Page 5 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - Jan 5, 2022

Nonprofit Law Firm Advocates For Native Hawaiian People
homesteaders face issues ranging from successorship and lease cancellation to en- vironmental concerns and internet access.
ed traditional rights. After working at NHLC part-time as an intake officer, I knew immediately that I wanted to further NHLC’s work and mission as an attorney.”
Native Hawaiians when the two conflict, and ‘consulta- tion,’ which is often required for projects and actions af- fecting Native Hawaiians, is often treated as a box check instead of something more meaningful. It is clear that a seat at the table is not go- ing to be enough to better the conditions of our com- munities; there needs to be a new table to accommodate various Native Hawaiian perspectives that ultimately place more importance on the preservation of cultural practices, values, resources and the communities that rely on them.”
“As a homesteader, I per- sonally experienced the is- sues that many in the broader Native Hawaiian community face, and I can speak to the stability that a homestead is able to provide an ‘ohana for generations. Having bene- fited from the homestead program, I feel that it is now my kuleana to advocate for homestead families and to provide them with educa- tional resources that will help them retain their homestead leases,” he adds.
Kopper points to self-de- termination as one important issue facing the Native Ha- waiian community.
Director of litigation David Kauila Kopper, 38, learned about NHLC through his brother who had interned with the orga- nization.
He points to cases that NHLC has brought against the state that helped provide a voice for Native Hawai- ians’ concerns with regards to the disturbance of burial sites and restriction of access at places such as Mauna Kea.
For legal practice ad- ministrator/staff attorney Ashley Kaho‘omino‘aka Kaiao Obrey, 38, working at NHLC was a “dream job” when she was in law school, and she jumped at the chance to apply when the opportunity arose.
know that I wanted to make a difference in my commu- nity and be a part of some- thing bigger than myself. Bearing witness to all that had changed in Hawai‘i in just my lifetime and how that change has impacted Hawai‘i’s resources and its people (specifically Native Hawaiians), coming home from college with a journal- ism degree, I struggled with finding my role in all of this.”
that strengthen Native Hawai- ian identity and culture.” The organization works to achieve this goal through the integra- tion of “native values into the practice of western law and jurisprudence.” Its work helps to ensure Native Hawaiians can navigate the legal system while maintaining their “in- tegrity and their values as an independent native people.”
For Obrey, there is one par- ticularmomentthatdistillsthe reason why the NHLC team does its work.
“I have a fond memory of my first contested case hear- ing, putting our kūpuna client on the witness stand for his testimony and listening to the way he shared his ʻike — his traditional knowledge — of the relationship between fresh water while sitting at the table of the Board of Land and Nat- ural Resources board room, surrounded by attorneys and files and controversy,” she recalls. “But his voice — ev- erything he said I could pic- ture as if I were standing with him in ʻEwa, looking mauka at the rain, watching the drops become rivers and fresh water feeding the ocean.
“Even today, every time I reread his testimony (which I do from time to time), I am transported and feel like I can see with Uncle Henry’s eyes,” Obrey continues. “And I can’t help but think, ‘Yes, this is why we do what we do. This is who we serve and this is the ʻike we need to protect.’”
“Through him, I learned its decadeslong record of ef- fecting change through land- mark cases, and its focus on supporting the betterment of communities through the exercise of legally protect-
“The hope is that, if Native Hawaiian voices are consid- ered, our leaders would act in their best interests,” Kopper says. “However, we have seen time and time again that commercial interests are cho- sen over the best interests of
“For me, it’s about kule- ana,” she states. “Growing up, I can honestly say that I had never planned on be- coming an attorney, but I did
Kopper points out that the navigation of the legal sys- tem is just one way to fulfill NHLC’s mission. He explains that the rights, customs and practices of the Native Ha- waiian community are based on being good stewards of the land and each other so that ev- eryone benefits.
“Many of our cases, past and present, focus on ensur- ing Hawaiian interests are meaningfully considered by government agencies and entities when decisions are made and laws are enacted,” he says.
She planned to return to school and focus on Hawai- ian studies, until someone “reminded me of how im- portant it was for Hawai- ians to succeed in all areas of society, because that is how we can really move the needle for our people,” she recalls. “And with that, I pivoted and decided that law school would be a way to hone the skills I already had so I could contribute to improving the conditions of Native Hawaiians.”
“Natural resources will no longer be threatened by com- mercial overuse or military activities,” Kopper says. “De- scendants will no longer have to worry that a development project will take precedent over ancestral burial sites. Hawaiian homestead benefi- ciaries will not have to wait de- cades to be awarded affordable housing. That is a just Hawai‘i.
The stated mission of NHLC is “to perpetuate, through le- gal and other advocacy, the rights, customs and practices
JANUARY 5, 2022
HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK 5
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