Hawaii's Office of Hawaiian Affairs is pushing on three fronts at once — disaster relief on the Big Island, a fight for a seat at the table on military land leases, and a bid to buy local TV stations — a mixed picture that is good for Native Hawaiian influence but slow going.

• Kaū on the Big Island suffered damage residents call the worst in living memory, with families cut off and unable to leave; OHA's board approved half a million dollars within 48 hours and had supplies moving the next day.
• More than 70 grave sites were unearthed, and heavy digging equipment was halted so the burials could be handled carefully by state, county, and cultural experts together.
• Military leases on former Hawaiian Kingdom crown lands are expiring, and OHA wants to be an actual signatory — not just consulted — arguing any deal without it will not hold up.
• The Senate has told the military to redo its environmental study and come back, and OHA opposes any condemnation of the land, friendly or forced, while pressing for cleanup of areas the military used.
• OHA finished the first stage of due diligence on buying KITV and KIKU, framing it as a way for Native Hawaiians to tell their own stories, despite questions about a government body holding a broadcast license.

Outlook: A board decision on whether to move ahead with the station purchase is expected before the end of the year, while the land lease talks stay unresolved.