Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 8, 1 August 1992 — Hui Naʻauao begins sovereignty workshops [ARTICLE]

Hui Naʻauao begins sovereignty workshops

by Pearl Leialoha Page Hui Na'auao is ready to launeh the first of five puhlie workshops aimed at educating Hawaiians about sovereignty and self-determination.

Hui Na'auao Sovereignty and SelfDetermination Community Education Project is a three-year program funded by a federal grant from the Administration for Native Americans. The hui comprises more than 40 diverse Hawaiian organizations, including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The project has received $364,061 for its operations first year. The hui has also received in-kind eontributions from several other sources, reports Elizabeth Pa Martin, director of Hui Na'auao.

"However, our project needs still outweigh our project resources," she said. The hui began developing a workshop eumeulum with the help of project director, Kunani Nihipali and assistant director, Lurline McGregor. Education specialists, Lehua Napoleon and Hiko'ula Hanapi, presented the first workshop to members of Hui Na'auao in June. It was received with mueh praise. Teacher training began in July on Kaua'i and Hawai'i with workshops to begin in early August, Hanapi said. Teachers there are committed to presenting at least eight workshops a month.

On O'ahu, one or two representatives from eaeh Hawaiian organization are most likely to be recruited to educate their particular groups, while family members are also being recruited to spread the workshop through 'ohana groups. On the neighbor islands, teachers are selected through island councils. Instructors will also be attending a forum presented by Denni Leonard of the Aboriginal Public Policy Institute and Dr. Cecil Jose, director of the Native American Program in Eastem Washington State University. Both are connected with the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians.

One of the strengths of the program is that eaeh teacher is given important historical documents as part of the eunieulum material."This is especially good for those on the neighbor islands, so they ean actually see and feel the documents," Hanapi said. They include the Mahele Grant, Queen Lili'uokalani's protest letter, treaties the Hawaiian Kingdom had

with other nations and Grover Cleveland's letter expressing shame for the role the U.S. played in acquiring Hawai'i. Historical maps, photos and bibliography of sources are also provided. The 90-minute public workshops open with a chant. A 15-minute video is then shown to introduce the material and the instructor presents the text.

Discussion follows. Eaeh session also includes a meaningful take home activity, such as the genealogy worksheet accompanying the first session. Ho'ala

The first phase of the educational program is called Ho'ala, or awakening. It capsulizes history from a Hawaiian perspective with its goal of "increasing understanding of the eultural, spiritual, historical, legal and equitable basis for Na Kanaka Maoli right to sovereignty and self-determi-nation."

The workshop reviews the original people of Hawai'i and their evolving culture, values and institutions. It then briefly recounts the changes that went along with Western contact, including the evolution of a constitutional monarchy, the Great Mahele, Bayonet Constitution and finally the overthrow. The workshop closes with an excerpt of a letter written by President Grover Cleveland after he left office and Hawaivi had become a

U.S. Territory, Aug. 12, 1898. He wrote, "Hawaii is ours. But as I look back upon the first steps in this miserable business, and as I contemplate the means used to complete this outrage, I am ashamed of the whole affair." Ho'okahua and Ho'olokahi The second phase in the educational program is called Ho'okahua, to lay a foundation. It encompasses four comprehensive workshops to explore and examine the technical and legal issues raised by self-determination and the different modes sovereignty might take.

The third and final phase, Ho'olokahi, meaning to bring about unity, proposes to assemble Hawaiians island-wide and statewide to participate in consensusbuilding activities to focus on righting the historical record and to move toward an acceptable process for achieving self-determination and

self-governance. Hui Na'auao plans to present the series of workshops to at least half of the Hawaiian population by September 1994, the end of its program period.

"The groups that support Hui Na'auao and its goals to promote an awareness of Hawaiian sovereignty and self-determination have made significant progress," said Pa Martin. "Mueh attention is now focused on the upcoming centennial. More people understand its significance; the injustice and wrongs and the need to find a vehicle to promote our cultural integrity and improve our social, eeonomie and governance status," she said.

While the workshops were being developed, the Hui presented biweekly speaker bureaus at its headquarters in Nu'uanu. Some of the topics explored included the meaning and attributes of sovereignty, and eeonomie considerations for a Hawaiian nation. These meetings "provide a forum for uniting and finding eommon ground on certain issues," Pa Martin said. "When eommon ground is not found, at least an understanding and respect for the other's view has been achieved," she said.

The hui has also been active in producing a number of programs for television. Partial support for these programs was provided by a $70,000 contribution from OHA. The first, "Learning About Hawaiian Sovereignty" aired on KHET ehannel 11 on May 22. A second program, "Ho'ala: The Awakening" dealing with the first phase of the project is set to air Aug. 14. The program features panel members Dr. Davianna McGregor, Dr. Kekuni Blaisdell, attorney Keoni Agard, co-author of a Call to Sovereignty , and Native Hawaiian Legal Corp. executive director, Mahealani Kamauu. The Sovereignty and Self-

Determination Community Education Project long-term goals include: • increasing awareness of sovereign rights to better enable a sovereign nation to plan for its future;

• creating a context and framework that is comprehensive, factual, uniform and consistent to serve as the historic basis by whieh the public-at-large may gain an appreciation for the exercise of sovereign rights and responsibilities and the effect a loss of those rights would entail; • promoting appreciation for the aspirations of Na Kanaka Maoli to thrive as a distinct people with a flourishing tradition of spiritual and cultural beliefs, customs and practices, the Hawaiian language, traditional relationships with the land and related subsistence activities and practices, and sovereign control over ancestral lands;

• stimulating thought about the rights and responsibilities of sovereignty as it pertains to entitlements and how all sovereign powers exercise their rights in today's world with consideration of the pros and cons whieh will be relevant to eventual Hawaiian decisionmaking. "The educational project is ambitious and needs many helping hands to succeed," comments Hui Na'auao committee co-chairwoman Kamauu. Anyone interested in more information or in joining advisory island councils are directed to eall the hui office at 595-6647.

What: "Ho'ala: The Awakening," a panel discussion on Hawaiian sovereignty When: 1\ies. Aug. 14, 9:30 p.m. Where: KHET, Channel 11 Who: Dr. Davianna McGregor, Dr. Kekuni Blaisdell, attorney Keoni Agard and Native Hawaiian Legal Corp. executive director, Mahealani Kamauu