(ABOVE VIDEO) Report on the Wednesday (Sept. 17) Office of Hawaiian Affairs public hearing in Kailua-Kona

Video by David Corrigan, Voice of Sherry Bracken

NOTE: Full video testimonies will be linked on this page as they become available.

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii – This week the Office of Hawaiian Affairs held meetings on Hawaii Island. This year, the OHA Board of Trustees met in Kona, and held a public hearing at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel on Wednesday night.

The trustees heard were given presentations by Kanu o ka ‘Aina Learning Ohana, Habitat For Humanity West Hawaii, Queen Lili’uokalani Trust, and La’i’opua 2020.

Native Hawaiian beneficiaries were given an opportunity to their voice concerns over any number of topics to the elected board. Albert Kahiwahiwaokalani Ha’a Jr and Abel Simeona Lui were among the speakers.

Some testifiers, Moanikeala Akaka and Gene Tamashiro, chose to talk about OHA’s Nation Building effort. Which led to discussion on the trustee-unauthorized letter by OHA CEO Kamana’opono Crabbe to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, seeking clarification on the status of the Hawaiian kingdom. The letter caused weeks of infighting between the board and the executive administration. The letter was rescinded.

The OHA Board also heard from Waimea residents Kalani Flores and Pua Case on their ongoing fight to stop the Thirty Meter Telescope project on Mauna Kea. Flores also spoke on Pohakuloa Training Area.