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Hawaii’s World
BEN Cayetano once hoped that by the end of his eight-year tenure as governor 31 months from now a clear direction might be set for the future of Hawaiian affairs. He no longer is that optimistic, he told me in our long recent discussion of the topic. Cayetano less
Second of three articles | Part One
optimistic on
HawaiiansNow he sees the U.S. Supreme Court ruling against Hawaiians-only voting for Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees as a beachhead that affirmative action foes nationally, some of them well-funded, will try to expand. He expects further attacks on Hawaii's policies in the federal courts.
The state is anticipating some of this by asking the Hawaii Supreme Court to say if the federal ruling also nullifies the state Constitution's provision that only Hawaiians may serve on the board of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
Currently, someone with only a drop of Hawaiian blood can serve, but non-Hawaiians are excluded, just as -- prior to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Feb. 23 -- they were excluded from voting for trustees.
The Supreme Court granted voter status to Maui rancher Harold Rice. He had applied to vote in 1996 even though he was Caucasian.
Rice is descended from ancestors who were Hawaii residents at the time of the 1893 overthrow of the monarchy. He started the court action when he was refused.
Cayetano is a Filipino, the first Filipino governor of any state. His father came here from the Philippines in 1928 as a sugar worker, then moved to work in the kitchen of the Outrigger Canoe Club in Waikiki by the time, 1939, that the future governor was born. Beach boys used to give young Ben rides in their canoes.
Cayetano says just about everybody in Hawaii wants to do "the right thing" by Hawaiians but the state badly needs a public dialogue on what that should be. No longer can the dialogue be limited to just Hawaiians, he says.
He wants people to stop being scared of being called anti-Hawaiian if their views do not mesh with those of the highly vocal militants. He is sure that a silent majority exists in the community and wants to see more of its members join in a public dialogue.
Assets already dedicated to our 50,000 to 60,000 Hawaiians of at least 50 percent Hawaiian blood include 200,000 acres of Hawaiian Home Lands and the one-fifth share of ceded land rentals paid by the state to OHA. These have helped OHA build assets of $350 million.
ASSETS for the benefit also of part-Hawaiians, who may number an additional 150,000 among Hawaii's total population of 1.2 million, include trusts that Hawaiian alii established in the 19th century.
Most notable is the Kamehameha Schools, with a net worth exceeding $6.5 billion. Next is the Queen Emma Trust, which owns valuable land in Waikiki and operates the Queen's Medical System. Also the Queen Liliuokalani Trust to help needy Hawaiian children, and the King Lunalilo Trust home for aged Hawaiians.
Beyond this, Hawaii's congressional delegation has won inclusion for Hawaiians in dozens of health, education and other benefit programs somewhat like those made available to Indians and Eskimos.
Hawaii's four members of Congress have long taken the position that they need a consensus of the population to be able to push for other special status. This consensus surely would need support from the state Legislature.
Tuesday: A final article
OHA Special
Rice vs. Cayetano arguments
Rice vs. Cayetano decision
Holo I Mua: Sovereignty Roundtable
A.A. Smyser is the contributing editor
and former editor of the the Star-Bulletin
His column runs Tuesday and Thursday.