Dysfunction in government is nothing new. It’s probably the primary reason many people have lost faith in government and interest in engaging with it, so a lot of it persists beneath the surface, away from public attention.
But when it’s so bad the disgusted public mobilizes to force a course correction, the grace period has expired.
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, no stranger to political in-fighting over its 37-year history, has fallen into the quagmire once again, the board of trustees only weeks into its new term with newly elected leadership.
So far, however, the leadership has not succeeded in moving its agenda forward. Some of that agenda — the proposal to conduct an independent audit of the agency — represents a move toward needed transparency from the agency management.
But at this rate, the board, with Trustee Rowena Akana at the helm, will never get things underway.
Akana, a veteran trustee who previously chaired the board, assembled a 5-4 majority to take control. She has a valid concern about the personnel costs the agency shoulders, as well as an interest in pursuing more programs focused on critical housing and health needs of OHA’s Native Hawaiian constituency.
But she also has a long track record of conflict with other long-time trustees, and has not yet managed to overcome those differences. Her opponents walked out on the meeting upon her election Dec. 8, and things seemingly have gone downhill from there, with a second walkout Jan. 12.
In addition, there’s a showdown between the board leadership and Kamana‘opono Crabbe, OHA’s chief administrator. A slim majority on the board criticizes the way Crabbe has managed expenses; these trustees seek to buy out his contract and replace him.
An executive session is planned today in which the aim is to find resolution and discuss the contract for Crabbe, who has resisted efforts to oust him.
Settling discord requires leadership, and Akana will need to demonstrate she can build consensus around her plans if OHA is to make any progress at all. Otherwise, the alternative is for another chairperson who can bridge the divide to emerge and take over the reins.
Something has to give here.
The trouble has been brewing for weeks, but what may force a move toward conciliation was the demonstration by beneficiaries this week. On Tuesday some of them testified at a board meeting, amplified by sign-toting demonstrators outside OHA headquarters.
Their aim: to persuade trustees and Crabbe to embark on rounds of hooponopono, the traditional mediation and forgiveness process.
But this would be an especially thorny mess to untangle, and it’s unclear whether burying the hatchet by any means is possible, given the current power structure. Akana’s efforts at outreach are hindered by ongoing litigation and conflicts with trustees and staff.
The question now is: Do OHA beneficiaries have any time left for sniping and scheming among the people who are supposed to be acting in their interests?
The agency has an expanding role to play in advocacy for Native Hawaiians. Just to name one: OHA is a co-trustee for the federally protected Papahanaumokuakea National Marine Monument. It’s well past time to demonstrate that trust in the agency was not misplaced.
Akana is right that how OHA spends the Native Hawaiian Trust Fund needs careful scrutiny, and an independent audit would provide some of that. It also would cast light on whether Crabbe’s met his fiduciary responsibility to the trust, by a careful examination of his executive decisions.
But trustees have to get on with this, and on with doing the business of OHA beneficiaries. Out of today’s meeting ought to emerge a game plan and a roster, with whoever is capable of providing leadership at the top of the list.
