Office of Hawaiian Affairs

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Office of Hawaiian Affairs
Agency overview
Formed1978 (1978)
Headquarters560 N. Nimitz Hwy
Honolulu, Hawaii
Agency executives
Websiteoha.org

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) is a self-governing corporate body of the State of Hawaii created by the 1978 Hawaii State Constitutional Convention.[2][3]

OHA's mandate is to advance the education, health, housing and economics (Kānaka Maoli) Native Hawaiians. It relies on ʻohana, moʻomeheu and ʻāina to effect change. OHA conducts research and advocacy to shape public policies. OHA works with communities to share information and build public support for Hawaiian issues.[4]

OHA was given control over certain public lands, and acquired other land-holdings for the provision of housing, supporting agriculture, and supporting cultural institutions.[5] The lands initially given to OHA were originally crown lands of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, which had gone through various forms of public ownership since the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

OHA is a semi-autonomous government body administered by a nine-member board of trustees, elected by the people of the State of Hawaiʻi through popular suffrage.

Background

In 1893, pro-American elements in Hawaii

Ceded lands (lands once owned by the Hawaiian kingdom monarchy) were transferred from the federal government to the State of Hawaii for the "betterment of the conditions of the native Hawaiians".[8] In 1978 the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) was created in response to the growing Hawaiian sovereignty movement of the 1970s[9] to manage that portion of the ceded lands allotted to Hawaiian Homelands, advance the lifestyle of Native Hawaiians, preserve Hawaiian culture and protect Native Hawaiian rights. It was established during the 1978 state constitutional convention[10] Government funding has created programs, schools, scholarships and teaching curriculums through OHA.[8] Many of these organizations, agencies and trusts like OHA, have had a good deal of legal issues over the years. In the US Supreme court case; "Rice v. Cayetano", OHA was accused of violating the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to the United States constitution with voting provisions that were race-based. The court found for the plaintiff that OHA had violated the fifteenth amendment. OHA has also been questioned for programs and services to Hawaiians of less than the fifty percent, required blood quantum (The minimum requirement to qualify for Hawaiian Homelands).[8]

Board of trustees

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is governed by an elected board of nine trustees.

United States Supreme Court ruling in the case of Rice v. Cayetano that non-Hawaiians could not be excluded from the election process, including the right of non-Hawaiians to run for such an office.[12] Trustees are elected to a four-year term by general election of Hawaii registered voters.[13] The board of trustees generally meets twice a month.[14]

The constitution adds, "The board of trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs shall exercise power as provided by law: to manage and administer the proceeds from the sale or other disposition of the lands, natural resources, minerals and income derived from whatever sources for native Hawaiians and Hawaiians, including all income and proceeds from that pro rata portion of the trust referred to in section 4 of this article for native Hawaiians; to formulate policy relating to affairs of native Hawaiians and Hawaiians; and to exercise control over real and personal property set aside by state, federal or private sources and transferred to the board for native Hawaiians and Hawaiians. The board shall have the power to exercise control over the Office of Hawaiian Affairs through its executive officer, the administrator of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, who shall be appointed by the board.[11] On January 30, 1989 the board of trustees agreed that salaries should be consistent with other departments of the State of Hawaii.[15]

Current Board of Trustees[16]
Trustee Constituency Leadership Position First Elected Current Term Ends
Carmen Hulu Lindsey Maui Chair 2012 2024
Mililani Trask Hawaiʻi Island Vice-Chair 2022 2026
Dan Ahuna Kauaʻi & Niʻihau 2012 2024
Kalei Akaka Oʻahu 2018 2026
Keli‘i Akina At-Large 2016 2024
Luana Alapa Molokaʻi & Lānaʻi 2020 2024
Brickwood Galuteria At-Large 2022 2026
Keoni Souza At-Large 2022 2026
John D. Waiheʻe IV At-Large 2000 2024

See also

References

  1. ^ Hiraishi, Ku'uwehi (2 November 2023). "Who is Stacy Ferreira? Meet the new CEO at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs". Hawaii Public Radio. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  2. ISBN 978-90-04-26172-3
    .
  3. ^ No. 07-1372 State of Hawaii v. OHA Brief of the Sovereign Councils of the Hawaiian Homelands Assembly, Na'a'ahuhiwa, the Native Hawaiian Bar Association Hui Kako'o 'Aina Ho'o Pula'pulai, and 'ahahui o Hawaii as AMICI CURIAE in support of respondents (Report). University of Hawaiʻi School of Law Library. Footnote 4. The Hawaii Supreme Court has described OHA as a 'self-governing corporate body'…
  4. ^ "What We Do". The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA). Retrieved 2024-02-04.
  5. ^ Boyd, Manu (July 3, 2006). "OHA gains Waimea Valley title". Honolulu, HI, USA: Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Archived from the original on September 27, 2006. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
  6. ^ "The Spanish–American War, 1898". Office of the Historian. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  7. ISBN 978-0-387-73285-5
    .
  8. ^
    ISBN 978-1-4833-1713-7
    .
  9. ISBN 90-411-0439-9
    .
  10. ISBN 978-1-59213-123-5
    .
  11. ^
    ISBN 978-0-313-27950-8
    .
  12. ISBN 978-1-4696-0217-2
    .
  13. ^ United States. Congress. House. Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. Subcommittee on National Parks and Insular Affairs (1980). To Establish the Native Hawaiians Study Commission: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on National Parks and Insular Affairs of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, House of Representatives, Ninety-sixth Congress, First Session, on H.R. 5791 ... in Honolulu, Hawaii, December 22, 1979. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 171.
  14. ^ "Board of Trustees (BOT) Meetings". Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Office of Hawaiian Affairs. January 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2017. OHA's Board of Trustees (BOT) meets regularly, usually twice a month on Thursdays
  15. ^ Administration of Native Hawaiian Home Lands: August 11, 1989, Hilo Hawaii. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1990. p. 270.
  16. ^ "Board of Trustees". The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA). Retrieved 2024-04-07.

External links

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