WAIMANALO — At community meetings around the state, Native Hawaiians are raising questions about a proposed $200 million ceded lands settlement between the state and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

The state and OHA are trying to explain the package, which would end a long dispute over the lands. Eighty people attended the third meeting in the series last night and overflowed the meeting room at Waimanalo Public & School Library. Already, major concerns have surfaced, said Vicky Holt Takamine, president of 'Ilio'ulaokalani Coalition.

The group is hosting the community education meetings that cover the settlement and other legislation that affects Native Hawaiians.

People are concerned about whether the annual $15.1 million payment from the state will be enough and question why the community wasn't included in the negotiation process, Takamine said before last night's meeting.

The settlement addresses how much OHA is owed by the state from revenues generated from public lands that were turned over to the United States by the Republic of Hawai'i in 1898.

It calls for transferring an estimated $187 million in property and $13 million in cash to OHA. OHA would also continue to receive $15.1 million annually from the state.

The Legislature must approve the settlement, and any changes made must be approved by both the administration and OHA.

Lawmakers have raised their own questions about parts of the agreement.

Takamine said people want the annual sum to adjust to inflation; otherwise "as years go by $15.1 million in perpetuity is going to be 10 cents in the future. For us, 'in perpetuity' is not a good deal."

MANY PEOPLE SPEAK OUT

People also want to know if the settlement is final and what happens to the ceded land that once belonged to the Hawaiian monarchy. The settlement doesn't address ownership of ceded land, said Jonathan Scheuer, OHA director of land management.

"OHA trustees do not believe that they are the entity that could ever release the claim because it's part of the state," Scheuer said when explaining the settlement. "It would have to be a Native Hawaiian entity elected by Native Hawaiians."

About 50 people attended the first two hastily called meetings, in Kahuku and Kane'ohe.

The Waimanalo meeting attracted the young and elders who had a range of views.

Mable Spencer, a Waimanalo resident, said the settlement doesn't go far enough in addressing the bigger picture that includes self determination under a sovereign government for Native Hawaiians.

The public lands and their ownership must also be resolved, Spencer said, adding that military expansion in the Islands is taking too much of the land, leaving Native Hawaiians on the beach.

Nevertheless, Spencer said, she is glad that the state is moving ahead with the settlement and praised Gov. Linda Lingle for her support of Native Hawaiians.

"We're grateful to where we are at this point but it's peanuts considering the bigger picture," she said.

'IT DOESN'T SEEM FAIR'

A Kailua resident said the state is being let off easy with the settlement. "It doesn't seem fair," Jackie Lasky said. "It seems like Hawaiians lose a lot more than the state loses."

Lucy Akau, also a Waimanalo resident and a member of Waimanalo Homestead Association, said too many people are trying to get involved with solving Hawaiian problems and they should leave it up to Hawaiians to settle it among themselves.

Akau said she supports the OHA settlement but the land issue remains a problem. As an example, Akau points to public land in Kapahulu that people want for parking, but that the state Board of Land and Natural Resources was considering turning into commercial space.

"Greedy people want land to make money but Hawaiians want land for the people to live on," she said. "The settlement should be settled for houses and helping people and I don't only mean Hawaiians."

The community meetings will be recorded and a report about them will go to the Legislature, Takamine said, adding that the agreement in the form of a bill can still be changed.

Takamine said it is a better settlement than one offered under Gov. Ben Cayetano.

"There was no definition of land and we got land(s) that are income-producing or potential economic development land that would supplement the $15.1 million that is on the table."

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com.