Senate Standing Committee on Hawaiian Affairs

Aloha, everyone. This is the Committee of Hawaiian Affairs, and we're here today for taking governor's messages. Little housekeeping before we get started. This meeting is being streamed live on YouTube. It is Thursday, March 6, and this is 1pm agenda. We have five GM nominations coming before us. In the unlikely event that we got to cut short, we will gavel out and then reconvene at the end of the scheduled time frame at 2:30 if we need to.

All testifiers have a 2 minute window to testify in, so please be respectful of that. If there's anything technical, like I said, we will shut down and reconvene and come back online. And if you are interested in reviewing the written testimony, please go to the Legislature website. There will be a link on the status page for those measures. So with that, our first governor's message, 590, nominee Archie Kalepa.

For testifying, we have Department of Hawaiian Homes in person. Kali, please.

Good afternoon. Kali Watson for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Good morning, Chairman. Good afternoon, Chairman and Members of the Committee. I just want to say we're very, very fortunate that Archie has been willing to take on the challenge of helping us and guiding us through all the things that we have to accomplish, not only on Maui, but throughout the state.

And with his background, especially from a cultural standpoint, it's just awesome that we're able to tap into that. He's an icon. He's a leader in the community that has the respect of not only those there, but internationally. So we're very, very thankful that he's part of our policy making group, and I'm here to support him, justifiably. Thank you.

Thank you. Moving on. De Mont, please.

Aloha mai kakou. My name is De Mont Kalai Manaole, co-manager of Ho`omana Pono, LLC, Native Hawaiian corporation operating on the Waianae Coast. Good to see you, Tim and Samantha, our Senator from the West Side. Joy and Jarrett, good to see you guys. Yeah.

So this is, for me, this is one of the best opportunities I have to support on solid kanaka Archie Kalepa. Me, whenever I do anything that I'm gonna either support or reject somebody that I believe is good or bad for us, I always research. I do my research. And with Archie, first of all, hands down, brother is solid right off the top. But then, you know, I dig deeper and I found out about the Kahoma projects that they was working on for bring back Kalo and all that.

And I thought to myself, okay, that's right up the line from the pilot project that we just got approved from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands on the Commission. And then he came yesterday, the people that was in a permitted interactive group for Hawaiian Home Lands. He came to the 'āina that we just got the pilot project for.

And his manaʻo was solid because he understands how to live off grid, and that's what we're trying to do over there in Lualualei. So I gotta tell you, bro, this should be like a no brainer. This brother is solid, and he gonna do a lot of good for the Commission going forward. So we 100% solid support for brother. Aloha.

Aloha. Thank you. Moving on. I have Germaine Meyers on Zoom. IT.

Not present on Zoom, Chair.

Okay. Not present on Zoom. Those are all that I have registered to testify in person. Is there anybody else that wants to testify in person? Come on up.

Thank you guys for the opportunity. Thank you all for your service and leadership. I'm going to need more than two minutes to talk about this guy, but I'll do my best. My name is Brandon Wolff. I represent the ILWU. We have roughly 20,000 members statewide. We make up about 80% of the tourism industry in Lahaina.

So when the wildfire kicked off, I got to see Uncle Archie in action. I mean, like, everybody already knows about him, but I mean, to see what he's done over the year, a little over a year, he's still going. And now you're signing up for this, uncle. Good luck to you. You know, we need...

It's a lot of work, what you got in front of you, but we need leaders like you in these positions. Our people that desperately need help, and we need the best of our kind up there. So on behalf of ILWU, we're grateful for everything you've done in Lahaina and we support you 100%. Thank you, guys.

Thank you. Is anybody else. Max.

Thank you very much. Respect all of you. I know this man. Any challenges. I'm a...

Identify yourself first. Identify yourself for the record.

I'm from the Big Island. I grew up with this guy. But anyway, I'm a member of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, and when the challenge is there, we know who to go to. That's when I experienced this young man. Since any time that Nainoa, we're gonna do a sail, and we think that that's dangerous.

That's when the challenge comes up. That's when we check in with our brother here. And then when the fire in Lahaina happened, he was stuck on the mainland. And I knew he's going to take that challenge. So he couldn't fly into Maui, so we flew into Big Island. Stay with me for the night, and we start talking.

And I knew already that that's another challenge. So he started a new nonprofit called Lele Aloha, which we're already working on the seven burn churches in Lahaina. And I take my hat off this guy, I'll go anywhere in the world. And he's such a great leader, and he's always there when the challenge happens. Thank you.

Thank you. Anybody else? Okay. Hearing none. Mr. Kalepa, come up and say a few words.

Good morning, Chair.

Morning.

Good morning, Senators.

So a little bit about yourself, and then we'll open it up for questions.

So a little bit about myself.

Archie, please identify yourself for the record.

Yeah, my name is Archie Kalepa, and I'm up for a commission seat for the Hawaiian Homes Commission. So a little bit about myself. Born and raised in Lahaina. My family is nine generations from Lahaina. I started my career as a lifeguard, and when I retired from the lifeguard service after 32 years, I retired as the supervisor or chief of the lifeguard section. After that, I started working for a private company, OluKai Footwear. And in more recent times, things that happened to us in the fire.

When I saw that there was no help, that help needed to be present, we started the very first hub in Lahaina that helped support the Lahaina community when no help was there. I've also been a part of the Polynesian Voyaging Society for the last 37 years, and actually, it's almost 40 years, I think. And so, you know, this position of a Commissioner, I'll be quite honest, is that from the outside in, prior to stepping in and participating as a Commissioner, to be honest, I didn't really, really realize the responsibility.

But what I've learned is that the need to help support our Hawaiian people and the people of Hawaii is a great task. It's not something that is easy. You have to have tough skin because there's many issues as a Commissioner that you face from our own people, from our own Commission. But being able to have a cool head, work through the problems to create solutions is an important part or aspect of being a Commissioner for the Hawaiian Homes Commission.

And more importantly, I think is being present, engaging, and not just doing your Commission meetings, but going back afterwards and talking to the people with the concerns and engaging in that relationship to help build trust that the Commission can deliver. And so for me, that's what I've learned so far.

And I know I have a lot to learn as a Commissioner, and we have a lot of good Commissioners with a lot of experience, and I've try to attach myself to them and learn from them. And it's been an eye opener. I'll be very, very honest. But we have a lot of work ahead of us, and I'm not afraid to stick my hand out and help, so.

Okay, thank you. Now we're going to open up for questions. So from other Senators. Senator San Buenaventura.

So thank you so much, Archie Kalepa, for putting your hat in the ring here. And as you can tell from all of the testimony and all the that you command great respect for everything you've done. However, somebody pointed something out and I, and I would be remiss to not bring this up. Because of your work with Hōkūleʻa and the fact that this year is Hōkūleʻa's 50th birthday. Will you be able to be present for the Maui as a Maui Commissioner if there's a conflict between their voyages and the meetings with Hawaiian Commission?

That's a great question because I ask myself that question all the time. And, you know, there's a cape to that responsibility. And I want to be completely honest here because I know how important it is to be at every Commission meeting.

Especially since there's only one Maui Commission right now or three islands.

Yeah, we actually have two Maui County. One is Molokai. That's part of Maui County.

I apologize.

No, all good. But, you know, I want to be very, very honest here with... And that was a concern that I've heard from the public very early on because I'm doing so many things in the community. But I want people to also understand we have a greater responsibility is to put Hawaii, our Hawaiian people on the map globally. And so when I carry the burden of being a Commissioner, I also carry a burden of representing Hawaii on a national level.

So to be fair and honest, my voyages, or my participation in the voyages will be around my Commission meetings, as my Commission meetings will be a priority. I don't think any Commissioner can say today that they will attend every Commission meeting. That just does not happen.

But the importance of being doing your homework, that was one of the first things I learned when I got handed all these books that were this thick. And I thought to myself, I cannot read this in two days. But I've made it a point to at least look at and begin to understand and ask questions to other Commissioners when I don't know. Because I understand what we need to learn to know so that we can make good decisions as Commissioners.

I'm going to be very honest here. I know 100% I would be lying to you if I said I would make every Commission meeting. And I have to be able to balance, in a way, what is important to our people, to the Commission, to the Hawaiian Homes Act, and what's important to our nation as a Hawaiian people.

So I weigh that with a heavy heart. I really, really... In fact, I think about that every day moving forward. But I know the importance of both sides. And my priority is with this Commission. My priority is also with the Polynesian Voyaging Society. Because if it wasn't for Hōkūleʻa, Hōkūleʻa was the rebirth of who we are as a people. And it's also part of my responsibility. And I'm just being very honest with my answer. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Other questions?

Thank you, Mr. Kalepa, for being here. Within your questionnaire, I have a question with regards to number seven, where it says, what do you hope to accomplish during your terms of service. Your response was, I quote, opportunities for the commercialization of some of our lands that can go directly back into our Hawaiian homes communities and the Office of Hawaiian Homes. What did you mean by that, the commercialization?

So, you know, what I meant by that was looking at our commercial properties, looking at ways that we can expand revenue for Hawaiian Homes and bringing value to the lands that we have. And, you know, when I look at Kamehameha Schools and what they've done with their lands, they've created an economy that can almost be...

They're a private firm, and now they can contribute a whole lot. In Hawaiian Homes, we have a lot of land. But what I'd like to see, and I say that I'm very, very, you know, I was talking to Tim yesterday and I told him I really don't like saying those words that are written on there in public because we have 28,000 Hawaiians on that list.

But we also have to diversify and find ways to lower the cost to run the Department, to put money right back into our Hawaiian Homes communities. And by diversifying and creating opportunities in the commercial aspect of, you know, putting in a hospital, putting in a store, a 7/11, a gas station, we have to look at these kinds of things so that we can support our communities, our Hawaiian people, to divert the cost of living in Hawaii.

And thank you for your honesty in that. I'm not afraid of the word commercialization. In fact, I feel like the Department has really lacked in its ability to generate the revenue that it's been required to generate. There are commercial leases that are sitting on DHHL property that are not charging market rent.

Therefore, the beneficiaries in the trust are not able to generate the revenue that it does. So I would like to see a little bit more of forward thinking, little bit more aggressiveness when it comes to generating revenue, especially if commercial leases are on our lands.

If we have shopping centers on our lands, if we have buildings on our lands, we should be able to generate revenue because we cannot continue to rely on the Legislature to keep feeding into the Department. And the Department is doing nothing to generate its own revenue. So I was very pleasantly surprised to see that. It's necessary. And this is how the Department is going to continue to go on for generations and generations because we can't come back and keep asking the Leg. for more money and more money. My next question is, what is your understanding of Act 279?

Act 279 was the federal funds that came in and, you know, under Kali's watch, finding ways to implement that in a three year... And it's a very complex, Act 279 is very, very complex. So, you know, I'll be very broad about what I say about it because I don't know enough with confidence other than reading to answer your question.

Thank you. And thank you for your honesty. I appreciate that. Just for the time's sake, I am going to summarize Act 279 and read its description, which says, I quote, provides funds to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to pursue a multi-pronged approach to eliminate its wait list. Okay, I'm going to repeat that again.

Provides funds to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to pursue a multi prong strong approach to eliminate its wait list. So in 2022, the Legislature appropriated $600 million to the Department for the sole purpose of eliminating its wait list. And I appreciate the creativity of the Department to open that up, whether that be for rentals, whether that be for commercial leases. However, the key factor in Act 279 is, is eliminating its wait list.

So if we don't continue, if we don't start targeting to bring down the wait list, $600 million of taxpayer money, hard earned taxpayer money, is getting spent with the intention to reduce the waitlist. However, there might be projects that don't necessarily do that. So I just wanted to bring that to your attention.

Can I respond?

Sure.

You know, I'll say this, that this Commission and the Chair, in my short time since June attending the Commission meetings, I can with good faith say that this Chair has looked at every rock and every opportunity to diverse and get lease, our beneficiaries their leases.

And I think what was put upon him, the $600 million that had to be spent in three years was an impossible task. But I think if you give it another year, we'll begin to see the benefits of those beneficiaries receiving awards to lands. And it's just part of the process. But I can say in good faith in my short time that I've seen this process begin to happen and take shape. And now we just need to carry that football to the goalpost.

Thank you. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you. Any other questions? All right, thank you, Mr. Kalepa. We'll have the other governor's messages, and then we'll go for the voting at the end.

Okay, thank you for your time.

Okay, moving on to governor's message 591. This is for considering for the Hawaiian Homes Commission Lawrence Lasua. And up for testimony first, we have Hawaiian Holmes. Kali.

Again, good afternoon. Kali Watson for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee, aloha. I'm testifying on behalf of Lawrence Lasua, who's also pretty exceptional guy. We're also very, very fortunate that he's willing to serve.

He has quite a bit of very, I guess, relevant experience in the sense that he is one of the or his homestead is one of the original ones that were awarded in Molokai. And he also grew up very active in operations, a lot of things relevant. He is a veteran.

He's been very active in assisting in not only opening but bringing the different competing interests together regarding this new veterans center. You know, he's worked and lived in Kalaupapa, so we're at the stage of transition. So his input and guidance has been very, very valuable. He also is a very active member in the community.

He serves on one of the Homestead Association's boards in Kalamaʻula. And so just by his demonstration and his background, he's a very valuable asset in guiding our Commission. So I welcome him, I support him. And in the short time that he's been on the Commission, he's been very, very active. Thank you.

Thank you, Kali. Moving on, we have Germaine Meyers on Zoom. IT.

Not present on Zoom, Chair.

Okay, thank you. Those are all the registered I have for testimony in person. Is there anybody else? Sorry, De Mont.

No worries. No, this is, it's there. Okay. De Mont Kalai Manaole, co-manager, Ho`omana Pono, Native Advocacy Corporation on the Waianae Coast. I support this nomination as well, and I tell you why. So, first of all, he's three generations homestead on the independent nation of Molokai.

That's what I like to call Molokai because they get their own thing over there and they're strong. His family is strong over there. But when I was looking to put my testimony for this one, I had people talk to me and say, why would you support a guy that just voted against your pilot project at the Commission?

And my answer is straight across the board. Because we need his voice. His voice is very much relevant as everybody else's voice. That guy speaks true from his heart and he not pulling no punches and he's just gonna tell it like it is. So I really like that guy. I like what he stands for and I'm here to support him as well. Even if you vote against me, it's all good because his mana'o is worthy. Thank you. Aloha.

Thank you. Aloha. Anybody else? Not seeing anyone. Mr. Lasua on Zoom.

IT.

I'm here.

Oh, there we are. Okay, go ahead, Lawrence.

Yes, I first was asked to be a Commissioner last year, well before that when Mr. Helm was on a Commission and I turned it down. Just to give a background of myself. I worked for financial institutions for 40 years in Washington State with the People's National Bank and also at the Molokai Community Federal Credit Union as the President and CEO, and I retired in 2020. Other than that being a Commission, the only other Commission I was on was the Department of Planning for the Maui County.

I served as the Commissioner and also served as the Vice Chair and leader. But we didn't have to go through this process like being facing the Senate and then being confirmed. So other than that, I served in the military. My name is Lawrence Kalamakulanakilaokekulakiekie. I'm third generation of the Hippa family, which I live on Lot 2, which was issued to my grandfather in 1923 in September and then it was finalized in January of... I mean finalized in January. Yeah, 1923.

So my mom was before me. My dad and my mom passed and then my dad took over, and then my dad passed in 1981. And in 1982, I moved my family home. I had to talk to my siblings. I'm the youngest out of six and my parents left me as the beneficiary or the successor. Why the youngest?

I don't know, but they did. And so I inherited this from my grandfather and my mom and my dad. And so I'm married to a beautiful lady of Irish ancestry, first generation US citizen from New York. She grew up in Washington State and that's how I met her. And so we have two kids when we moved home.

When we moved home, My daughter was 5, my son was 3, and I worked on... I mean I had no job on Molokai. My wife had no job, but she was able to get a job. And so we started working after we both had jobs. I worked not at the financial industry when I first came home. They said I was too over qualified to work as a county worker, so they wouldn't hire me. And so I had to wait until an opening came about.

So I worked miscellaneous jobs as an auditor for the hotels, Sheraton Hotel. And also during that time as living, moving back to the homestead and getting my, I had to wait three months before I could move home. But I gave my the bank a year's notice before I could leave because I was manager of operations and it took me that long to get things cleared up with the bank before I moved home. In the meantime, my wife moved home three months before I came home.

We sold our house, sold our everything else, and then I stayed up there for the three months and then she moved home. She wasn't used to Molokai. She only came one time in 1974. So if you can, no shopping centers on Molokai, no fast food place. So you can see the, I guess the shock to going shopping and stuff like that. But she got used to it and then loved it, and then she didn't want to go off the island after that. And so we raised the two kids in my time on Molokai.

We finally got our job situated and then, as what do you call a Hawaiian trying to do things for the homesteaders. We were able to reformat the Kalamaula Homestead Association, which I'm a member of and has been since we realigned it back in 1990. So I've been a treasurer for that association for 34 years now.

And so when they had asked me to be on the as a Commissioner, I didn't know anything about Hawaiian Homes, but I did see and experience things that Hawaiian Homes did that I didn't like. For instance, one of them, like I told Tim, was building my house.

They wouldn't let me build a new house unless I break the new, the old house down. And so I had asked them where do I live while I'm building a new house. They couldn't answer my question. The other thing was subdividing the property for my kids.

Now they both went off and my daughter graduated from University of San Francisco, got her master's in business. My son went to vocational school in California, so he's doing mechanic work here on Homestead. He has customers and run his business from here. And my daughter does it well.

They have a refrigeration air conditioning business on Molokai. So since they came home, they're able to get contracts with the states and all the stores on Molokai. So they do that here in Molokai. So I'm proud to say that, and I think my grandfather had been proud to say that, you know, as Hawaiian Homes gave us the ability or a chance to live on this homestead. In the past, my dad tried farming it. We did farm. We raised pigs, we raised vegetables.

We even tried to sell it to the stores here on Molokai. And my dad had figured out that it would charge $0.05 per pound on the beans that he grew. We had beans, lettuce, cabbage, eggplants. We even planted peanuts. And the store wouldn't pay him at 5 cents a pound. This was back in the 50s, late 50s.

So he had to quit farming. They wanted to pay him 2 cents a pound. So he quit farming, went to work, and he worked odd jobs and later was able to work in Kalaupapa as a custodian down there. After I came along in 1982, I also worked in Kalaupapa because the administrator down there was a retired judge that I knew when I was young. So she asked me to come down there. And at that time I was working for the hotel as a night auditor.

So anyway, my experience in Kalaupapa was working with the patients down there. I was in charge of procurement working, which meant that during the two month barge that comes in, I would purchase materials along with the national park materials that they had to...

Mr. Lasua, I'd like you to wrap up.

No problem. So that's my background as far as what I've done and what I did coming home to Molokai. And so at this point, being a Commissioner, I see things that I can contribute to the Commissioners, and I'd like to do that. Thank you.

Okay, thank you. I'm gonna do a little bit... Before we open for questions, I had one testifier come in last minute coming from Molokai. Please come up. Typical problems with getting people on and off Molokai. Had a little air service problem. So. Please identify yourself for the record.

My name is Joseph Howe. I'm a homesteader. I live in the same neighborhood as, we call him Lasua. We don't call him Lawrence Lasua, it's just Lasua. I'd like to testify on his behalf. He understands the heartbeat of the homesteaders. We live on the fourth lot ever given into homestead, the land.

I believe he was in the top 10 of the first 10 of lots that were given to homestead. And he understands the struggles that we go through because he's lived through it. That's something that's not just academic. It's not something you learn on paper. You need somebody who's living the problems, living the challenges, to be in charge of Hawaiian Home Lands. And I just want to give him my full support. Everybody that I know on Molokai likes Lasua and thinks he'll do a great job.

Thank you. Thank you. So with that, no. Be available for questions, please. And we're going to open up for questions to our candidate from the other Senators. And if you're available, that'd be great. Okay, thank you. Oh, please go ahead, Senator.

So first of all, thank you, Chair, for making an exception. Individual just fleeing from Molokai and there is a slew of kids on the other side that were wishing to testify as well. So thank you for giving him the opportunity. Normally I would be on that side of the table, but really quick, okay.

You got to identify yourself for the record.

I'm testifying as a citizen from Molokai on behalf of Mr. Lasua. He is an individual that has been super instrumental. Everything he has said, he has been very engaged and involved. He has my full support as well as the community of Molokai. He is not that individual that will rubber stamp. He will call you on your stuff all day, every day. But he knows a lot about that community and the challenges that we face. So with that being said, I will vacate. And thank you for making an exception.

Thank you, Senator DeCoite. Okay, so with that, Senators, open up the question for our candidate Lasua. Senator DeCorte.

Mr. Lasua, thank you so much for being with us online. I do have a question with regards to your questionnaire. On question number two, you were asked, how do you perceive the role and responsibilities of a member of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, in which you had responded, I quote, the role and responsibility is a demanding one.

But since I've been attending the meetings beginning July 2024, I feel I'm able to have questions answered by staffed or the AG during our meetings, which is a big help for all of us in our decision making. My question to you is, have you only begun to attend the DHHL meetings on July 2024?

Right. Yes. July was when I came in. Prior to that, I did go to previous meetings. Like I said, like I had to attend one of the meetings and provide some information as far as subdividing my property. So I did do that. I presented to the Commission pictures and write ups on what I was trying to do.

And it wasn't my kuleana, it wasn't part of my lessee or lease. But yet the county wanted me to expand the road a foot and a half the road in front of me. But that's county road, that's not homestead road. So I was trying to confirm with the Department that it's not my kuleana that I should take care of. So I'm not going to go pay the amount to widen that road and redo it. And so that was the situation I had besides another situation when I built my house.

But those are kind of some of the issues that. The other thing that I'd like to bring up is that we've been here since 1923, but yet our roads and our, the Kalamaula Homestead Association is doing research on the roads in the Kalamaula and area. Why they haven't been paved over the years. You know, whenever they come repair it, they put slurry on it and that's it. And it's not even county coded roads. So that's why I, that's why I say it's demanding. And I'm trying to address the beneficiaries when they come in.

Thank you. I apologize. Follow up question, please. In question number one, why do you wish to be a member of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act? I'm just going summarize to the quote on the point that I'm trying to make, which in you say, I quote, I feel it is my responsibility to continue the work that Prince Kuhio started. What is your understanding of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act?

He was able to put the people back on the land, even though the land that we inherited was barren, hot, and it still is. And so for us to live on that land, we had to clear the land and, you know, farm it. But on that land you can't plant taro. But now you can plant the dry land taro and not the wet lo'is like the, which is what mostly Molokai. And out in the ocean had fish ponds out there, which is still there, but it's not being used at all. So being able to live on homestead land is a... What do you call.

It's a benefit to us, to the Hawaiians who didn't have the lands to live on and who got kuleana lands from the king. So for us, when Kuhio was started it to offer to the people to come on the land and live off the land, that was, that was something that my grandfather took advantage of. And even though he lived on his kuleana land on the east side of the island, he took the advantage of it and got this land that we're on now.

Thank you. And just to summarize, the Hawaiian Home Commission Act in a brief summary, it says, I quote, the Congressional law says the Congress of the United States and the State of Hawaii declare that the policy of this act is to enable Native Hawaiians to return to their lands in order to fully support self sufficiency for Native Hawaiians and the self determination of Native Hawaiians in the administration of this act and the preservation of the values, traditions, and culture of Native Hawaiians. In which I believe you responded well to that, Mr. Lasua. Thank you very much. My final question is what is your understanding of Act 279?

I had a hard time understanding 279. I was on a pig that was trying to do some 279 issues. And for me, as a financial institution worker, when you try to move money from one project to another project, why is that? I understand that the, to benefit the beneficiaries, but then when you do that, what happens?

What happens to the project that you've taken the money from? And I think that's what I was against. But even though the act says you can do it, but then what happens to the people that's in that area? And so I understand what you're saying, that it's going to, you know, to better serve the people and get them back on the land, which is a good idea. I mean, I'm for that.

Thank you very much. Just for the conversation sake, I'm going to... Sake. I'm going to restate the description of Act 279. And this is summarized version of Act 279. The description reads as follows. Provides funds to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to pursue a multi-pronged approach to eliminating its wait list. Pursues a multi-pronged approach to eliminate its wait list. The sole purpose of Act 279 is to reduce the wait list. So thank you very much for answering those questions, Mr. Lasua. Chair, thank you very much.

Okay, thank you. Senators, other questions? Okay. Hearing none. Thank you, Mr. Lesua. We'll be moving on to the other governor's messages. Moving on to governor's message, 669. Makoa Caceres, am I saying that wrong? Is that it? Yes, that is. Okay, please. Oh, hey, hang on. Not yet. We're gonna have the testifiers coming up. We have Hawaiian Homes, oh, excuse me, DLNR, in person.

Good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee. My name is Jessica Puff. I'm the Administrator of SHPD. We stand on our testimony as submitted, but I did want to highlight just a little bit of background information about Mr. Caceres.

He has direct genealogical ties to Kona, Ewa, and Waianae Districts and is professionally and personally dedicated to the protection, repatriation, and reinterment of Iwi Kupuna. Since the age of 13, he has been a recognized descendant on numerous projects across the island of Oahu, providing him with experience in the processes to protect native Hawaiian burials.

Mr. Caceres's professional expertise as a Cultural Monitor and Co-Principal Consultant at Ohana Kupono Consulting Incorporated has allowed him to be proactive and well versed in Iwi protection measures, enforcement of archaeological monitoring and mitigation plans, and will be an advocate for Iwi Kupuna. We're happy to support this nominee.

Thank you. Moving on to Michael Taylor on zoom. Go ahead, Mr. Taylor.

Okay. Hello, my Chair and Committee Members. I'm Michael Coloma Taylor and I've written testimony in support of confirmation of Makoa Caceres. I wanted to join online just to reiterate my support of Makoa's confirmation. Makoa is dedicated to his kupuna, his aina, and his ohana.

And many others, including myself, are extremely proud of the person he's become, as well as the accomplishments and kuleana he carries. He and his family have dedicated their lives to Iwi Kupuna. And as friend and colleague, I cannot emphasize the impactful contributions he is ready to bring to this group.

Again, it is a great honor to be able to testify in support of Makoa's nomination. Mahalo nui for your consideration. Olana iwi.

Thank you. Is there anybody else in the room would like to testify? Okay. Seeing none, please come forward.

I've had the honor of serving our Iwikupuna for now the majority of my life. I am a product of the Kayapuni system. Olalo, Hawaii is the main language that we spoke in my family household.

I'm also a product of Kamehameha schools, which helped to really seal the foundation of culture and an appreciation for our land and our cultural values. It was at that point when I was a middle schooler at Kamehameha Schools where my father would take me out of school.

I'm sure we came up with some sort of excuse for why I needed to leave school, but—and he would take me to the...Burial Council to provide testimony. And it was there that I saw the real ineffectiveness and disorder of the...Burial Council, much to the detriment of our Iwikupuna.

And those experiences, along with that that I experienced on archaeological inventory surveys and data recoveries that took place, I would attend those during spring break and summer break as free labor. Those experiences really helped to determine for me that this was a mission that I would dedicate my life to.

I'm not a person that believes that you choose the Kuleana for yourself. I believe that your ancestors choose it for you. And I'm lucky enough to stand upon the foundation that was built upon by my parents. My father, Mona Caceres, served on the...Burial Council for many years as the Ewa Moku rep.

My father, mother, along with my younger sisters, we all participate in international repatriations bringing Iwi Kupuna back from universities and museums all around the world. I myself have gone to Wellington, New Zealand, as well as Japan, Tokyo, to repatriate Iwi Kupuna. Bring them home, and those Kupuna have since been reburied.

My goal, ultimately, is to always put Iwi Kupuna first in every situation. I believe that there is an avenue that our ancestors lay before us to ensure their protection and eliminate their need to be removed from the Ina, and that is my sole goal and sole purpose.

Thank you. Appreciate your words and we had a great conversation about your story. So, with that, I'm going to open up to the Senators for any questions for the candidate. Very straightforward. Okay, thank you. So, we'll get to the voting at the end of the agenda. Moving on, Governor's message, 670, for the Burial Council, island of Oahu.

Mr. Ako. Testifiers. We have in person, again, DLNR. Jessica.

Hello again, Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee. My name is Jessica Puff. I'm the Administrator of SHPD. We stand on our testimony in support. But I did want to highlight just a little bit from the testimony that we gave for everyone here.

Mr. Ako is a lifelong resident of Kona, of the Kona Moku, with a strong connection to the Aina and people of his district he seeks to represent. He is a respected educator, cultural practitioner, and community leader. He is committed to preserving Hawaiian cultural values.

Mr. Ako has held roles as an educator at Kamehameha Schools, President of the Hawaiian Historical Society, and Pale Kiki Kena of Kuakini Piolani Hawaiian Civic Club, excuse me. Mr. Ako has been an advocate for the iwi kupuna and worked to register and protect burials in PI'ila Ahupua'a.

With expertise in Hawaiian language, hula, and...pono, he approaches his Kuleana with sincerity and commitment to his community. And we are happy to support his nominee—this nominee, excuse me.

Thank you. Is there anybody else in the room would like to speak? Okay, seeing none. Mr. Ako.

Aloha, mi kakou.

Aloha.

You know, I don't like to talk about myself. I think you folks have seen my resume. All I want to say is that since I returned home to Hawaii in August of 1979, I have devoted my life to finding ways to serve our Kanaka people.

And I spent a career doing that for 36 years at Kamehameha. Since retiring in 2015, I've looked for other ways to continue to serve our people.

And based on my experience, along with my late sister and registering some burial sites on the island of Kauai, where my mother was born and raised, I think I have some experiences that could benefit the work of the Oahu Island Burial Council. And that's why I applied for a vacancy in October.

The last thing I'd like to say, I guess, is that I've tried to live my life driven by the notion of servant leadership. And I see service on the Burial Council as being another way for me to serve other people, specifically our Kanaka people.

So, I'd be happy to respond to you any questions that people may have, either about my questionnaire or my resume. Mahalo.

Thank you, Mr. Ako. So, open it up to the Senators. Any questions? I think your resume said it all. Thank you so much. All right, and moving into our final Governor's message, 671 for the Burial Council on Oahu. Charish Kawehi Miller. We have, again, DLNR. Jessica, can you come on up, please?

Good afternoon again, Chair, Vice Chair, Members of the Committee. My name is Jessica Puff, the Administrator of SHPD. Again, we stand on our testimony as submitted, but I did want to highlight just a little bit of information for everyone present about Ms. Miller. She has genealogical ties to the Ukulu and Waimanalo in the Ko'olaupoko District.

Her connection to these aina provides her with knowledge, cultural grounding, and dedication to protecting Iwi Kupuna and makes her an asset to the communities she represents. Ms. Miller's upbringing was deeply rooted in Hawaiian culture, instilling in her the values of Ohana, aloha, ina, and malama. And her commitment to protecting Iwi Kupuna reflects these strong cultural foundations and traditions.

With six years of experience in working with burial sites and ancestral remains in the mortuary setting, she has ensured that Iwi and Hermanna are treated with the utmost respect. She navigates both cultural protocol and legal procedures, and we're happy to support this nominee.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you. Is there anybody else in the room would like to speak on Ms. Miller? Okay, seeing none. Come on up.

Aloha, everybody. Chair, Vice Chair, Senators. I'm really honored to be actually sitting in this seat with a room filled with people passionate about our culture and protection. My name is Kawehi, and I think what I can bring to the table with our council is I'm really good at bringing people together and coming to a solution.

I know that with different areas in different regions, we have different protocols, and I want to honor and respect that and hopefully contribute the best that I can.

Okay, so, thank you. Before you run away, are there any questions from the Senators? Okay, it looks like we got all the questions answered. Okay, thank you. So, we're going to move into decision making. Okay.

As we get started, what I'll do is I'll just give a little background on what we have as far as the support and we'll move forward and we'll call the vice chair for the vote. On GM 590 for the Hawaiian Homes, Archie Kalepa, we had 13 testimonies in support and one with comments.

Archie and I met talk story and it's the decision of the chair to advise and consent for Mr. Kalepa. Brings a lot to the commission. So vice chair for the vote.

Okay. Voting on GM 590, chair's recommendation's to advise and consent. [Roll Call].

Chair, can I make a comment please? Can I--nominee Kalepa, would you mind if I just ask you just one more question and then--yes, please, if you can come up. No? Oh, okay.

You cannot do this on the vote.

Okay. Sorry about that.

You gotta either vote yes or no. Or WR or--

Okay. Go. I'm ready. Go for it. I'm ready. Let's do it.

We're waiting for your vote.

Oh, sorry. Aye.

Aye. We count for the vote. Okay.

Aye, support, yes. Maika'i. Yes. Thank you.

Okay, chair, your recommendation is adopted.

Sorry, I'm the new person on the block.

Okay. So any other questions before we start the middle of a vote again? No?

No.

Okay. All right, moving on. Governor's Message 591 for Hawaiian Homes Commission. We have Lawrence Lasua. Just a quick summary of Mr. Lasua. We have 11 in support, none opposed. Again, Mr. Lasua and I had a great conversation and I think he represents not just the Hawaiian, but also Molokai specifically exceedingly well. So it's the recommendation of the chair to advise and consent.

Okay. We're voting now on GM 591. Chair's recommendation's to advise and consent. With the excuse absence of Senator Ihara, are there any reservations? Are there any noes? Seeing none, chair, recommendation has been adopted.

Thank you. Moving on to GM 669 for Makoa--well, I'm gonna have to work on this--Makoa. We have eight in support, none opposed, and again, Makoa and I had a great conversation. I learned some really interesting things about this candidate and he's bringing a wealth of knowledge and more importantly, he's bringing youth as we're coming forward. So with that is the recommendation of the chair to advise and consent.

Okay, we're voting on 669. Chair's recommendation's to advise and consent. With the excused absence of Senator Ihara, are there any reservations? Are there any noes? Seeing none, chair, recommendation has been adopted.

Thank you. And on--moving on to Governor's Message 670 for Mr. Julian Ako. We have ten in support, none in opposition. Again, Mr. Ako and I had a great conversation and there is a wealth of knowledge there that I admire, and I appreciate you willing to step up and do this. It's the recommendation of the chair to advise and consent.

Okay, voting on 670. Chair's recommendation is to advise and consent. Noting the excuse absence of Senator Ihara, are there any reservations? Are there any noes? Seeing none, chair, recommendation has been adopted.

Thank you so much, and our final Governor's Message: 671 for the Island of Oahu Burial council. We have Charish Miller. She too--had a great conversation with her and the knowledge that she brings at such a young age is phenomenal. It's a recommendation of the chair to advise and consent.

Okay, voting on 671. Chair's recommendation's to advise and consent. Noting the excuse absence of Senator Ihara, are there any reservations? Are there any noes? Seeing none, chair, recommendation has been adopted.

Okay, thank you. Thank you candidates. I look forward to the full Senate Floor vote. We are adjourned.