Grassroot Institute Calls on OHA Trustees to Own Up for CEO Comments

News Release from Grassroot Institute

HONOLULU, Hawaii—May 10, 2014—The trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs have embarrassed the State of Hawaii and must be held accountable for recent statements in a letter by its CEO to the U.S. Department of State questioning the legitimacy of American and Hawaii State sovereignty in the Hawaiian islands. 

The letter was ostensibly motivated by legal questions "..that stem from an illegal and prolonged occupation by the United States as a result of the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom government."   Although the trustees have rescinded the May 5th letter from OHA CEO Kamanao Crabbe to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, the board's policy of pursuing the establishment of a sovereign government of Native Hawaiians may be consistent with the questioning of American and Hawaii State sovereignty. 

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission are on record for requiring applicants for the Native Hawaiian Roll to "...affirm the unrelinquished sovereignty of the Hawaiian people."   OHA's own promotion of "Nation-building" efforts is premised upon the same historical arguments of Keanu Sai presented by Crabbe in the letter as grounds for questioning the legitimacy of the Hawaii State Government.  Thus, while distancing themselves from the letter of OHA's CEO, the trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs have propagated policies that would naturally give rise to such a letter.

Keli'i Akina, Ph.D., president of the Grassroot Institute says: "How embarrassing and offensive that sitting government officials on the board of OHA should allow for the questioning of US and Hawaii state sovereignty in the Hawaiian Islands.  We call upon the trustees of OHA to take responsibility themselves for giving rise to the confusion evident among the staff of OHA and throughout the community.  We also call upon all voters in the State of Hawaii to exercise their right and duty to hold government agencies such as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs accountable as we go to the polls in 2014."

The ultimate responsibility of OHA's trustees for the views expressed in CEO Crabbe's letter is evident upon close reading. Apparently, Crabbe does not consider his views to be personal but representative of the leaders of OHA and the leadership of the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission.  He writes, "My executive staff, as public officials, carry out the policies and directives of the Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs."  He also cites a panel discussion and presentation at the University of Hawaii Richardson School of Law, involving John Waihee III, Chairman of the Roll Commission, as authoritative for the claims in his letter.

The letter from OHA CEO Kamanao Crabbe to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry can be read in its entirety here.

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About the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii:

Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, the free market, and limited, accountable government throughout Hawai`i and the Asia-Pacific region.  Read more about us at http://www.grassrootinstitute.org/

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About Grassroot President:

Dr. Akina is a recognized scholar, educator, public policy spokesperson, and community leader. In 2012, he was a candidate for the non-partisan position of Trustee in the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.  Akina has decades-long experience leading non-profit organizations including Youth for Christ Hawai`i and the Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders. An expert in East-West Philosophy, he has taught at universities in China and the United States, and continues as an adjunct instructor at Hawai`i Pacific University and the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa. Read more: http://bit.ly/AkinaBioInfo