Learn Where the Candidates Stand on the Issues Before
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Iulai (July) 2020 | Vol. 37, No. 07 VOTE IT’S ESSENTIAL! LEARN WHERE THE CANDIDATES STAND ON THE ISSUES BEFORE YOU VOTE PAGES 9-23 Photo: Lehuanani Waipä Ah Nee MARK YOUR CALENDARS! DID YOU FINAL DAY TO REGISTER TO RECEIVE BALLOT BY MAIL KNOW... go to olvr.hawaii.gov to register online ▸ 16-year-olds can CHECK YOUR MAIL! pre-register to vote? Delivery of ballot packages begin ▸ If you will be 18 by PLACE YOUR BALLOT IN election day, that you THE MAIL BY THIS DATE! can vote? Ballots must be received by August 8 at 7:00 pm ▸ You can register to vote on your phone? ▸ Hawai‘i has mail-in elections this year? HOW TO VOTE BY MAIL YOUR MAIL BALLOT WILL INCLUDE: GO TO olvr.hawaii.gov TO REGISTER TO VOTE 1. BALLOT 2. SECRET BALLOT 3. RETURN Before voting your ballot, review ENVELOPE ENVELOPE instructions and the contests and After voting your ballot, re-fold it and Read the affirmation statement and candidates on both sides of the seal it in the secret ballot envelope. sign the return envelope before ballot. To vote, completely darken in The secret ballot envelope ensures returning it to the Clerk’s Office. Upon the box to the left of the candidate your right to secrecy as the ballots are receipt of your return envelope, the using a black or blue pen. opened and prepared for counting. Once Clerk’s Office validates the signature sealed, place the secret ballot envelope on the envelope. After your signature is in the return envelope. validated your ballot will be counted. RETURNING YOUR VOTED The return envelope is postage paid via the U.S. Postal Service and addressed to your Clerk’s BALLOT BY MAIL: Office. Your ballot should be mailed 2-3 days prior to Election Day to ensure it is received by the deadline, August 8th, by 7:00 pm. Follow us: /kawaiolanews | /kawaiolanews | Fan us: /kawaiolanews ‘O¯LELO A KA POUHANA iulai2020 3 MESSAGE FROM THE CEO CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IS OUR HERITAGE; VOTING IS OUR KULEANA ea (1. n. Sovereignty, rule, independence) koho (1. nvt. Election, choice, selection) Aloha mai ka¯kou, s a student at Kohala High School I was assigned to write a vignette about ÿohana, moÿomeheu and ÿäina. That includes participating in the election process and elections on the plantation for a school production. I recently found the pro- casting a vote for pono candidates who will fight for the things that are important to us. gram for this long-forgotten performance while cleaning out my childhood Hawaiians have a moÿoküÿauhau of civic engagement. This is reflected in the quantity home in Niuli‘i and I was reminded that, in Kohala, election day was a festive and quality of civil discourse in the nüpepa, Hawaiian news- occasion, colored by candidates and the community in Hawaiian finery and papers, of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Our küpuna Aflowers with a mixture of focused, yet friendly, political inquiry and banter. Reflective of were literate, enlightened and unafraid to express their the sugar plantation community, the candidates were of all ethnicities. People gathered opinions on the social, cultural and political life of near the polling site, listened to speeches and enjoyed food and drink as the pros and cons the Kingdom. Active, ongoing civic engagement of candidates and issues were debated. – which includes voting - honors the foundation Regardless of one’s personal views regarding the legitimacy of the existing political established by our küpuna and helps to ensure a system in which we find ourselves, participating in the electoral process gives us a voice; better future for our moÿopuna. Just as parents it allows us to exercise some measure of self-determination and to have a say about what are advocates for their keiki, känaka maoli must Hawaiÿi will look like 10, 20 or 100 years from now. be advocates for our lähui; if not us, then who? On July 31st we observe Ka Lä Hoÿihoÿi Ea, Sovereignty Restoration Day. The sov- With so much at stake, what message do we ereignty of the Hawaiian Kingdom was restored on that day in 1843 after the revocation send when we refuse the opportunity to participate of a rogue attempt by British Captain George Paulet to seize Hawaiÿi for Great Britain. or to have a voice? When we look back at our 2020 During the restoration ceremony, Kamehameha III spoke the words that would become selves what will we see in terms of action, partici- the Kingdom’s (and now the State’s) motto: “Ua mau ke ea o ka ‘äina i ka pono; The pation and advocacy? What will our narrative sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.” be; and what will we tell our moÿopuna about But ea is not limited to political sovereignty. For example, in education we talk about what we did, or did not do, to mälama ke ea “educational sovereignty” wherein families make choices about who, how and where o këia ÿäina nei? their keiki are educated. Community, culture, ÿäina-based curriculum, instruction and assessment are expressions of educational sovereignty. Ea is also our freedom to koho - make choices - about our own lives; where to attend school, what career to pursue, how to spend our money, who to socialize with, who to select as our leaders. Sylvia M. Hussey, Ed.D. As members of this lähui we have choices to make. And it is our kuleana to do every- Ka Pouhana/Chief Executive Officer thing within our power to influence decision-making about the things that affect our MEA O LOKO TABLE OF CONTENTS Iulai | July 2020 | Vol. 37, No. 07 | Sylvia Hussey, Ed.D. MO‘OLELO NUI COVER FEATURE EA | SELF-GOVERNANCE Ka Pouhana Chief Executive Officer Becoming an Educated Voter: Ka Wai Ola Hawai‘i’s History of Civic Engagement PAGE 8 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BY PUANANI FERNANDEZ-AKAMINE Nicole Mehanaokala¯ Hind Surveys Candidates on the Issues PAGES 9-23 Director OHA Board of Trustee Candidates: PAGES 11-18 Civic engagement in the political life of the Kingdom was the norm for our ku¯puna, from ali‘i to maka‘a¯inana. Profiles of four notable Hawaiian DIGITAL AND PRINT MEDIA State Senate, House and Prosecuting Attorney Candidates: PAGES 19-23 Alice Malepeai Silbanuz patriots are featured. Digital and Print Media Manager U.S. Congressional Representative, Mayoral and City Council Candidates: Puanani Fernandez-Akamine Available online at https://kawaiola.news Editor-in-Chief/ EA | SELF-GOVERNANCE Communications Specialist EA | SELF-GOVERNANCE Kaleena Patcho Hawai‘i: Register to Vote by July 9th PAGE 9 Communications Specialist Hawai‘i Women Voted PAGE 7 Jason Lees BY ALIANTHA LIM BY MANU KA‘IAMA Digital Media Specialist With so much happening in the world, now is the time to stand up and be Jhewel-Georlyn Felipe The political involvement of 19th century Hawaiian women is the focus of heard. Make sure you and your ‘ohana are registered to vote by July 9th. Digital Media Specialist an upcoming film by local filmmaker Gloria Borland. Ku‘ualohapauole Lau Student Intern Published monthly by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, 560 N. Nimitz Hwy., Suite 200, Honolulu, HI 96817. Telephone: 594-1888 or 1-800-468-4644 ext. 41888. Fax: 594-1865. Email: [email protected]. World Wide Web location: kawaiola.news. Circulation: 64,000 copies, 55,000 of which are distributed by mail, and 9,000 through island offices, state and county offices, private and community agencies and target groups and individuals. Ka Wai Ola News is printed by O‘ahu Publications. Hawaiian fonts are provided by Coconut Info. Advertising in Ka Wai Ola News does not constitute an endorsement of products or individuals by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Ka Wai Ola News is published by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to help inform its Hawaiian beneficiaries and other interested parties about Hawaiian issues and activities and OHA programs and efforts. ©2020 Office of Hawaiian Affairs. All rights reserved. 4 iulai2020 E HO‘OLOLI I KE KU¯LANA MA¯LAMA I www.kawaiola.news | [email protected] CHANGING OUR REALITY KOU KINO NATIVE HAWAIIAN » NEWS | FEATURES | EVENTS He Mana Ko¯ Ka Leo Pualu; There is Power in a Collective Voice Hawai‘i that takes better care of our place lines or taking off from work to participate in Hawai‘i Island: huioihana.com and our people. As we work to rebuild our civic engagement. Voting just became easier Kaua‘i: knhcc.org communities and our economy, how can we and safer in 2020, so go and vote! Maui Nui: mnhcoc.org rebuild better? Our Native Hawaiian Chambers of O‘ahu: nativehawaiianchamberofcommerce. July ushers in the opportunity to use our Commerce are organizations amplifying org voice to make change. 2020 is an election a collective Hawaiian voice. We are a net- Kirstin Kahaloa is President of the year and it is our right and duty to vote work of 800+ engaged members from across Hawai‘i Island Native Hawaiian Chamber for the leaders who shape the policies that Hawai‘i that support local businesses and of Commerce. In her career she has served govern our communities. Each person who responsible economic growth, as well as in higher education, nonprofit management By Kirstin Kahaloa votes makes a difference. As a lähui, voting Hawaiian culture, people, language, and our and community engagement. She currently becomes a collective voice for change. We home. We embrace our kuleana to ensure that works at Kamehameha Schools as a Port- here are many uncertainties as we can no longer sit on the sidelines and make aloha and the descendants of this land are at folio Manager on Hawai‘i Island.