[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_25":26},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_27":28,"_29":30},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[31,75,87],{"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43,"_44":45,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6537660,"mediaKeyId","3473497-196e40de53ebd35f5a29f5eeeb0b41a4","parentId",3473497,"title","Advocacy and compliance present hires, burial‑site work and ocean policy priorities for OHA budget","audioSeconds",375,"startMs",7332000,"endMs",7707000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3473497-196e40de53ebd35f5a29f5eeeb0b41a4&start=7332&end=7707","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3473497-196e40de53ebd35f5a29f5eeeb0b41a4/thumbnail_7332000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6537660/Hawaii/Advocacy-and-compliance-present-hires-burialsite-work-and-ocean-policy-priorities-for-OHA-budget","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6537660-870370de779a3724d155d0d3789d97be/orig.mp4?Expires=1769877412&Signature=nS0h9xmP3yWbqkgfIj6bxbLUiQQCYE7sFtKBdDEHODrkmWGkzQdmCRaC29EDD0K4lrIZtT1T2bCRHWMC5X0BXXduuvj0NUaTCyQ6NO0XCoyQBe1QKmxAI~4tM~u6Sn56tEVuzzKFBrOb~M5728xKm0ZnEUmH0-ujz5WHt4SpIqv2n8wmgPgj2VMOTAGt9QPNy8nunP1QJNuRvtcwGRFRAmMNaVgA5ouLmcwaHvc98lfQ61C~YUuIB4b8HGV7VJ8fLFCaPxVmACDNOJRI0t-dGCm~JPyODEqccqa~vH4WyE10c5FwiTh6HmYyh9On~EjdtNChko66nUmagLavjX5tSQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Hawaii - Task Force Created by Act 170","date","2025-05-23T19:08:27Z","article","Kapāhakū (Advocacy) and compliance staff presented the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees with a budget request centered on staffing, island burial council support, community empowerment and ocean policy work.

Kapaʻahaku (presenter name listed as advocacy lead) described objectives to increase beneficiary engagement in legislative initiatives, expand voter registration efforts and rebuild staff expertise so the office can act as a policy partner across the agency’s MIMO priorities. The compliance team — led in the meeting by Kai Markel and senior archaeologist Kamakana Ferrera — outlined near‑term priorities including stronger staffing for island burial councils, a facilitator for a large burial‑sites working group, and funding for reinterment costs and neighbor‑island responses to inadvertent discoveries.

Compliance staff said a facilitator and administrative support will be needed for the working group that the board approved earlier this year to evaluate transferring some burial‑site duties from the state historic preservation division to OHA. Staff proposed a $50,000 contract for a facilitator and an estimated $30,000 to $50,000 range to cover reinterment materials and related costs (dry goods such as muslin were priced during budget preparation to produce an estimate for reinterment wrapping and associated supplies).

The presentation also described the reinstatement of an ocean policy manager position (previously supported by NOAA funding) to restore OHA’s co‑trustee work on Papahānaumokuākea and other ocean policy responsibilities. Staff said the position was posted and that OHA has been notably absent from some ocean policy forums in recent years.

On homesteading issues, compliance staff asked for specialist contracts (for example, a hydrologist or engineer) to investigate water‑system issues in places such as Anahola and Ho‘olehua where homesteaders report restricted access to irrigation water. Staff also described plans for biannual in‑person legislative‑empowerment and IBC recruitment trainings on neighbor islands and a proposed voter‑engagement media component; the community empowerment line item in the budget includes $30,000 for programming, of which staff identified roughly $12,000 for paid advertising.

Trustees asked about recruitment and retention for manager positions and discussed flexibility to increase salaries to attract qualified candidates; one trustee suggested up to $20,000 in additional flexibility for manager recruitment. Trustees also requested a presentation that explains compliance work and enforcement roles in more detail to help the board and public understand OHA’s obligations and on‑the‑ground activities.

Compliance staff noted they will bring further details and said several hiring recommendations are in process with a target of filling many vacancies by June 30.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","(BF) COMMITTEE ON BUDGET AND FINANCE OF THE OHA BOARD OF TRUSTEES","oneSentenceSummary","The advocacy and compliance teams outlined staffing needs, plans to strengthen island burial councils and a working group to assess whether OHA should assume certain burial‑site responsibilities from the state. The presentation included community training proposals, estimated reinterment costs and a new ocean policy manager post.","taxTitle","Task Force Created by Act 170, Executive , Hawaii","taxId",26072,"location","Hawaii","headline","","shortSummary",{"_32":76,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":77,"_40":78,"_42":79,"_44":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6537665,"OHA research office asks for money to rebuild Papakilo, Kipuka and Native Hawaiian Databook; trustees press for larger tech plan",1001,2142000,3143000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3473497-196e40de53ebd35f5a29f5eeeb0b41a4&start=2142&end=3143","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3473497-196e40de53ebd35f5a29f5eeeb0b41a4/thumbnail_2142000.jpg","/articles/6537665/Hawaii/OHA-research-office-asks-for-money-to-rebuild-Papakilo-Kipuka-and-Native-Hawaiian-Databook-trustees-press-for-larger-tech-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6537665-d8cd47e5a77af773d5a7f320f6625583/orig.mp4?Expires=1769877412&Signature=fLgdURkbbcS69xbJ04EdEArrUKhaD2Qst9JTvZxPZdm~ATXuQuqWtzFlcqgwl2Q1J0h8oPsUUUE8~~ZwF1PRx-yLf5OJDw7uOMtMenXWO7rZtjEfakXvEKBBGG5uRf7ovR0Fqid4mR7Ux4v4s2NhEspuaZ2OK3g6N9puQI2w~DLu-5R3dlgZByqq88aOBbDxTiwx4mVD0mIwBLKlQbsVq9JVWk9cFPReC0GjlmGtNSod~MC7htliTo3GhlRAOXcdTum5ZpOMooBZUYuNVL6QOfRYuFYH2QMWR4nnXn2RDOhloI9jLfMcrEkZ4z~tnkBS4V-fEtNdYU4oB9sE7zi9tQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Carla Hostetter, director of Research and Evaluation at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, outlined a budget request that would rebuild three core research systems — Papakilo (cultural and historical archives), Kipuka (GIS land‑history platform) and the Native Hawaiian Databook — while funding staff training, digitization contracts and statewide research partnerships.

Hostetter told trustees the director’s portion of the office proposal is roughly $1.4 million for fiscal 2026 with about $1.3 million proposed for fiscal 2027; she said staff would correct a personnel split that appears in the initial budget documents before the next submission. “R&E’s purpose is long standing and is in direct alignment with OHA’s mandate,” Hostetter said, summarizing the office’s work in digitization, demographic compilation and original research.

Key line items described in the presentation included server maintenance and software updates (hosted in the director’s budget), an estimated $250,000 contract to upgrade the Kipuka GIS platform, $150,000 to update the Native Hawaiian Databook platform, $40,000 in equipment upgrades, and a proposed $300,000 statewide archives digitization contract to preserve local collections and provide access through Papakilo. Staff also proposed a $50,000 OHA contribution to an annual statewide Native Hawaiian well‑being survey run jointly with partner agencies.

Hostetter warned trustees that long‑standing vacancies — notably a GIS systems administrator position that has been unfilled about three years — have left platforms out of date. She described a contractor assessment completed under a separate contract with SWCA Environmental Associates that reviewed prior land‑mapping work and proposed a multi‑year plan to complete a ceded‑lands inventory, and she said that work will inform how Kipuka should be upgraded.

Trustees asked detailed questions about whether the Databook could be made interactive and how the research systems might integrate with an agency‑wide data dashboard being developed by Strategy & Implementation. Trustee Akaka warned that upgrades should not be “bare bones” and said the board should adopt a higher strategic vision for technology across the agency: “This group should not be coming to the board as beggars,” Akaka said, urging a policy‑level decision to invest in technology rather than incremental fixes.

Hostetter and other research staff said the proposal represents a “bare‑bones” path to bring systems current and that a significantly larger investment would be needed to reach state‑of‑the‑art capabilities, including expanded staffing. Trustees and staff repeatedly linked the data infrastructure request to OHA’s ability to support legislative advocacy and to document ceded lands, burial‑site history and other issues that drive policy and funding requests.

Trustees asked staff for follow‑up details and for clearer integration plans with other agency data platforms; staff said a corrected budget and a further briefing would be provided at the next update to the board.","Research and Evaluation presented a multi‑part budget to repair aging digital infrastructure, fill vacancies and expand data‑sovereignty work. Staff named specific contract and equipment asks and trustees urged a broader, better‑funded technology strategy.",{"_32":88,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":89,"_40":90,"_42":91,"_44":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6537670,"Language-archive project asks OHA to join five-year funding drive to train translation fellows",1874,261000,2135000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3473497-196e40de53ebd35f5a29f5eeeb0b41a4&start=261&end=2135","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3473497-196e40de53ebd35f5a29f5eeeb0b41a4/thumbnail_261000.jpg","/articles/6537670/Hawaii/Language-archive-project-asks-OHA-to-join-five-year-funding-drive-to-train-translation-fellows","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6537670-cd22a1d6b15bf1fef7cc7569aa1f6693/orig.mp4?Expires=1769877412&Signature=C~8wI8DH1bM32cd6p-N93U30lSwxTu0f0thrpfzFd7gz52KAT8Dy27zjUB6amYdW2RHgqTxs~XN6tz7nA-9rutj7mbbfF-N8fJIgmVRQ52PB6E587-z8Q5lopqwV6kt4yYDA6m0eYrkYpxYIIovgC8cPVRhFv4td-RFvG4S0OaawoVdVJveb45a45bb0U68xozIIOnhPMBmBsbCSH~c6liYFUcmYL8fXomIZw3DVjccPCG13dSemr39sk~Ka132DWRKyhlBMStlaScaoGHV8nimVNSNNzwfmCUaVwLBeP05INVXb166n3SSE5R5ONmZq0TR5FxUA72TZDO2g7I7DAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Puakea Nogomayor and Kaui Sai Doudwa told the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Budget and Finance Committee they are seeking OHA collaboration and budget support for an expanded program to translate and publish Hawaiian‑language archives for classrooms and the public.

Nogomayor, who testified as a member of the public, said the effort aims to train a new generation of translation fellows and to bridge a large gap between what fluent speakers know today and the vast Hawaiian‑language archive. “We need $10,000,000 for 5 years,” Nogomayor said, describing a model that combines mentorship, archival work and English‑language translation to make material broadly usable.

The request came with details about scale and timeline: presenters said the initiative has trained roughly 20 fellows over two decades, with about 11 remaining active; they described a target five‑year funding plan that would require roughly $1.8 million per year to operate at “full tilt,” and asked that OHA show a multi‑year commitment, even if the agency can only appropriate money for the next biennium.

Why it matters: presenters described an unusually rich body of Hawaiian‑language material — newspapers, ali‘i letters and other documents — that they say remain largely inaccessible to most Hawaiians and to the public because they are untranslated or use older vocabulary. Testimony framed the project as complementary to language‑revitalization work and as an educational resource for classrooms and community programs.

Presenters asked OHA to consider contributing from the current biennium budget and suggested a range of possible commitments. Nogomayor said a two‑year contribution of $500,000 per year would be an example of a “solid commitment” OHA could make now; presenters also said they will continue to pursue philanthropic funding (Hawaii Community Foundation, Mellon Foundation and others were named as discussion partners).

Trustees and staff responded with preliminary support and questions about how a multi‑year effort would fit OHA’s biennial appropriation process. Trustee Souza said the OHA executive director had discussed the idea of reassigning two personnel positions into the budget to support the work; staff said the agency can appropriate for the coming two fiscal years but cannot directly appropriate a five‑year amount without future renewals. Trustees asked for a follow‑up briefing and staff indicated they would consider options for including a commitment in the agency’s biennium request.

The presenters left printed materials for the trustees and offered to return for a fuller briefing on their pillars and budget breakdowns.","Two presenters urged the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to partner on a five-year effort to translate and publish large portions of Hawaiian-language archives, seeking multi‑million dollar support and urging OHA to signal a commitment in the coming biennium.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Advocacy and compliance present hires, burial‑site work and ocean policy priorities for OHA budget

OHA research office asks for money to rebuild Papakilo, Kipuka and Native Hawaiian Databook; trustees press for larger tech plan

Language-archive project asks OHA to join five-year funding drive to train translation fellows