Hawaiians should not resent that non-Hawaiians can now vote for Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees, says Roy Benham, an at-large OHA candidate. OHA’s future
discussed at forumCandidates were urged not
Cemetery purchase considered
to resent non-Hawaiian votersBy Pat Omandam
pomandam@starbulletin.comRather, Benham said, non-Hawaiians should be apprised of what is being done with taxpayer money that goes to the state agency, and trustees should be responsive to their concerns.
"We should keep them informed and let them know what issues ... affect them," said the retired Kamehameha Schools teacher.
Benham was among a dozen candidates who spoke last night at an OHA candidate forum organized by the Oahu Council of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs.
Five of nine seats on the OHA board are up for election in three key races: an at-large race where the top three candidates are elected, the Maui seat and the Oahu seat.
Twenty-three candidates are running for the five seats, and all will need the support of non-Hawaiian voters to win.
"This is an extremely critical period for the Hawaiian people," said Jalna Keala, Oahu Council president.
Adrian K. Kamalii, an at-large candidate, told the small crowd gathered at the state Capitol auditorium that OHA must take its work out to the community, rather than just having the community come to it with its problems. He said the "egocentric" mind-set that exists on the board needs to be changed.
Two current trustees up for re-election also said OHA needs to change how it does business. John Waihee IV, an at-large trustee, said he has discovered during his two years on the board that OHA is limited in its scope and that the system needs to change to help all Hawaiians.
Oswald Stender, another at-large trustee up for re-election, added the agency's current committee structure hinders OHA's effectiveness. The former Bishop Estate trustee said he would like to see all of OHA's standing committees eliminated in favor of letting the administration run OHA while trustees set policy and direction.
"I learned a lot about that (micromanagement) at the Bishop Estate," Stender said.
Candidate Charles Nakoa, retired executive director of the Queen Liliuokalani Children's Center, said ceded-lands revenues and the legal challenges to OHA are the agency's top priority.
Nevertheless, he said, he wants to see OHA go back to its original mission of understanding and focusing on the needs of the Hawaiian people.
Candidate Darrow Aiona, a retired pastor who served on the state Board of Education for 22 years, said the OHA board, which has had its share of public battles, can no longer be the laughingstock of the community.
OHA must work to bring all the Hawaiian agencies together for the good of the native community, he said.
"I want OHA to gain respect," Aiona said.
Office of Hawaiian Affairs
