Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 9, 1 September 1990 — Genealogy project seeks input [ARTICLE]

Genealogy project seeks input

Hawaiians are often faced with the need to show proof of their ancestry. Today primary proofs oi: ancestry include documents such as birth, marriage and death certificates, records of the state, the courts, churches and libraries. Anyone who has attempted family genealogy research will know how confusing and frustrating it ean be to track down elusive and isolated bits of information. Help may be on the way. A comprehensive plan is being developed for a project to help Hawaiians research their genealogy. Public comment is sought on a preliminary plan to establish a state Hawaiian Genealogy Project. The public is invited to attend a half-day workshop on Thursday, Sept. 27 at9a.m. in thestate Capitol auditorium to preview the plan and share ideas. The workshop is a follow-up to a series of statewide meetings held in August. For more information eall the Department of Health at 548-6475 and menhon the Hawaiian Genealogy Project. Public input will assist in an interagency task

force to develop a project to assist Hawaiians to establish their ancestry. The plan is scheduled to be presented to the 1991 legislature. The task force is made up of representatives from the Department of Health, the State Archives, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. One aim of the plan is to create a coordinated system to support genealogical research. In the past, people have often felt frustrated by the difficulty in gaining access to and understanding records, whether it was to establish cultural or personal identity, to qualify for entitlement benefits, or to gain admission to the Kamehameha Schools. A genealogical research system will have to deal with resolving cultural barriers, recordkeeping discrepancies, and other obstacles in the system whieh frustrate efforts to verify individual family histories. The comments and ideas of Hawaiians who are interested in genealogical research will be important to ensure the process is made easier for all Hawaiians.