OHA Support for Puna

[opihikao]

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs will be discussing what kind of assistance OHA can provide for Puna during these trying times. We sincerely hope that the Trustees will hear our plea for Puna.

OHA receives geothermal royalties, and being Puna is the host community, it would seem appropriate that OHA support us with resources available.

As such, please help us make a list of needs (not "wants"[]) that we can present to OHA to help our community. Keep in mind our kupuna and keiki, who should always be a priority for all of us.

I respectfully request no bashing of OHA, or each other, on this thread. It is for sound (achievable) suggestions for us to present to OHA in the coming days.

As a reminder, all of us are beneficiaries of OHA, not just kanaka maoli. What OHA does affects each and every community in the State. Feel free to write them directly with your request for kokua and support. Link: http://www.oha.org/


All Hawai'i Stand Together!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV5qNZox4T8

Mahalo in advance for your thoughts on this matter. Be safe all.

JMO.

[lavalava]

According to Rob we have a bunch of malnourished children. OHA should start there. Free bag lunches delivered to the schools.

[Frankie Stapleton]

I wonder if the lava does eventually isolate lower Puna, would OHA and/or the Native Hawaiian sovereignty movement want the area as a Native Hawaiian self-government site? I don't mean to be offensive to anyone...I seriously interested in knowing, from our Native Hawaiian friends and neighbors.

[opihikao]

quote:

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Originally posted by Frankie Stapleton

I wonder if the lava does eventually isolate lower Puna, would OHA and/or the Native Hawaiian sovereignty movement want the area as a Native Hawaiian self-government site? I don't mean to be offensive to anyone...I seriously interested in knowing, from our Native Hawaiian friends and neighbors.

---

There are some kanaka maoli who have already expressed this wish. "Once the lava crosses, this should become Hawaiian Kingdom land." As to OHA, being a State entity, the two cannot, nor will they ever, work together cohesively. OHA is part of the illegal overthrow, to the kanaka maoli. Until someone figures out what the "real" Kingdom of Hawaii is (there are now 9 Kingdoms/Nations), and does it exist, we are left with OHA who is in charge of the "purse strings".

Mahalo lavalava. OHA staff will also be compiling information for submittal to Trustees. We need input from our lahui (ALL of you) who are living in Puna.

JMO.

(*Disclaimer - I do not work for, nor have anything to do with OHA in any official capacity. It is my opinion OHA should kokua Puna at this time, especially given the royalties received. That is all. Mahalo.)

[csgray]

HAAS needs some real help getting interim sites set up for the school if or when their campus becomes uninhabitable or even just cut off from Keaau and Hilo. They are in for a tough time with their students on both sides of the probable lava flow and their teachers mostly on what is going to be on the North side. If the Farside of the flow is going to be a viable community it is going to need education options that work for everyone on that side and HAAS meets a wide variety of needs. It would be great if OHA could provide some assistance.

Their students have put together a plea for help: http://www.hopeforhaas.org/

Carol

Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb

[leilanidude]

quote:

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Originally posted by lavalava

According to Rob we have a bunch of malnourished children. OHA should start there. Free bag lunches delivered to the schools.

---

The vast majority of children attending Pahoa schools already receive free breakfast and lunch, who qualify for that because their parents are already qualified for what is the highest SNAP (food stamp) benefits in the nation. A family of 4, at the max allowance, receives right at $330 per person, per month - approx. $1300! This is why you see so many people buying sodas, chips, candy, etc. with SNAP benefits at 7-11 and other stores.

Giving people free food isn't the answer. Teaching them how to be more self-sufficient seems like it would be a better use of tax money, and geothermal "royalties" are taxes, just under another name. You and I pay for those royalties in the form of higher energy bills. It isn't "free money".

[james weatherford]

The education of hundreds of students faces massive disruption.
Beyond direct loss of homes and businesses to lava, the impact on school children is something I am observing as a major issue.
Facilities?
Communication/internet capabilities?
Support for home schooling?

[knieft]

opihikao:

There are some kanaka maoli who have already expressed this wish. "Once the lava crosses, this should become Hawaiian Kingdom land."

===

I have heard more drastic forms of this idea. Might be interesting.

Cheers,
Kirt

[knieft]

Carol:

"If the Farside of the flow is going to be a viable community it is going to need education options that work for everyone on that side and HAAS meets a wide variety of needs. It would be great if OHA could provide some assistance."

_Hawaii_ doesn't have education options that work for everyone, but I get your drift...

Seems to me that this would be a DOE issue more than an OHA issue. I am not sure what OHA has to do with anything (seriously ignorant, not a bash) but most of the kids on the potential Farside (ok you got it, Carol ) are going to Pahoa High/Inter/Elem, not HAAS. Yes, many are HAAS and some other charter school kids, but they are DOE kids too. Charter schools are DOE schools too, funded (poorly) by DOE.

Actually, it will be fascinating to see how it plays out since US education is compulsory. Never saw anything about a lava exemption. The idea being that parents must get their kids to school--but here we have the government needing to provide the kids with school. Maybe they will be bussed CoC road to Kau, damned the travel time.

HAAS will likely be way more flexible as a charter school, and provide more practical options, relative to the DOE as seen at Pahoa High/Inter/Elem--but only with funding and a relaxed red tape factory. Same could be said for DOE Pahoa though, if they had flexibility, and of course they have funding..

Perhaps DOE will utilize the charter schools and their flexibilities/advantages in their plans for the Farside. Perhaps they will chuck it all to HAAS (and wash their hands of it). Perhaps they will helicopter and/or National Guard in supplies to the Pahoa High/Inter/Elem schools--seems they have an unlimited budget for the Keaau parking lot. Hard to say. And hard to say how many kids/teachers will actually be left in the aftermath.

===

opihikoa, what _is_ the mission/role of OHA in general, and specifically in a situation like this? I guess that is your question, no? But I am unclear on the premises.

Truth told, I am fearful that OHA would have even more "purse strings" than DOE if HAAS would be a recipient of their money--but I have no idea what OHA is really about.

How the lava wake will pan out for the kids on the Farside will be a very interesting, and hopefully safe and graceful, tale in retrospect. I'm wondering, however, if it will end up being more a case of the individuals who continue to live there doing what they need to do versus the government or OHA playing mommy and daddy. Of course, they are welcome to send money.

HAAS is fully capable, I believe, of doing the right thing as the lava rolls out if they have the funds. That may be the best compromise. Who knows? Not I.

I will likely teach one way or another however it goes. And probably garden some more I guess.

Cheers,
Kirt

[opihikao]

Mahalo, Carol (HAAS is on the list), and Mr. Weatherford for your mana'o.

leilanidude, spot on. Puna is/was the fastest growing community, the schools have the highest rate (80%+) of "free food" program, and some these kids don't even have slippers! Doesn't hurt to ask for some of those "taxes/royalties" to be invested back into our Puna.

It would behoove all of us to also think "long term", as the unknown is still upon us. Maybe two lists; one immediate, and one long term? Thoughts?

In the immediate, air quality also comes to mind; especially for the keiki and kupuna. How much are air condition units for single room use, and/or single classroom?

Additionally, maybe OHA can set up a "relief fund" for those who need individual help, to apply though some venue OHA sets up. As we are in a state of emergency, this State entity should be able to waive the protocol normally applied to grant applications, etc. This could cover relocation, living conditions, health issues, education, etc.

If OHA would fund a "temporary" school, kupuna facility, public health center for emergencies, it is my sincere belief we could find the land to do all of it on (post lava flow covering roadways).

Mahalo again all.

JMO.

P.S. Our kupuna will guide us. [] No question. Mele Ha'i Kupuna, (Ha'i = reveal; show us how.)

Apologies for the off topic (well, Puna is in this song), however, music soothes the soul (and the savage beast.[]) Featuring Kaumakaiwa Kanakaole, whose ohana is deeply engrained in Puna.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMi2KAMgbs4