Olowalu Cultural Reserve Among 35 Projects Receiving 2010 OHA Grants

Posted by Wendy Osher

The Olowalu Cultural Reserve on Maui will get more than $44,000 in the latest round of grants announced today by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.  The money will be used for the reconstruction of the ahupua’a at Lihau, Olowalu.  The project is aimed at perpetuating traditional and customary practices of Kanaka Maoli and protecting natural resources.

Another project exclusive to Maui and included on the list of grant recipients is the Kihei Youth Center.  The facility is earmarked for $48,000 in grants to support the MERITS after-school homework assistance program at the Kihei Youth Center.

OHA trustees approved a total of $2.2 million in community grants for 35 projects aimed at supporting non-profit community groups who work to make a difference in the lives of Native Hawaiians, and ultimately the community at large.

OHA Chairperson Haunani Apoliona said the OHA is pleased to support those who make a difference in the midst of a struggling economy, “The $2.2 million will fund projects ranging from mobile health screening for diabetes to substance abuse rehabilitation to the promotion of innovative, culturally-based curriculum development at Hawaiian immersion schools,” said Apoliona.

In selecting grant recipients, the OHA Board of Trustees gave full consideration to projects that would ensure that Native Hawaiians have continued opportunities in health care, human services, education, housing, economic development, native rights and cultural preservation.

“With resources dedicated to these critical arenas, Native Hawaiians will be in a better position to contribute to the state’s economic recovery and OHA is thankful that it is able to come through with help during these tough economic times,” Chairperson Apoliona added.

The complete list of Office of Hawaiian Affairs Community Grants Program Recipients for fiscal year 2010 is as follows:

• Aka‘ula Middle School – $86,076 for PRISM, a culturally responsive educational program. (Moloka‘i)
• Alu Like, Inc. – $49,605 for coordination of ten workshops to help küpuna manage chronic disease. (O‘ahu, Moloka‘i)
• American Diabetes Association of Hawai‘i – $34,350 for the Vision Project, providing a mobile retinal scan screening unit for early diagnosis and treatment of diabetes. (All islands)
• American Lung Association of Hawai‘i – $28,843 for Maopopo Oli Hänö, a school- based asthma education and management program. (O‘ahu, Maui & Hawai‘i Island)
• Arizona Memorial Museum Association – $100,000 to support a Pearl Harbor Visitor Center display on the Hawaiian cultural significance and history of the Pu‘uloa area (O‘ahu)
• Bay Clinic – $42,000 to support expansion of a diabetes self-management program in the Puna district, targeting high-risk Native Hawaiians (Hawai‘i Island)
• Boys and Girls Club of Hawai‘i – $58,650 to improve the new Youth Education Town (YET) with support for certification in LEED (leadership in energy and environment design) and Native Hawaiian-focused stewardship projects for youth. (O‘ahu)
• Family Support Services of West Hawai‘i – $57,500 to support Nä Makuakäne Maika‘i O Hawai‘i, a program to increase parenting skills for fathers through culturally-based practices and program support. (Hawai‘i Island)
• God’s Country Waimänalo – $61,000 to support a hands-on learning program in cultural activities, including: ka ‘äina (growing potted gardens), ke kai (ocean skill building), and mea ha‘i‘ölelo (story-telling/communication). (O‘ahu)
• Hale ‘Öpio Kaua‘i – $45,350 for implementation of Ke Kahua O Ka Mälamalama, an afterschool program to engage students in Native Hawaiian cultural practices and values. (Kaua‘i)
• Hawai‘i Maoli on behalf of the Ko‘olaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club – $47,269 for a civic club multi-purpose cultural project and installation of ahupua‘a highway boundary markers. (O‘ahu)
• Ka ‘Aha Hui Na‘auao – $30,678 for Ka Papa ‘Oihana or Perpetuating traditional Hawaiian Knowledge, Cultural and Natural Resources, an instruction program in traditional hale construction and wood sculpture. (O‘ahu)
• Ka Hale Pömaika‘i – $100,000 for the expansion of substance abuse treatment and recovery services. (Moloka‘i)
• Ka Meheu ‘Ohu O Ka Honu on behalf of Ho‘omanao I Nä Wä I Huliau – $65,000 to support the traditions and culture of Native Hawaiians through the re-creation of visual images via photographs, written text, and storytelling. (All islands)
• Kaua‘i Economic Opportunity, Inc. – $58,745 to support the operation of the Mana‘olana emergency homeless shelter on Kaua‘i. (Kaua‘i)
• Kawaikini New Century Charter School – $55,250 to support curriculum development and a pilot project for 3rd and 4th graders. (Kaua‘i)
• Keömailani Hanapï Foundation – $91,500 for the Native Hawaiian art education project, HOEA, including operational support and the establishment of a community art space and storage facility. (Hawai‘i Island)
• Kïhei Youth Center – $48,000 to support the MERITS after-school homework assistance program at the Kïhei Youth Center. (Maui)
• Külia Nä Mamo – $50,000 to support equitable employment for the transgendered and homosexuals through employers on how to retain those employees. (O‘ahu)
• Leadership Kaua‘i – $25,000 for the annual Adult Leadership Program and Pi‘ina Hökü Youth Leadership Program. (Kaua‘i)
• Lunalilo Home – $100,000 to provide financial assistance to indigent Hawaiian küpuna not able to afford care at Lunalilo Home. (O‘ahu)
• Lyman Museum – $59,328 to support protection and restoration of Hawaiian cultural artifacts in the museum’s collections. (Hawai‘i Island)
• Nänäkuli Housing Corporation – $98,723 to assist Native Hawaiian families with home repair and/or replacement needs. (O‘ahu)
• Narconon Hawai‘i – $49,500 to support the outpatient drug rehabilitation program located in Kalaeloa. (O‘ahu)
• National Tropical Botanical Garden – $62,522 for the cultivation of native plants in Hä‘ena to be made available and used as resources by the Native Hawaiian community. (Kaua‘i)
• Neighborhood Place of Kona – $99,648 to support the prevention of child abuse and provide child abuse prevention information to rural areas. (Hawai‘i Island)
• Olowalu Cultural Reserve – $44,530 for reconstruction of the ahupua‘a at Lïhau, Olowalu, to perpetuate traditional and customary practices of Kanaka Maoli and protect natural resources. (Maui)
• Pacific American Foundation on behalf of Digitalmoku.net – $49,720 to establish an Internet site on the history of the Kohala district with online access to ethnographic interviews with cultural experts and community members. (Hawai‘I Island)
• Pacific Health Ministry – $38,241 to support mobile and free blood pressure screenings, health assessments, and health referrals for low-income, elderly and homeless populations living on beaches and in transitional housing. (O‘ahu)
• PA‘I Foundation – $49,600 to support MAMo 2010: a month-long celebration of Native Hawaiian arts and culture intended to highlight contemporary Native Hawaiian artists. (O‘ahu)
• Partners In Development Foundation – $99,984 for Kökua ‘Ohana, a program to increase the number of licensed Native Hawaiian families providing homes for Native Hawaiian foster children. (O‘ahu)
• Tri-Isle Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. on behalf of Lanaihale Forest & Watershed Project – $89,770 for the Läna‘ihale Forest and Watershed Project to protect the habitat of the endangered Hawaiian Petrel bird (‘ua‘u) and recharge the Läna‘ihale watershed by removing invasive species.
• Wai‘anae Coast Coalition on behalf of Wai‘anae Coast Family Center (Pa‘a Hala) – $100,000 to provide family conferencing and cultural classes and support the goal of establishing a Hawaiian cultural center for farming and monthly hö’ike. (O‘ahu)
• Waimänalo Health Center – $100,000 to support Kü I Ka Mana, a Native Hawaiian mentoring program for Waimänalo Middle School students to increase knowledge of healthy living and make positive lifestyle choices. (O‘ahu)
• Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Kaua‘i – $50,000 to support domestic violence intervention and sex offender treatment programs. (Kaua‘i)

OHA Submits Modified Bill to Resolve Past-Due Claims

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs will submit a bill for introduction in the current session of the State Legislature that will again seek to have the State retire the $200 million debt OHA officials say resulted from Public Land Trust revenues unpaid from 1978 to 2010.

If enacted, the legislation will establish the debt at $200 million and provide for annual payments of at least $30 million beginning July 1, 2015 until the debt is paid. The bill would also require the State to pay interest to OHA beginning July 1, 2010.

The delay in payment of the debt is OHA’s recognition of the State’s presently dire financial circumstances. However, the OHA Board of Trustees has expressed belief that the State’s economy will be on its way to recovery within 3 to 5 years and the State will be well able to begin retiring the debt.

OHA also notes that by 2015 the State’s obligation to pay $30 million annually into the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust Fund under Act 14 of the 1995 Special Legislative Session will end.

Speaking on behalf of the OHA Board of Trustees, Chief Executive Officer Clyde Nämu‘o stated, “We recognize these aren’t the best of times for the State budget but if OHA and the State can strike an agreement that would allow the State to make good on its obligation when the economy improves, we believe this would work toward the benefit of Native Hawaiians and all of Hawai‘i.”

OHA To Host TV Specials On Akaka Bill

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs will host two live television specials this month focusing on the “Akaka Bill” more formally known as the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2009.

OHA hopes to use the airings as a way to better inform the public about the measure that is now before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

While the bill in its various forms and transitions over the years has drawn support an opposition alike, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has long been a supporter of the measure.  The bill was crafted to provide a process of federal recognition to Native Hawaiians.

“We are hopeful that the final version of the bill will be one that all parties can move forward with,” said Clyde Nämu‘o, OHA’s Chief Executive Officer.

“This is a complicated bill. We want to help both Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians alike understand what this bill means, answer people’s questions, and help everyone prepare for what we believe will be successful passage of this landmark legislation,” said Nämu‘o.

The two live television specials will be produced by OHA and will include participation from community members, legal experts, and panelists.

The first show, which will air on Thursday, January 7, at 8 p.m. on KITV, will feature:

• Lilikalä Kame‘eleihiwa, Professor with the University of Hawai‘i Kamaküokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies.
• Michael Kahikina, Legislative Chair with Sovereign Councils of Hawaiian Homelands Assembly.
• Robin Danner, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.
• Bruss Keppeler, member of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs.

The second show will broadcast on Thursday, January 14, at 7 p.m. on KITV and will feature the legal implications of the bill before a panel of legal experts.  Both shows will also be streamed live on KITV.com.

OHA has provided an email address for the public to email questions in advance to:  akakabill@oha.org.  Viewers will also be able to call in their questions on the nights of the shows.

(Posted by Wendy Osher; supporting information provided by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs)

Hawaiian Civic Clubs Host 50th Annual Convention on Maui

The Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs holds its 50^th Annual Convention on Maui November 1-8 at the Makena Beach and Golf Resort.  Speakers will address the challenges and opportunities of balancing Hawaii’s economic development and cultural sustainability.  The AHCC is the oldest Hawaiian community based grassroots organization and is dedicated to civic service in the Native Hawaiian community.

 

Image courtesy: Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs

The theme of this year’s event, Aloha ‘Āina, speaks of the love for the land and respect for ancestors.

 

Among the list of Keynote Speakers are Dr. Noa Emmett Aluli, who will share the work of the Kaho’olawe Island Reserve Commission and the sacrifices made for the survival of the island and the spirit of the Native Hawaiian.  Office of Hawaiian Affairs Administrator Clyde Namuo will update attendees on the critical issues facing the Hawaiian community and OHA initiatives.  And a host of other guest speakers will be on hand for break out sessions throughout the week.

 

Three taro farmers, Jim Cain, Waipio Valley; Jerry Konanui, Kauai; and Ke’eaumoku Kapu, Maui have devoted their lives to the sustainment and cultivation of taro.  They share with us the important work of the Taro Security and Purity Task Force and of its recommendations on Wednesday November 4 from 9-10 a.m. at the Kahili Court.

The topic of contemporary activism comes to light as three leaders in the community discuss the kuleana of Native Hawaiians in fulfilling their obligations as envisioned by the kumulipo in the face of a contemporary society and new methods for generating energy for our island community…two from the perspective of managing large tracts of land by their organization, one from the perspective of the land and its relationship to the health of our people.  The Panel includes: Neil Hannahs, Director of Land Assets Division Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate; Kaulana Park, Chair, Hawaiian Homes Commission, Dept of  Hawaiian Home Lands; and Hardy Spoehr, Executive Director, Papa Ola Lōkahi. The discussion gets underway at 8:10 a.m. at the Plenary on Friday, November 6, 2009.

 

Welcoming remarks will be made by U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka, America’s first Senator of Native Hawaiian ancestry.  Additional remarks will also be made by Lt. Governor James “Duke” Aiona, Jr., Representative Mele Carroll and Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares.

 

For a complete list of Convention activities, click on the following link: to the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs.

 

(Posted by Wendy Osher)

MAUI HOSTS INAUGURAL KO’I AWARDS / AHU DEDICATION

The Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce hosts its third annual Hui Holomua Business Fest this Friday at the Grand Wailea Resort.  The festivities also feature the inaugural Ko’i Award ceremony.  The day begins with the arrival of a fleet of canoes and ceremonial Hawaiian protocol at the beach fronting the hotel at dawn.  There will be a presentation of 12 pohaku (stones) representing the 12 moku or districts of Maui.

Keli'i Tau'a (seen in foreground) will Open the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce Event with a traditional blessing and dedication ceremony. File Photo by Wendy Osher.

The statewide Na Oiwi Olino radio program sponsored by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs will take their program on location with Hosts Kimo Kahoano and Brickwood Galuteria.

Session topics will include discussion on Water, Housing, Ceded Lands and Ways to improve business in a down economy.

Featured speakers include John Duey, Yvonne Izu, Jonathan Scheuer, Jeff Eng, Rory Frampton, Jeff Hunt, Tom Cannon, Jeanne Skog, Micah Kane, Clyde Namuo, Paul Coleman and Charlie Maxwell.

The closing of the Business Fest will feature the 1st Annual Ko’i Awards Banquet at 6 p.m. at the Haleakala Grand Ballroom on the resort grounds. The organization is honoring exemplary members of the business community selected for their contributions to the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, its members, and the Hawaiian Community.

The Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce adopted the “Ko`i” as a symbol of commerce and work ethic.

INAUGURAL KO’I AWARD HONOREES:

• Nainoa Thompson, Polynesian Voyaging Society—Hawai’i Loa
• Vaughn Vasconcellos, Akimeka LLC—Na Wai ‘Eha
• Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa—Kukulu
• Trustee Boyd P. Mossman, Office of Hawaiian Affiars—Pelekikena

The Business Fest is open to members, guests and the public. Seating is limited to the first 250 guests so make reservations.

(Posted by Wendy Osher, Information provided by the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce.  Further information can be found by visiting the following link:  http://www.mauihawaiianchamber.org/)