Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 4, Number 11, 1 November 1987 — HSTA Board Supports Hawaiian Legislation [ARTICLE]

HSTA Board Supports Hawaiian Legislation

The Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) Board of Directors at its October meeting adopted a motion to support legislation designating Native Hawaiians as Native Americans on the 1990 United States Census. At the same meeting, the HSTA body also took action to designate Native Hawaiians as Native Americans in the Nahonal Education Association governance structure. Currently, Native Hawaiians are grouped with the Asian and Pacific Islanders and it is HSTA's belief that group does not address the concerns of Native Hawaiians.

According to HSTA President Earl Arruda, his board also adopted a resolution whieh will be introduced at the organization's national convention for adoption in 1988. It reads: "The NEA believes that Native Hawaiians, as an indigenous people of the United States, are Native Americans who should ha ve equal access to those federal programs applicable to other Native Americans, such as the American Indians and the Alaskan Natives. Furthermore, the NEA holds that funding for such programs shall be in addition to, rather than supplanting, funds traditionally designated for the above groups."