Hawaiians may
start own cemetery

Hawaiian agencies in a rare
joint meeting discuss how
to reach their common goals

By Pat Omandam
Star-Bulletin

The Hawaiian Homes Commission and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs could combine their land and monetary resources to develop cemeteries on homestead lands for Hawaiians, much like the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl is for military veterans.

That idea was among several on the table yesterday at the first of what will probably be quarterly joint meetings by the two Hawaiian agencies to discuss potential collaborations.

"If Hawaiian Homes has a place, we can start right away -- with the backing of the trustees," said OHA trustee Charles Ota.

The commission oversees more than 200,000 acres of homestead land, while the OHA board manages an investment portfolio of more than $350 million. Both serve the state's full- and part-Hawaiians, who together comprise about 283,000 people, according to the latest census.

While much of yesterday's rare joint meeting was spent on introductions and agency goals, the group did hear from consultant Norma Wong, who outlined OHA's strategy following the U.S. Supreme Court's Rice decision of February 2000 that cleared the way for OHA elections to be open to voters and candidates of all races.

Wong said the Rice decision also opened the door to other legal challenges of Hawaiians-only programs. The constitutionality of both agencies is currently being challenged in federal court, with a key preliminary injunction hearing on May 2.

Wong said the best way to counter such lawsuits is to build broad-based support for Hawaiian programs nationwide. The overall post-Rice strategy is a three-pronged approach on the legislative/political, educational, and legal fronts, she said.

One major component is widespread support for Congressional passage of the Akaka bill, which would grant federal recognition to native Hawaiians. Plans are to educate and recruit supporters over the next two months, followed by community forums this summer in Hawaii and at selected mainland sites.

A postcard campaign supporting the Akaka bill is planned from August to September if it looks like the bill could pass this year, Wong said.

Hawaiian Homes chairman Ray Soon said the department successfully lobbied for passage of the federal native Hawaiian health care act, and the same nationwide network of Hawaiians and their supporters that helped that pass could also push the Akaka bill.

Soon worked with OHA chairwoman Haunani Apoliona over the past few months to organize the joint meeting.

Soon said he can remember only one other time when the commission and the board met jointly.

"I'm glad we could pull it off," Soon said.

Meanwhile, community activist Lela Hubbard warned both boards yesterday to take the lead in uniting the Hawaiian people.

The state Legislature is considering a bill that would create a native Hawaiian task force to study the future of Hawaiians but it would put state lawmakers in charge of the group.

Hawaiians should decide their own destiny, she said.