WAIPOULI — James Kapule Torio is banking on Kaua’i’s Native Hawaiian community to show up in numbers at an Office of Hawaiian Affairs board meeting here next week hoping to influence trustees to appoint a new Kaua’i representative. “I believe
WAIPOULI — James Kapule Torio is banking on Kaua’i’s Native Hawaiian community
to show up in numbers at an Office of Hawaiian Affairs board meeting here next
week hoping to influence trustees to appoint a new Kaua’i
representative.
“I believe the trustees have a fundamental duty to do this
on that day,” said the Anahola resident. “Kaua’i has suffered from lack of a
voice.”
OHA trustees met on Kaua’i on Nov. 15 to discuss naming a
replacement for trustee Moses Keale, who retired in October. No decision was
made, but the list of candidates was narrowed from 17 to seven.
The seven
finalists include Daisy LaFrance Kapaka Arboleda, Jeffrey Chandler, David
“Kawika” Cutcher, Warren Perry, Randy Rego, Randy Wichman and Llewella
Zablan.
Only five trustees showed up for the meeting. Six votes are
required to name a new trustee.
A spokesperson for OHA Board Chair Rowena
Akana said Tuesday that a quorum is expected to be present at the meeting here
next week.
But growing dissension among trustees may make it difficult to
reach a decision.
If the OHA board can’t decide on a successor by the end
of this year, Gov. Ben Cayetano will make the decision.
At the Nov. 15
meeting, candidates asked the board to fill the seat immediately, saying Kaua’i
has lacked active representation on the nine-member board because of Keale’s
extended illness.
The islands of Kaua’i and Ni’ihau don’t have a voice on
the OHA board now, said Torio. “We don’t have any representation at this
point,” and there are over 7,000 Native Hawaiians on Kaua’i.
Torio said he
doesn’t care if it takes 12 hours to select a new trustee, a decision needs to
be made.
“The people of Kaua’i need to stand tall, together, and demand the
trustees make a selection of a Kaua’i and Ni’ihau trustee,” said Torio, a
member of a statewide commission appointed by Cayetano to recommend OHA trustee
salaries to the state Legislature.
He said the Native Hawaiian community
would rather see the trustees select a new trustee than have Cayetano do
it.
“I believe there is much work to be done in OHA, and a Kaua’i trustee
is needed to start the process of bringing OHA to the forefront” in the move
toward sovereignty, Torio concluded.
OHA trustees will meet Wednesday, Dec.
1, at 9 a.m. in the Paddle Room of the Kaua’i Coconut Beach Resort.
