OHA’s Kakaako plan won’t right historical wrongs

We Hawaiian beneficiaries respectfully disagree with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the un-Hawaiian plans for Kakaako Makai.

Historically, the Hawaiian beneficiaries have constantly scrutinized OHA. A quasi-state agency, whose assets were established to benefit the Native Hawaiian people, OHA has evolved into a shell game between itself and the state Legislature. The 5 percent of OHA’s corpus trust, which started with $181 million, provides grants to keep our Hawaiian community complacent.

But currently the OHA land holdings portfolio is really what is in question.

Kakaako Makai is central in this fable about Hawaiian beneficiaries receiving their much deserved benefits from the ceded lands. Native Hawaiian people know in their naau that this wrong cannot be made right with Kakaako Makai. Justice delayed is unconscionable injustice. Development there will have no returns for about a decade.

Legislators have asked clarifying questions in hearings, and OHA has testified that they knew the lands they had accepted were not equal to what they were owed; that they would need to change a restrictive zoning law against building residentials in the area; that there is no plan B for attaining the appraised, promised value, if an exemption is not granted; and that (like other properties in the area) the condos will be sold to the highest bidder.

End of story.

The Kakaako land deal settled the $200 million owed to OHA with a highly polluted landfill, a brown field which sits in a tsunami inundation zone.

The current administration inhibits Hawaiians by restricting access to critical information and continues to limit our participation by saying, "We are acting on behalf of the Hawaiian beneficiaries," again without assessment of the mana‘o of the people.

OHA hypocritically postures that it is ultimately phasing out. However, it is stampeding lahui on Kakaako as they are on nationhood, with biased information to the detriment of all. Furthermore, Kakaako is being used to incite division among Hawaiians and the community at large.

True Hawaiians malama and aloha ‘aina, give respect and reverence to kupuna and support the protection of kuleana and rights of their neighbors in the wider community.

Hawaiian beneficiaries today can choose their future. Do we uphold Hawaiian values, enlighten the lahui through education, gather and share our mana‘o to create a new reform, something that will truly belong organically to the Hawaiian nation?

The lahui should decide its destiny.

Gather with your ohana and your Hawaiian organizations. Discuss the options Hawaiians have. We deserve the right to choose intelligently, to know all the projected outcomes and to decide through complete education. May ke akua and aloha guide our decisions.

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Lela Hubbard, Hank Fergerstrom and Robert Keaweaheulu Brown are Native Hawaiian kupuna, who submitted this on behalf of their respective groups: Na Koa Ikaika, Na Kupuna Moku O Keawe and Na Kupuna Moku O Ka Kuhihewa.