward in unity.

While I am pleased that the Naʻi Aupuni Election was finally able to proceed, I was surprised to see that the candidates’ names were listed on the ballot in a “randomized” order and not in alphabetical order.

Naʻi Aupuni decided to list the all candidates in a random order to give everyone a chance to be at the top of the ballot.  While I can understand why they made this change, an argument could be made about whether the list was truly “random.”  For example, two of the top five names listed on the Oahu ballot were OHA employees.  I’m sure this was just a coincidence, but most voters would agree that it seems suspicious.

According to a Honolulu Star-Advertiser article dated November 3, 2015, Hawaiians’ election for constitutional convention begins, reported that the Naʻi Aupuni election suffered from a rash of candidates dropping out and one calling the election “fixed.”  There have been other complaints in the community that OHA is trying to control the process.  Having OHA employees at the top of the ballot doesn’t help to dispel this negative impression.

To make matters worse, both of the OHA Employees have also run for a seat in past OHA Board of Trustees elections, giving them more name recognition in the Hawaiian community than candidates who have never run in a Hawaiian election.

I believe that Naʻi Aupuni should have just done what the state election office has been doing all along – list the candidate names in alphabetical order.  Voters are used to seeing candidate names listed alphabetically and it would make it easier for them to find the candidates they support, especially since Oahu voters had to sort through an incredible 103 candidates!

They should have also made it easier for Oahu voters by breaking up the island into smaller sections (such as rural and urban Oahu) with fewer names.  Voters on Oahu needed a lot of time and stamina to search through all those names.

I am surprised that Naʻi Aupuni would turn to such a radically different voting process than what Hawaii voters are used to for such a historically important election.  There was already a high level of scrutiny regarding the integrity of the election and I believe they should have stuck with what works.  Instead, they just added to the confusion.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the voting process, please contact Elections America at naiaupuni@election-america.com or call Elections America toll-free at (844) 413-2929.  Aloha Ke Akua.