OHA Board approves funding for community events and bills affecting Native Hawaiians

The OHA Board of Trustees (BOT) convened on April 3, 2025, to discuss various legislative positions and sponsorships impacting the Native Hawaiian community. The meeting proceeded with a structured agenda, focusing on multiple matrices related to bills affecting public land trust, traditional practices, health, education, economic development, and elder care.

The session began with a motion to adopt Matrix 2, which was approved unanimously with nine votes in favor. Following this, the board moved to Matrix 3, addressing bills related to public land trust. Again, the motion passed with a unanimous vote.

Subsequent matrices, including Matrix 4, which focused on native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices, and Matrix 5, concerning native Hawaiian health, were also approved without opposition. Each item was met with a roll call vote, consistently resulting in nine affirmative votes.

The board continued through the agenda, addressing Matrix 6, which dealt with native Hawaiian health, and Matrix 7, focusing on education. Both matrices received unanimous approval as well. Matrix 8, which pertained to economic development, followed suit, passing with the same unanimous support.

Finally, the board addressed Matrix 9, concerning elder care, which also received unanimous approval. Throughout the discussions, no individuals signed up to testify on any of the matrices, indicating a smooth and straightforward decision-making process.

The meeting then transitioned to the Budget and Finance Committee's recommendations. Trustee Alapa presented two sponsorship motions. The first was for the Hoa Kaua Kaua Lahuie event, which received $2,500 for the Kapuola Hula Festival scheduled for April 6, 2025. The second motion sought $9,450 for the Hawaii Rise Foundation's Lele Manaka community event from April 24-26, 2025. Both sponsorships were approved unanimously.

In conclusion, the OHA BOT meeting on April 3, 2025, demonstrated a collaborative effort to support legislative positions and community events, with all motions passing without dissent. The board's next steps will involve processing the approved sponsorships promptly to ensure timely funding for the upcoming events.