#OHA

The reluctance to vote for OHA is a complicated mix of Native Hawaiians who don’t want to participate in an American election system, non-Hawaiians who feel like they shouldn’t decide the agency’s leaders and voters who simply don’t know what OHA does.

Office of Hawaiian Affairs launches the fund Friday, May 22, providing limited number of $10,000 repair grants; informational Zoom webinar set for 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 20.

Office of Hawaiian Affairs and its partners Culinary Institute of the Pacific and Culinary Institute of America are providing support by offering the 5-day intensive program at Kapiʻolani Community College in Honolulu and financial assistance.

The meeting will take place on O‘ahu, but it will be livestreamed, so anyone interested in listening in can be present.

This $6.1 million in emergency funding is designed to reach Native Hawaiian households who are most at risk and may not qualify for other state or federal assistance.

“When Hawaiians help Hawaiians, our aloha and pilina deepen,” said Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees Chairman Kaialiʻi “Kai” Kahele.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees met during an emergency session on Monday and directed the administration to work out details of the benefits program, including determining eligibility requirements and potential partnerships.

Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees chairperson, Big Island native and former U.S. congressman back in nation’s capital speaking with federal officials and members of Hawaiʻi’s congressional delegation; will also attend President Donald Trump’s address Tuesday to a joint session of Congress.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, a semi-autonomous state agency, is made up of nine elected officials who serve four-year terms.

Projects that received funding were designed to strengthen Hawaiian cultural identity, support instruction in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, encourage ʻāina stewardship, prepare students for career readiness and help reintegrate those emerging from the justice system.

In a speech recorded in Hilo, Kai Kahele shared his vision for a more equitable and just Hawaiʻi, reaffirming his commitment to serving the Native Hawaiian community.

From April 3 to 6, OHA will host cultural workshops, panel discussions and a parade float to celebrate mauka to makai connections, honor ʻike kūpuna and the resilience of Native Hawaiian culture.

The Big Island woman will oversee OHA’s Beneficiary Services division.

Act 255 charged the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority with being the principal State agency with responsibility for managing the Mauna Kea lands.

The grant will help to reinforce and strengthen Native Hawaiians’ connections to moʻomeheu (culture) and support OHA’s work in quality housing, economic stability, and health outcomes.

Kanu o ka ʻĀina New Century Public Charter School will administer funds to engage students and families in improving educational outcomes.

Since 2005, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has provided more than $21.5 million in per pupil grant funding to 17 Hawaiian-focused public charter schools.

An Economic Stability grant of $500,000 was awarded to the Homestead Community Development Corporation for its statewide Residential Employment Living Improvement Project, which would provide experiential employment opportunities and training including job placement services for an estimated 95 Native Hawaiians.

The data show the continental Native Hawaiian population is growing five times faster than the Native Hawaiian population in Hawaiʻi.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees approved a $1.5 million grant to Hawaiian Community Assets to enhance the financial capacity of Native Hawaiians in accessing housing.