Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 4, 1 ʻApelila 1993 — U.S. Senate plans April 24-25 summit to discuss Hawaiian educational needs [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

U.S. Senate plans April 24-25 summit to discuss Hawaiian educational needs

The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs will hold a Native Education Summit

April 24-25 in Honolulu. The summit will focus on current education needs of native Hawaiians as they relate to the anticipated reauthorization of the Native Hawaiian Education Act. The Act, passed in 1988, was based largely on the findings of the 1983 Native Hawaiian Education Assessment Project. The summit will focus on the development of a long-range plan and recommendations to address the educational needs of native

Hawaiian children and of the ability of existing state, federal

and private programs to meet those needs. During March the OHA educa-

tion division held a series of community meetings to develop a

community prospectus on Hawaiian education. OHA hoped to provide for community discus-

sion and consensus on Hawaiian education, to develop a list of priorities for Hawaiian education and to solicit support for Hawaiian education programs. The theme of these meetings was Ka Ipu O Ka 'Ike (The Gourd of Wisdom), whieh relates to drawing upon eommunal knowledge. The final two meetings were scheduled for March 31 in Kona and April 1 at Nānāikapono Elementary School in Nānākuli. For more inforation on the Education Summit, eall Noelle Kahanu, counsel to

the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, at 541-2542.

Ka Ipu O Ka 'lke - The Gourd of Wisdom Graphic by Jacob McGuire