A New Era of Accountability at OHA? Hardly.

By E Halealoha Ayau, Hui Iwi Kuamo‘o

Many may not realize that OHA has been blocking international repatriation of our ancestors in Europe since May, which its CEO initially wanted to do for the next two fiscal years. In fact, earlier this year, OHA took full credit for five international repatriations that our organization conducted in Germany and Austria and has taken credit for all our repatriation efforts since then. Is this OHA’s definition of ushering in a new era of accountability? Mind you during this same time OHA did not contribute a single dime to these international repatriation efforts. Perhaps that is OHA’s plan for financial accountability: force it’s beneficiaries to pay for these efforts and then take credit for it. This way you can pass a financial audit and appear responsible to the public. 

Inept Leadership

OHA leaders continue to refuse to meet to consider the recommendations of their own staff to transfer all their repatriation claims to CNHA and Hui Iwi Kuamo’o, since OHA no longer prioritizes the return of our ancestors bones so that OHA can pursue those issues it does prioritize while not preventing the kūpuna from coming home. But they refused to meet. While their lack of leadership continues, the iwi kupuna are stuck in foreign lands, their descendants unable to bring them home. 

Conflict of Interest

The Rice v Cayetano case declared OHA a state agency. That should disqualify OHA from conducting and blocking the return of the ancestors, since the Hawaiian community back in 1989 determined that Native Hawaiian organizations should take the lead and included OHA until the Hawai'i Supreme Court in the Rice case clarified that OHA is the State of Hawai‘i, whose trustees are voted by Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians. Perhaps the blocking of repatriation is intended to appease OHA's non-Hawaiian constituents? And to make matters worse, the current OHA CEO applied for a job at West O‘ahu College and is looking to depart OHA leaving the iwi kūpuna to languish in museums abroad, effectively undermining the ability to bring them home for reburial. Unbelievable. A new era of accountability at OHA?

Demands

Please join us in demanding accountability from OHA by insisting that they turn over all repatriation responsibilities to Native Hawaiian organizations.

Please also join us in calling for the removal of the CEO at OHA and the election of a new OHA Chairman. Any persons who block our ancestors from being able to return home, commits a crime against Hawaiian humanity. 

Ola nā iwi, the bones live!