The Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ top administrator is recommending a six-month to nine-month delay in its nation-building process to conduct further education about the issues surrounding the establishment of a Hawaiian government.

In addition, OHA CEO Kamana’opono Crabbe on Thursday offered two alternative options for adding people to the list of those who would participate in the nation-building:

>> Including those who have signed up for the OHA Registry Program, which provides those who can prove their Hawaiian heritage with an official card that verifies ancestry.

>> Starting a new registration process separate from OHA.

The OHA trustees on Thursday held a public hearing on the nation-building process. The trustees said they would not make a decision on Crabbe’s proposals until later.

As it stands now, May 1 was the final day to register to participate in the nation-building effort, and the official roll is expected to be certified by the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission next month.

The current timeline calls for the election of delegates in September. A convention, or ‘aha, to draft a governing document, would happen in October or November. An up-or-down vote on the document would be held in January with only those listed on the official roll eligible to vote.