Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 9, 1 September 2022 — Kawaihae and Mills Selected to Federal Committee [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kawaihae and Mills Selected to Federal Committee

By Ed Kalama and Puanani Fernandez-Akamine On August 9, the "International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples," U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the names of the members of a newly formed federal advisory group - the Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Plaee Names - two of whom are Native Hawaiian. Representing Hawai'i will be Niniaukapeali'i Kawaihae, a special assistant with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Kamana'olana Mills, Kamehameha Schools' senior supervising project manager for Sustainable Industry Development. The 17-member advisory committee was appointed by Haaland to help identify and recommend changes to derogatory plaee names in use throughout America. "Our nation's lands and waters should be places to celebrate the outdoors and our shared cultural heritage - not to perpetuate the legacies of oppression," said Haaland. "The Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Plaee Names will accelerate an important process to reconcile derogatory plaee names. I look forward to listening and learning ffom this esteemed group." The committee includes representatives of Native American Tribes and tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and individuals with expertise in history, civil rights, anthropology and geography. There are also four "ex officio" eommiītee members representing the U.S. Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Defense and Commerce. Establishment of the advisory group is a result of Secretary's Order 3405, whieh Haaland issued last November, proposing creation of an advisory eommittee to solicit, review and recommend changes to derogatory geographic and federal plaee names. An outcome of the committee's work will be to develop a process to solicit and assist with proposals to Haaland to identify and change derogatory plaee names and will involve engagement with tribes, the Native Hawaiian community, state and loeal governments and the general puhlie. When eolonial entities replace traditional Indigenous plaee names with new names that are easier for them to pronounce or that reflect their vision of the land it is a practice referred to as "name-strip-ping." The renaming of Indigenous land by eolonists establishes their dominance and control. It also erases the history and 'ike of those places that are preserved within the original names and, in the process, diminishes the original namers. Both Kawaihae and Mills are grateful for the opportunity to be able to assist in the process of

identifying and changing derogatory plaee names and, hopefully, re-establishing some of the original names given by the Indigenous peoples of those places. "It is an honor to be able to join the Secretary and fellow committee members to reconcile derogatory plaee names and establish a process by whieh Indigenous voices ean be honored when selecting a name for a geographic feature," said Kawaihae. "I am deeply honored to be selected for this advisory committee," added Mills. "I hope to work with my committee members, Native Hawaiians, and the community in restoring and honoring the traditional plaee names of our aina." Committee members are expected to meet for the first time in the coming months and then for two to four times a year to identify geographic names and federal land unit names that are considered derogatory and solicit proposals for replacement names. "It is important that the voice and perspective of the Native Hawaiian people continue to be heard on a national level, and we mahalo Secretary Haaland for including these outstanding leaders in this critical endeavor of helping to eliminate the symbols of oppression in our collective past," said Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board Chair Carmen "Hulu" Lindsey. "We also salute Niniau and Kamana'o for their commitment and willingness to serve. It will be very interesting to see the results of this committee's work." Others named to the committee include Derek Alderman, Angelo Baca, Kiana Carlson, Julie Dye, Miehael Catches Enemy, Donald Lee Fixico, Christine Karpchuck-Johnson, Jason MacCannell, Lauren Monroe Jr., Federico Mosqueda, Rachel Pereira, Kimberly Probolus-Cedroni, Howard Dale Valandra, Aimee Villarreal, Elva Yanez, Charles Bowery, Meryl Harrell, Elizabeth Klein and Letise LaFeir. Secretary Deb Haaland is the first Native Ameriean cabinet secretary in the history of the United States. She is a tribal member of the Laguna Pueblo people whose family has lived in what is now known as New Mexico for 35 generations. ■

Niniaukapeali'i Kawaihae. - Photos: Courtesy

Kamana'olana Mills.