Peter Apo: Why Does the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Exist?

February 26, 2015 · By Peter Apo

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is often seen as the political go-to institution in dealing with Native Hawaiians. So it is easy to forget that the primary responsibility for the governance and management of the special trust relationship established by the Congress between Native Hawaiians and the federal and state governments continues to lie with the government of the United States, and by extension, authorities in Hawaii.

For all the apparent confusion, OHA is a state instrument of that trust responsibility, but empowered with unique state constitutional authority to function as a semi-autonomous political body. OHA exercises its authority on behalf of its approximately 250,000 Hawaiian beneficiaries living in Hawaii and, to a somewhat nebulous degree, another 250,000 living on the mainland.

Hawaiian identity is based on a rich, complicated history.

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OHA’s role as a state agency puzzles many people and more than a few wonder why it exists at all.

Here are some other relevant questions. If OHA is a state agency, why isn’t it directly accountable to the governor or the Legislature? How can OHA’s land holdings be considered private lands if they are owned and held by a state agency? How did the state end up owing OHA so much money it had to give the agency Kakaako Makai to reimburse the debt? Then there is an overarching question: what do Native Hawaiians mean when they speak of restoring a Hawaiian nation?

OHA is, without question, a state agency. But, it is semi-autonomous and governed by a nine-member elected board of trustees that includes myself. One each from Molokai, Maui, Oahu, Kauai and Hawaii Island, and four at-large. Originally, only Hawaiians were eligible to vote or become a candidate. But, a constitutional challenge, referred to as the Rice-Cayetano …

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About the Author

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Peter Apo

A former legislator, Peter Apo is a trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the president of the Peter Apo Company LLC, a cultural tourism consulting company to the visitor industry. He has also been the arts and culture director for Honolulu, the city's director of Waikiki Development and served as special assistant on Hawaiian affairs to Gov. Ben Cayetano. His opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of OHA or other organizations he is involved in.

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