Aloha e nā hoa,

The Hawaiian Affairs Caucus will hold its quarterly general membership meeting on Wednesday, April 12, 2017, 5:30 p.m., at the Democratic Party of Hawaii Headquarters.    The meeting is open to all Democrats, but only members in good standing of the Party may vote. If you’re unable to be there in person, you may call in to this conference line:

Dial-in number: (563) 999-2090
Access code: 544701

Guest Speaker:

Senator Brickwood Galuteria

Over 80 bills and/or resolutions directly impacting on Native Hawaiian were introduced at this year’s Legislature.   Senator Galuteria will give us an insight into the background of some of those bills/resolutions.  Three are of particular interest:

SR33/SCR85, Requesting the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to Convene a Task Force of Hawaiian Leaders, Legal Scholars, and a Broad Representation of Members of the Hawaiian Community to Review and Consider Whether its Fiduciary Duty to Better the Conditions of Hawaiians and Manage its Resources to Meet the Needs of Hawaiian Beneficiaries would be Better Served by Having Trustees Appointed Rather than Elected.   

HCR80 HD1, Requesting the Department of Land and Natural Resources to Establish a Working Group to Study the Potential Transfer of Management and Maintenance of the Royal Mausoleum at Mauna‘ala to One or More Appropriate Nonprofit Organizations.

SCR 153/SCR192, Requesting the Governor to Issue a Proclamation to Designate January 2018 to January 2019 as the Year of the Hawaiian and Requesting the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to Study and Recommend to the Legislature a Plan to Celebrate the Year of the Hawaiian.

Nominations and election to fill the vacant Oahu male delegate at large position will also be held.  Additionally, as provided by our bylaws, the Executive Committee recommends the nomination of Pohai Ryan and Raytan Vares to fill the vacancies of SCC Female and Male representatives of our caucus for the remainder of the term not to exceed March 2018.  Lastly, we shall discuss the O‘ahu County Committee Convention.

Please arrive early to enable the meeting to start at 5:30 p.m.  Questions may be directed to Leimomi Khan, Chair, at 372-0630, or email leimomikhan@gmail.com.

Aloha e nā hoa,

The Hawaiian Affairs Caucus will hold its quarterly general membership meeting on Wednesday, January 11, 2017, 5:30 p.m., at ILWU (451 Atkinson Drive).  You are urged to attend. If you’re unable to be there in person, you may call in to this conference line:

The agenda includes a discussion and approval of HAC’s legislative priorities for the 2017 legislative session, and possibly a presentation from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands on their legislative priorities. The HAC executive committee met last week and have endorsed the following:

1. DHHL
   1. 2017-2019 budget requests
   2. Independent legal counsel
   3. Adding the Chairperson (or designee) for the State Commission on Water Resource Management
2. OHA
   1. 2017-2019 budget requests
3. Funding for the Aha Moku Advisory Committee
4. Funding for the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission
5. Funding for the King Kamehameha Celebration Commission
6. Funding for the 2020 Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture in Hawaiʻi
7. Funding for the NERRS Project in Heʻeia
8. Support the protection of Hawaiian historic and sacred sites
9. Support for a full inventory study of ceded lands
10. Support for a fair distribution of public land trust revenues to Native Hawaiians
11. Support for a streamlined permitting process for the restoration of Hawaiian loʻi
12. Support for increased affordable housing across Hawaiʻi
13. Support for automatic voter registration
14. Support for increased funding of public schools
15. Support for continuing education programs in public higher education

* For consideration by the general membership: lowering the blood quantum for successors of DHHL lessees from 25% to 3.25% (1/32nd).

Please arrive early as the meeting will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m.

Mahalo,
Hawaiian Affairs Caucus

Aloha e nā hoa,

The Hawaiian Affairs Caucus has rescheduled its quarterly meeting so as not to conflict with the grand opening of the Democratic Party of Hawaii headquarters and the third and final Presidential debate tomorrow. The meeting will now be onWednesday, October 26, 2016, 6:00 p.m., at ILWU (451 Atkinson Drive). You are urged to attend. If you’re unable to be there in person, you may call in to this conference line:

Agenda includes a presentation on the Constitution of the Native Hawaiian Nation by Kaleiʻāina Lee and Rebecca Soon, an update on the various issues the Executive Committee has been working on, and the election of two Oʻahu county-at-large officers to the HAC Executive Committee. Additionally, members are encouraged to bring up any proposals for the 2017 legislative agenda, for example, in education, housing, health, etc.

For Oʻahu HAC members, if you’re interested in running for one of the Oʻahu county-at-large positions, contact Secretary Rhonda Roldan by responding to this email.

The meeting will begin promptly at 6:00 p.m. So that we may have a sense of how many members are planning to attend, please RSVP by Oct 20 to, Hawaiian.Affairs.Caucus@gmail.com. If you are also available to help with set up and cleanup, please contact Raytan Vares (raytanv@gmail.com).

Mahalo,
Leimomi Khan
Chair

Election 2016, Endorsement of OHA Candidates: At its meeting on September 28, 2016, the Executive Committee voted to endorse Haunani Apoliona for OHA Trustee-at-Large and Robert Lindsey for OHA Hawaiʻi Island Trustee. Members of the Democratic Party are encouraged to vote for these candidates. Their position on Hawaiian self-governance is consistent with the platform of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi and the resolution, “Support for the Naʻi Aupuni Hawaiian Nation-Building and the U.S. Department of Interior’s Rule-making Processes” adopted by the SCC at its quarterly meeting on October 24, 2015.

Mahalo,
Hawaiian Affairs Caucus

Aloha e nā hoa,

The Hawaiian Affairs Caucus will hold its quarterly general membership meeting on Wednesday, October 19, 2016, 6:00 p.m., at ILWU (451 Atkinson Drive).  You are urged to attend. If you’re unable to be there in person, you may call in to this conference line:

Agenda includes a presentation on the Constitution of the Native Hawaiian Nation, an update on the various issues the Executive Committee has been working on, and the election of two Oʻahu county-at-large officers to the HAC Executive Committee. Additionally, members are encouraged to bring up any proposals for the 2017 legislative agenda, for example, in education, housing, health, etc.

For Oʻahu HAC members, if you’re interested in running for one of the Oʻahu county-at-large positions, contact Secretary Rhonda Roldan by responding to this email.

The meeting will begin promptly at 6:00 p.m. So that we may have a sense of how many members are planning to attend, please RSVP by Oct 10 to, Hawaiian.Affairs.Caucus@gmail.com. If you are also available to help with set up and cleanup, please contact Raytan Vares (raytanv@gmail.com).

Election 2016, Endorsement of OHA Candidates: At its meeting on September 28, 2016, the Executive Committee voted to endorse Haunani Apoliona for OHA Trustee-at-Large and Robert Lindsey for OHA Hawaiʻi Island Trustee. Members of the Democratic Party are encouraged to vote for these candidates. Their position on Hawaiian self-governance is consistent with the platform of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi and the resolution, “Support for the Naʻi Aupuni Hawaiian Nation-Building and the U.S. Department of Interior’s Rule-making Processes” adopted by the SCC at its quarterly meeting on October 24, 2015.

Mahalo,
Hawaiian Affairs Caucus

The Hawaiian Affairs Caucus turned out in numbers yesterday to support OHA Chair Robert Lindsey in his bid for re-election to the Hawai‘i Island trustee spot. We support Uncle Bob!

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HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS CAUCUS CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE
INFORMED VOTERS MAKE SOUND DECISIONS

On July 3, 2016, the Hawaiian Affairs Caucus issued an invitation to all Democratic Party candidates to participate in its Candidate Questionnaire. The questionnaire asked for the candidate’s views about Hawaiian self-governance; the role of a legislator in supporting Native Hawaiian concerns; and specific legislation the candidate would be willing to propose or support to address Native Hawaiian concerns. Responses to the questions from the candidates listed below can be found at www.hawaiianaffairs.org. https://www.hawaiianaffairs.org/candidate-forum/candidates/

U.S. Senate

• Brian Schatz
• Miles Shiratori

U.S. Representative District 1

• Colleen Hanabusa
• Lei Ahu Isa
• Javier Ocasio
• Steve Tataii

State Senate

• District 2, Russell Ruderman
• District 5, Gil Keith-Agaran
• District 8, Kanoe Ahuna
• District 9, Michael Bennett, M.D.
• District 9, Stanley Chang
• District 13, Keone Nakoa
• District 13, Kim Coco Iwamoto
• District 14, Carl Campagna
• District 14, Donna Mercado Kim
• District 20, Mike Gabbard
• District 25, Randy Gonce
• District 25, Laura Thielen

State House

• District 3, Ainoa Naniole
• District 4, Joy San Buenaventura
• District 8, Richard Abbett
• District 11, Deidre Tegarden
• District 13, Lynn DeCoite
• District 14, Fern Anuenue Rosenstiel
• District 17, Karlen Ross
• District 20, Calvin Say
• District 22, Dennis Miller
• District 22, Tom Brower
• District 23, Dale Kobayashi
• District 24, Cody Carlos Rodrigues
• District 29, James Logue
• District 36, Zuri Aki
• District 40, Randy Gonce
• District 49, Patrick Kamakaniau Shea

Likewise, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs issued a questionnaire to candidates for OHA Trustee positions that posed three questions concerning improvements to the physical, mental and spiritual health of Native Hawaiians; strategy for achieving nation building; and use of mana to address contemporary, complex, and pressing issues, such as climate change, health and wealth disparities. Responses to the questionnaire can be found at www.oha.org, under the heading of Election Guide for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustees.

The Hawaiian Affairs Caucus urges all Democratic Party voters to avail themselves of these candidate responses. We hope that this will help the electorate to make informed, sound decisions at the primary and general elections. Mahalo to the candidates for taking the time to complete the questionnaire. Check back for updates at www.hawaiianaffairs.org.

The featured guest was Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa talking about the addition of a Native Hawaiian plank to the National Democratic Party Platform. Photos: Blaine Fergerstrom

Democratic Party Platform Committee Unanimously Passes Native Hawaiian Section

Democrat Colleen Hanabusa, Hawai‘i representative to the National Platform Committee, just advised via email: “The Caucus’ proposed language, with the following amendment to your first sentence, ‘Democrats also support efforts for self-governance and self-determination of Native Hawaiians. Native Hawaiians are the indigenous, aboriginal people of Hawai‘i whose values and culture are the foundation of the Hawaiian Islands. We support proactive actions by the federal government to enhance Native Hawaiian culture, health, language, and education. We recognize and honor the contributions and sacrifices made in  sevice to our country by Native Hawaiians,’ passed unanimously, just now.”

“We are grateful to Colleen Hanabusa for championing our proposal and to the 197 Platform Committee Members who voted unanimously to adopt it.  Mahalo, mahalo nui loa.”

Aloha e nā hoa,

The Hawaiian Affairs Caucus will be holding its quarterly general membership meeting on Wednesday, July 13, 2016, 6:00 p.m., at ILWU (451 Atkinson Drive).

Members are urged to attend. Amongst other agenda items, we will be electing county at-large officers to the HAC executive committee. If interested, contact Secretary Rhonda Roldan by responding to this email. The meeting will begin promptly at 6:00 p.m., followed by a Meet & Greet Social featuring Democrats running for political office at 7:00 p.m. For additional information, please see the below flyer. So that we may have a sense on the number of members planning to attend the meeting, please RSVP by July 10 to, hawaiian.affairs.caucus@gmail.com. If you are also available to help with setup and cleanup, please contact Raytan Vares (raytanv@gmail.com) or Pohai Ryan (pohaikaua@gmail.com).

Mahalo,
Hawaiian Affairs Caucus

 

2016 Democratic Candidates
Meet & Greet

Hosted by:

Wednesday, July 13, 2016, 7:00 p.m.

International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Office

451 Atkinson Dr., Honolulu, HI 96814

Refreshments will be served. Please join us!

*HAC general membership business will precede the Meet & Greet