News Release
Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations
Association of Hawaiians for Homestead Lands
In opening remarks at the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit, Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland announced a series of actions to support tribally-led conservation, education and economic development through a new Office of Strategic Partnerships at the Department of Interior. The new office will assist in building partnerships, leveraging resources and promoting innovative solutions for Indian Country.
As a first step, the Department of the Interior executed four memorandum of understanding agreements with:
- American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN) supporting entrepreneurship
- Enterprise Community Partners supporting affordable housing
- Native CDFI Network and Oweesta Corporation to increase access to financial resources and leveraging
- Trust for Public Land to create culturally informed outdoor educational spaces infused with Native languages and culture
Pete Upton, the Executive Director of the Native CDFI Network, a national Native coalition of Native Community Development Financial Institutions located in 27 states in the country attended the signing ceremony. Oweesta and NCN will work together through the Department of the Interior Office of Strategic Partnerships, to address access to financial resources and leverage opportunities for Native peoples across the country.
Robin Danner, the Vice Chair of Oweesta Corporation, a national Native intermediary serving American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiians, attended the Washington DC signing ceremony. Danner is also the elected chair of the Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations (SCHHA), a coalition of 42 trust land areas known as homesteads.
Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, Bryan Newland said at the signing event, “Today, .004% of philanthropic dollars make it to households in our tribal communities, which is 4 cents on every $100 dollars issued by philanthropic organizations. Our Office of Strategic Partnerships, aims to change that.”
In addition to this DC event, Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Association leaders will be arriving the week of December 5th, to attend meetings with federal agencies to advance housing and homeownership on our trust lands across the state and to convene with tribal leaders and Native loan funds. Rolina Faagai, Vice Chair of Hawaiian Lending & Investments (HLI) and Iwalani McBrayer, Chair of Homestead Community Development Corporation (HCDC).
For more information, contact policy@hawaiianhomesteads.org
Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Association and AHHL are the 2 largest and most representative policy voices on issues impacting trust lands as defined under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 (HHCA). SCHHA founded in 1987, and AHHL founded in 2008 represent the interests of nearly 10,000 trust land lessees and 28,000 on the waitlist. Each are registered as federally defined homestead associations under 43 CFR Part 47/48 with the Department of Interior.
About Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations
Founded in 1987, the Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations (SCHHA) is the oldest and largest governing homestead association registered with the Department of Interior, exercising sovereignty on the trust lands established under the HHCA of 1920.
