Kā ka luna hoʻoponopono nota: Unuhi ʻia na Ākea Kahikina. Click here to read this article in English.

WAKINEKONA — I ka ʻAhaʻōlelo lāhui e hoʻopau ana i ka hana ma kēia makahiki, ke hoʻāʻo nei ke Kenekoa no Hawaiʻi ʻo Brian Schatz e hoʻopaʻa i kekahi ʻaelike nui i hiki ke lawe mai ke kālā hou he mau ʻumi miliona no ka hoʻohale ʻana i nā Kānaka Maoli i kēia kekeke aʻe. 

Ka Ulana Pilina Badge Olelo Hawaii

Akā, he pono ko ia nei hoʻokele ʻana i kekahi hihia he mau hanauna ma Kalolaina ʻĀkau i pili i kekahi lāhui ʻōiwi ʻAmelika i hele a ʻāʻumeʻume ma ka ʻimi ʻana he 130 mau makahiki a ʻoi i nā pono kūlana pekelala.

Ua hoʻi nā mea kau kānāwai i Wakinekona i kēia pule no ka hālāwai hakanele, a mahuʻi ʻia, e nui aʻe ana ka hana ma laila ma muli o ka hoʻāʻo ʻana o nā Kemokalaka e hoʻopau i kā lākou papahana koʻikoʻi ma mua o ka hoʻolilo ʻana o ko lākou mana ma luna o ka ʻAha Lunamakaʻāinana i nā Lepupalika ma Ianuali. 

Iā luna o ka papahele, aia nō kekahi pila uku i hui ai nā pila ʻē aʻe, a na ia pila uku e hoʻonohonoho i ka palena o ka nui kālā no ke keʻena a e hōʻalo i ka pani ʻokoʻa ʻia ʻana o ke aupuni. 

I loko nō o ka hoʻoholo ʻia ʻana o ke kūkākūkā ʻana, lana ko Schatz manaʻo, e hoʻohana ʻia kēlā pila no ka hoʻāpono hou ʻana iā Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act, ʻo ia hoʻi ka mea i pau akula ma ka makahiki 2013. 

Senator Brian Schatz listens during a field hearing held at the East West Center Auditorium.
Ke hoʻāʻo nei ke Kenekoa no Hawaiʻi ʻo Brian Schatz e hoʻopaʻa i kekahi ʻaelike no ka lawe ʻia ʻana mai o ke kālā he mau miliona i ka Mokuʻāina Aloha no ka hoʻohale ʻana i nā Kānaka Maoli.  Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

“ʻO ka hoʻāpono ʻana i kekahi pila, ua pili nō ia i ka ʻimi ʻana i nā kānaka nāna e kūʻēʻē i ia pila a me ka hoʻākāka ʻana i ko lākou manaʻo kūʻēʻē,” wahi a Schatz. “Ua mōakāka leʻa ia, he ala kaʻawili nō kēia ma ka hoʻokele ʻana. ʻĀnō, ua pae mākou i ka ʻaoʻao ʻē aʻe, a ke ʻimi nei mākou e holoholo kaʻa a hiki i kēia pila aʻe e ʻāpono ʻia.”

ʻO NAHASDA, nāna e hāʻawi i nā kālā he mau haneli miliona i kēlā me kēia makahiki i nā aupuni lāhui, e laʻa me ke Keʻena o Nā ʻĀina Kūʻonoʻono Hawaiʻi no ke kākoʻo ʻana i ka hoʻohale ʻana me ke kumukūʻai pono a me ka ʻōnaepuni. 

I loko nō o ko ka ʻAhaʻōlelo lāhui hoʻokaʻawale ʻana i ke kālā i nā polokalamu NAHASDA ma hope o kona pau ʻana, ʻaʻole pēlā ka hana no DHHL. Ua ʻike ke keʻena i ka hoʻololi nui ʻia ʻana o kona nui kālā ma o kēia mau makahiki i hala aku nei, mai $10 miliona a ʻaʻohe kālā, a laila, ua nui hou aʻe. 

I kēlā makahiki aku nei, ʻo Schatz, ʻo ia ka mea e noho ana ma ke Appropriations Committee, ua hoʻopaʻa ʻo ia i $22 miliona kālā hou no ke keʻena, a ua kākoʻo kēia kālā i ka hoʻoponopono ʻana i ke kālā i nalowale akula. 

“ʻO ka mea a ka hoʻāpono hou ʻana e hāʻawi mai ana, ʻo ia ka palekana,” wahi a Tyler Gomes, ʻo ka hope alakaʻi o DHHL.” “ʻOiai, he kaʻina hana like ʻole ko NAHASDA i kēlā me kēia makahiki, ʻaʻole hiki iā mākou ke hoʻolālā ma hope aku o hoʻokahi a ʻelua mau makahiki, no ka mea, ʻaʻole paʻa ka manaʻo i ka loaʻa ʻana o ke kālā no NAHASDA iā mākou i kēia makahiki aʻe.” 

ʻO ka hoʻāpono hou ʻana, ʻo ia ka mea e hoʻopaʻa i ke kālā no 10 mau makahiki a ʻoi, wahi āna, a ʻo ko DHHL hiki akula nō ia ke hoʻolālā me ka mōakāka i ke ʻano kūpono e uku ʻia ai ke kālā no nā mea i hoʻokahu ʻia. 

“Inā makemake ʻoe e hoʻoponopono i ka pōpilikia hoʻohale, pono ke kahe ʻana o ke kumu waiwai me he koko lā ma ke aʻa.”  — Robin Danner, Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations

Ua hāʻawi ʻia maila ʻo DHHL i ke kālā e NAHASDA i ka makahiki 2002 ma hope o ko ka ʻAhaʻōlelo lāhui hoʻāpono ʻana i ka pākuʻi hoʻololi ʻana i ke kānāwai no ka hoʻokomo ʻana i nā Kānaka Maoli. No kekahi kekeke a ʻoi, ua loaʻa mai iā DHHL ke kālā he $10 miliona a ʻoi i kēlā me kēia makahiki ma o ka polokalamu. 

Ua hoʻopau ʻia ia kālā ma ka makahiki 2016, ma hope o ko DHHL hoʻohalahala ʻia ʻana ma muli o ko lākou uku ʻole ʻana i ke kālā i hāʻawi ʻia iā lākou. 

Wahi a Gomes, ua mālama ke keʻena i ke kālā he $70 miliona ma kekahi waihona keu ma kahi o ka uku ʻia ʻana o ke kālā no nā mea i hoʻokahu ʻia. 

Ma ke ʻano he pane, ʻaʻole i hoʻokaʻawale ka ʻAhaʻōlelo lāhui i hoʻokahi kālā no NAHASDA i ke keʻena ma ka makahiki 2016. Mai laila aku, ua loaʻa mai iā DHHL ke kālā he $2 miliona i kēlā me kēia makahiki a hiki i ko Schatz hoʻonui ʻana aʻe i ka hoʻokaʻawale ʻana ma ka makahiki 2022. 

Robin Danner Farrington HS forum. 11 nov 2016
Wahi a Robin Danner, hiki i ka hoʻāpono hou ʻia ʻana o NAHASDA ke kālai hou i ka ʻāina no nā Kānaka Maoli i hoʻokahu ʻia, ʻo ia hoʻi nā mea e ʻimi ana i ka hale ma ka pae ʻāina.  Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2016

“ʻO koʻu manaʻolana, ʻo ia hoʻi ka hoʻāpono hou ʻana, ka hoʻopaʻa ʻia ʻana o ka nui kālā e ʻike ʻia nei, a me ka ka hoʻomau ʻia ʻana me ka hoʻonui ʻia ʻana o ke kālā i kēia wā e hiki mai ana,” wahi a Gomes. 

ʻAʻole ʻo ia nei ke kanaka wale nō e nānā pono ana i kā Schatz hana ʻana. 

ʻO Robin Danner, ʻo ia ka luna noho o ka Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations, a ke noho nei ʻo ia ma D.C., a wahi āna, ua hoʻokomo ke kenekoa no Hawaiʻi i ka ʻōlelo koʻikoʻi ma ka pila nāna e hoʻākea ana i ka polokama hōʻaiʻē ʻo HUD no nā mea i hoʻokahu ʻia me nā nui kālā he ʻuʻuku. 

Ma lalo o ke kānāwai kūikawā, ʻāpono ʻia nā ʻaiʻē no ka ʻāina ma luna o ko DHHL ʻāina wale nō. Akā, inā hoʻāpono hou ʻia ʻo NAHASDA, e ʻāpono ʻia kēlā mau mea i hoʻokahu ʻia e loaʻa ai nā ʻaiʻē iā lākou no ka ʻāina ma o ka mokuʻāina, a hiki i kēia ke hoʻākea i ka mākeke hale no nā kānaka e kali ana i ka ʻāina hoʻokūʻonoʻono. 

“Inā makemake ʻoe e hoʻoponopono i ka pōpilikia hoʻohale, pono ke kahe ʻana o ke kumu waiwai me he koko lā ma ke aʻa,” wahi a Danner. “Hiki i kēia mea ke hana me he aʻa hou lā e kahe ai ke kumu waiwai ma o ko Hawaiʻi hoʻokele waiwai no ke kūkulu ʻana a me ke kūʻai ʻana mai i ka hale.”

He Politika Ko Laila

ʻAʻole paʻa ka loaʻa ʻana o ka lei o ka lanakila iā Schatz. Ua hāpai ʻē ʻia nā pila no ka hoʻāpono hou ʻana iā NAHASDA i kēlā me kēia ʻAhaʻōlelo lāhui, a ʻo ke eo ihola nō ia o kēlā me kēia pila. 

ʻĀnō, ua nui nā ālaina āna e ʻalo ai ma nā ʻaoʻao ʻelua o ke alahele āna e hoʻokele nei. 

Ma ka ʻAha Lunamakaʻāinana, ʻo ka Lunamakaʻāinana ʻo Maxine Waters, ʻo ia ka luna noho Kemokalaka o ka House Financial Services Committee, a nāna i hōʻike akula i kekahi ālaina nui. 

He leo paipai nui ko Waters no ka Freedmen, ʻo ia nā mamo o nā kauā Pāʻele i hoʻopaʻahao ʻia e nā Lāhui ʻElima, e laʻa me ka Cherokee, ka Choctaw, ka Chickasaw, ka Muscogee, a me ka Seminole. Ma Iulai o ka makahiki 2021, ua mālama ʻo ia i kekahi hālāwai i pili ka hoʻāpono hou ʻia ʻana o NAHASDA, a ma laila nō ʻo ia i hāpai aʻe ai i kona leo hopohopo i ka hoʻokae ʻili ʻana o nā aupuni lāhui i ka Freedmen, ʻoiai, ʻaʻole lākou i hāʻawi ʻia i nā pono kupa lāhui a me nā pono keu. 

Ua hāpai aʻe hoʻi ʻo ia i ka manaʻo, e kāohi ʻia ke kālā pekelala no ka hoʻohale ʻana mai nā lāhui nāna e hāʻawi ʻole aku ana i ka Freedmen i ka pono kupa lāhui. 

“Pili kēia kūlia i ke kūpono a me ke kaulike,” wahi a Waters ma kēlā wā. “ʻO ka hoʻokae ʻili ʻana o kekahi hui hapa iki i kekahi hui hapa iki ʻē aʻe, ʻaʻole nō kūpono ia. A, ma koʻu wā e luna noho ana no kēia kōmike, ʻaʻole nō wau e kākoʻo ana i kēia hana.” 

Wahi a Schatz, ua lilo ʻo Waters i hoa kākoʻo, ma muli paha o ko ia nei ʻae ʻoluʻolu ʻana i ka hoʻoponopono pololei ʻana i ka hihia i pili i ka Freedmen ma o kona mālama ʻana i kona hālāwai ponoʻī i pili i kēia hihia ma ka Indian Affairs Committee.

Eia naʻe, he mau ālaina kona ma ka ʻAha Kenekoa. 

DHHL sign
Hiki i ke Keʻena o Nā ʻĀīna Hoʻokūʻonoʻono Hawaiʻi ke loaʻa mai nā kālā hou he mau miliona i kēlā me kēia makahiki, inā hoʻāpono hou ʻia ʻo NAHASDA.  DHHL

ʻO nā kenekoa Lepupalika ʻo Thom Tillis lāua ʻo Richard Burr, no Kalolaina ʻĀkau lāua, a ʻo lāua nō ka nui o nā ālaina ma ka hoʻāpono ʻia ʻana o kāna pila. 

Wahi a kekahi mau kānaka i kamaʻāina i ke kūkākūkā ʻana, ua ālai ʻo Tillis lāua ʻo Burr i nā māhele koʻikoʻi o nā pila i pili i ka ʻāina ʻInikini, e laʻa me ka hoʻāpono hou ʻana iā NAHASDA, ma ke ʻano he kaʻakālai makepono no ka hoʻopaʻa ʻana i ka ʻike pekelala ʻia ʻana o ka Lumbee Tribe, ʻo ia ka lāhui e noho ana ma ko lāua mokuʻāina home. 

Palapala pono ʻia nā hihia o ka Lumbee, a ʻo ka lāhui — he 60,000 lākou — ke hoʻāʻo nei lākou no nā makahiki he 130 a ʻoi no ka loaʻa ʻana mai nā pono pekelala iā lākou i ʻāpono ʻia i nā lāhui ʻē aʻe i ʻike ʻia. 

Kākoʻo nā pelekikena ʻo Barack Obama, ʻo Donald Trump, a me Joe Biden i ka ʻike pekelala ʻia ʻana o ka Lumbee, a i kēlā makahiki aku nei, ua koho balota ka ʻAha Lunamakaʻāīnana i nā balota he 357-59 no ka ʻāpono ʻana i ko lākou kūlana he lāhui kūhelu a me ko lākou pono keu. 

Eia naʻe, ma ka ʻAha Kenekoa nō i holo pono ʻole ai ka lanakila. 

Ma o nā makahiki i hala akula, he mau papahana paipai ko laila e hoʻohihia ana i ka noi a ka Lumbee no ke kūlana pekelala, keu hoʻi ma ka Eastern Band of Cherokee e noho pū ana ma Kalolaina ʻĀkau. Pēlā pū ka hana a nā lāhui ʻē aʻe. 

“Ke hana nui nei nō wau i ka mea i hiki ke ʻāpono ʻia, a ʻaʻole hiki ke ʻike leʻa i ke ʻano o ka pila e ʻāpono ʻia ana,” — U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz

ʻO ke kumu o ke kūʻēʻē, ua pohihihi nō ia, a ua pili hoʻi ia i nā pilikia he nui, e laʻa me ka hopohopo i ka hoʻokūkū casino ʻana, ka hoʻokaʻawale ʻia ʻana o nā kumu waiwai pekelala, a me ke ʻano kikoʻī o kēlā me kēia lāhui. Wahi a kekahi mau kānaka, ʻaʻole hiki i ka Lumbee ke hoʻopili i ko lākou moʻokūʻauhau i kekahi lāhui ʻōiwi ʻAmelika ʻē aʻe. 

ʻO ka mea nui, ʻo ia nō ka helu o nā hoihoi e kūʻēʻē ana kekahi i kekahi, a na kēia hoihoi kūʻēʻē e pahu ana a e ʻōhiki ana i nā mea kau kānāwai ma ʻō a ma ʻaneʻi i kēlā me kēia wā e kūkākūkā ʻia ai kēia kumuhana. 

Wahi a Schatz, kākoʻo ʻo ia i ke kūlana pekelala no ka Lumbee, akā, hoʻomaopopo ʻo ia, ʻaʻole kākoʻo pū kona mau hoa hana a pau. 

Kūʻēʻē ʻo ia i kekahi o nā manaʻo i hāpai aʻela no ka hōʻole ʻana i ka lāhui e loaʻa ke kūlana pekelala iā lākou, a wahi āna, he pono kēia kūlana no lākou. 

“He moʻolelo ko ka Lumbee ma ka hoʻokaeʻili ʻia ʻana,” wahi a Schatz. “Nui nā lālā Pāʻele o ka lāhui Lumbee, a he paipai kālaiʻāina ko waho e hāwanawana ana, ʻʻAʻole lākou he ʻInikini,’ a pailua wau i kēlā manaʻo ʻoiaʻiʻo ʻole.” 

“ʻAʻole i pane maila nā keʻena o Tills lāua ʻo Burr i ka noi ʻana a Civil Beat no ka hāpai manaʻo ʻana.

Wahi a Schatz, lana nō kona manaʻo, e hoʻopaʻa ana ʻo ia i ka ʻaelike me kona mau hoa kenekoa, akā, ʻike ʻo ia, he pono ke kuʻikahi pū ʻana o nā hui like ʻole. 

“Penei ke ʻano o ke kēia ʻano mea, ʻaʻohe mea e ʻaelike ʻia a hiki i ka ʻaelike ʻia ʻana o nā mea pau, no laila, ke hana nei mākou i kekahi ʻaelike pae honua i hiki ke hoʻopaʻa i ka hoʻāpono ʻia ʻana o NAHASDA a me nā pila ʻē aʻe a ke kōmike i nānā ʻē ʻia,” wahi a Schatz. “Ke hana nui nei nō wau i ka mea i hiki ke ʻāpono ʻia, a ʻaʻole hiki ke ʻike leʻa i ke ʻano o ka pila e ʻāpono ʻia ana.”

Ua kākoʻo ʻia kēia papahana e ka ʻOhana o Harry Nathaniel, Levani Lipton, ka ʻOhana Mar, a me Lisa Kleissner.

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