Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 5, 1 May 1989 — Addresses Oahu Civic Clubs [ARTICLE]

Addresses Oahu Civic Clubs

Thompson Calls For "Century of the Hawaiian"

A packed agenda amid warm fellowship took the edge off a rainy and blustery Saturday as Hawaiian civic club presidents and representatives met for the quarterly O'ahu District Council meeting, April 8 at Kaumakapili Church social hall. Council president Dexter Soares opened the meeting with a tribute to Dr. Donald Kilolani Mitchell, noted Hawaiianstudiesscholar, who died on Easter Sunday, March 26. While Mitchell will be sorely missed by his many friends and family, Soares said, "We rejoice for the many rich educational rewards he leaves with us." Council members heard from Charles Rose, O'ahu district eouneil convention coordinator for the 30th annual Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs convention. He announced that the convention would be held Nov. 15-19 in Honolulu at the Pacific Beach Hotel. The O'ahu district eouneil of 22 clubs will host and organize the event, whieh is attended by civic clubs from throughout the state and the mainland. Convention committee chair is Walter Rodenhurst, Sr. (King Kamehameha HCC). Nola Nahulu (Pearl Harbor HCC) will organize the popular 'Aha Mele song contest. Ethel Kahalewai (Pu'uloa HCC) will head the events center. Elaine Mullaney (Queen Emma HCC) is in charge of "Na Pa'ani Hawai'i" (Hawaiian games), while Flossie Fernandez (Waikiki HCC) will lead the non-Hawaiian games. Mary Serrao (Puuloa HCC) will handle registration. Nona Kamai (Waikiki HCC) will take charge of the all-important steno pool. Guest speaker to the district eouneil meeting that day was Myron B. Thompson, Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate trustee, who spoke on the impact of Native Hawaiian legislation and programs in Congress over the last 15 years. Thompson said he became a member of the Pnnee Kuhio Hawaiian Civic Club 25 years ago when he saw the number of influential Hawaiians involved in the Hawaiian civic club movement. He called upon civic clubs today and in future to support the coming deveIopments on behalf of native Hawaiians through new federal legislation and funded programs. Thompson showed a videotape whieh summarized the long process of seeking federal assistance for native Hawaiian needs over the past decade and a half. While modest about his own efforts in this process, he played a significant role in bringing about increased federal attention. Thompson said, "It has taken the work of a lot of people to get to where we are today." He added, "It will take our combined efforts to ensure programs operate as intended." There is now a solid base of federal legislation in native Hawaiian health, education and cultural arenas, he said. It is based on a number of largescale comprehensive studies of native Hawaiian needs. For example, the Native Hawaiian Educational Assessment Project of 1983 done by Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate showed that education needs of native Hawaiians begin even before school age. Also, Hawaiians were found to laek necessary verbal skills, and tended to be overrepresented in special education classes, high drop-out rates and lower paying jobs as adults. The 1985 Native Hawaiian Health Needs Assessment Project conducted by Alu Like for E Ola Mau, showed that Hawaiians had severe health problems, poor prenatal care, a 34 percent higher mortality rate than the general population of Hawai'i, and higher incidences of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and mental health problems. The need to preserve, revive and maintain traditional Hawaiian cultural and artistic practices was also dernonstrated to federal legislative committees. However, in order to get in line for federal funding, it was necessary to convince Congress that Hawaiians should be recognized as Native Americans. Thompson said Congress had to recognize its duty to Native Hawaiians, as established through enactment of the Hawaiian Homesteads Act of 1920, Hawaii statehood in 1959 whieh

affirmed federal duties to Native Hawaiians, and creation of the Administration of Native Americans in 1974. Since 1984, recognition of Hawaiians as Native Americans has spelled increasing gains for Native Hawaiians in grants for vocational education, job training, library services, early childhood education, drug-free school programs, higher education financial aid, reading and language arts programs, special education and gifted and talented programs, health assessment planning, culture and arts preservation and eeonomie development. In fiscal year 1989-90, almost $12 million has been appropriated for these kinds of programs, with the amount expected to reach $21 million in fiscal 1990-91, $24 million in FYl991-92, and $29 million in FY1992-93. Thompson said that agencies concerned with the welfare of Native Hawaiians "must work eooperatively so Hawaiians ean move into the forefront of society in the next century and beyond." He praised the efforts of Hawaii Senator Daniel K. Inouye in backing Hawaiian legislation and using his considerable knowledge and influence in Congress to bring about results. He added, "The Feds have delivered. Now it's our job to deliver, design and run programs to change our negative statistics." However, he said, "It is critical that we do it well." He noted that the current administration is not fully supportive of these programs and would cut off funding if it could, because it perceives the Hawaiian populahon served as relatively small. Thompson asked the civic clubs to take the lead in informing its members, to be a central information network for scholarship awards, and to focus its efforts in areas of high Hawaiian populahon. "Let us make the 21st century the 'Century of the Hawaiian.'" he said. In other business, the Council heard reports from: • Rona Rodenhurst, OHA education officer (president, Princess Ka'iulani HCC) on the second 'Aha 'Opio Youth Legislative conference coming up June 19-23. Last year 53 students from island high schools and three Amenean Indian students participated. Rodenhurst said that while OHA was able to fund the entire conference last year, this year additional corporate and community support is being sought to help fund this youth leadership program. • Dennis Sai (Prince Kuhio HCC) on observances of Prince Kuhio's birthday, March 26. A floral arrangement was provided at the Ali'i Sunday service at Kawaiaha'o Church on March 19. On Monday, March 27 there were two ceremonies. Dr. Miehael Chun, president of Kamehameha Schools, was keynote speaker at a Mauna 'Ala memorial service. That same day a tree-plant-ing ceremony at the Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole federal building included a talk by Joshua Akana (Prince Kuhio HCC). • Mary Lou Kekuewa (Queen Emma HCC), who announced the next Ali'i Sunday observances at Kawaiaha'o church will be on June 11 for Kamehameha the Great, Aug. 27 for Queen Lili'uokalani (her birthdate is Sept. 2), and Dec. 17 for Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop (born Dec. 19). • Toni Lee (Pearl Harbor HCC) on the May 7 Ho'ikeike civic club fundraiser at Bishop Museum Family Sunday, themed "Kaulana Na Pua O O'ahu." (see related story, this issue). • ODC second vice president Kenny Haina (Princess Ka'iulani HCC) on the "Peanut Butter Festival and Super Jam," fundraiser for the Institute of Human Services (IHS) on March 19. Several clubs participated with fundraiser booths. Proceeds of the fundraiser were to benefit the homeless served by IHS, directed by Rev. Claude DuTeil. • Paige Barber (Wai'anae HCC), govemment relations committee chair, said she is planning workshops with panel discussions in late June on Hawaiian sovereignty. These are to give civic club

members information on what sovereignty means, and how this would affect native Hawaiians. • Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs (AHCC) president Jalna Keala, who announced that atestimonial dinner for Sen. Daniel K. Inouye would be held Monday, July 3. The location and time are still to be confirmed, she said. Marlene Sai is chairperson, and honorary chair is Myron Thompson. District Council president Dexter Soares announced the following special activities for civic club members in the next quarter. • April 29 — workshop on "Exploring Hawaiian Religion" at St. Theresa co-cathedral, from 9a.m. to 1 p.m. • May 5— a first-ever "Evening of History At Mauna 'Ala," hosted by curator Lydia Namahana Maioho, 6:30 p.m. There will be a torchlight ceremony, presentation of a ho'okupu and explanation of protocol. • May 13 — workshop for clubs interested in filing for tax-exempt 501(c)(3) IRS status, 9 a.m. in the DHHL 3rd floor board room. Featured resource speakers will be: Hardy Spoehr, of the Dept. of Hawaiian Home Lands; Analika Victor of Hale Ola Ho'opakolea; and a representative of the Hawaii Foundation. • June 24 — visits to cultural, historic and archaeological sites on the Wai'anaecoast, hosted by the Wai'anae Hawaiian Civic Club. • July 15 — Oahu District Council workshop and/or retreat. • Aug. 19 — workshop on resolution writing, and the impact of the political process on the Hawaiian community. At the conclusion of the meeting, leis and plaques were presented in recognition of the following club anniversaries: the Ko'olauloa HCC, 65 years; Wai'anae HCC, 54 years; HCC of Ewa, 41 years; Nanaikapono HCC, 41 years; and Pearl Harbor HCC, 25 years.