Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 19, Number 5, 1 May 2002 — ʻAha hoʻonaʻauao Hawaiʻi [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ʻAha hoʻonaʻauao Hawaiʻi

Native Hawaiian Education Association holds its 3rd Annual Convention

By David Sing More than 400 educators from Hawai'i and the eontinent attended the 3rd Annual Native Hawaiian Education Association Con.ven.tion at Leeward Community College March 26 through 28, to share ideas for improving education for Hawaiians. The first evening's activities featured OHA's Ke Kukui Mālamalama Educators of the Year presentations. Honored for their exceptional contributions to the education of Hawaiians were Pualani Kanaka'ole Kanahele, Malia Craver, Darrow Kanakanui Aiona, and Kahu David Kaupu, The speech contest, Ho'okūkū Ha'i 'Ōlelo, sponsored by the 'Ahahui 'Ōlelo Hawai'i, featured talented student participants from Waiau Elementary, Farrington High, Moloka'i High, Kapa'a High, and Kamehameha who competed in storytelling, dialogue, demonstration speaking, chant, and drama, Day Two included a panel discussion by three distinguished educators: Dr, Randy Hitz, dean of the College of Education at University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Keiki Kawai'ae'a, director of Hale Kuamo'o at UH-Hilo, and Andrea Kaumehe'iwa, retired teacher and administrator at the state

Department of Education, Eaeh panelist addressed the question, "What ean be done in the area of training to help prepare teachers to be more effective in teaching Hawaiian youth?" Their dialogue engaged stimulating interaction

with the audience, A wide array of exhibits provided detailed information on the opportunities provided through respective programs, Craft vendors also shared traditional and new, unique crafting, For the second year in the row, the National īndian Education Association (NĪEA) was represented by their president, Kerry Bird and board members, NĪEA represents over 4,000 īndian, Native

Hawaiian and Alaska Native educators throughout the U,S, This fall the Native Hawaiian Education Association will formalize its partnership with NĪEA at the annual NĪEA Convention in Albuquerque, Along with ratifying the constitu-

tion, NHEA members voted to submit a bid to host the annual NĪEA Convention in 2007, One of the featured workshops focused on the publication of Hawaiian educational material, Māhealani Dudoit, editor of 'Ōiwi, A Native Hawaiian Journal, Dr, Maenette Benham, author and academie faculty member at Michigan State University, and Dr, Denis Viri, co-editor of the Journal of

,American īndian Education, shared their ideas, publishing experience and hopes to see more publications by Native Hawaiian authors, "The networking was incredible," said PREL's Tommy Ka'ai'ai, "having the opportunity to meet partners our program work with throughout the state under one roof," PREL's Sonja Evensen was "particularly moved by the passion and the ingenuity of the charter schools programs, īt spurred a lot of ideas about how to reach those keiki and 'opio who fall through the cracks, ī hope that our Native Hawaiian Safe and Drug Free program will be able to connect with those programs and provide another level of services to reach Hawaiian youth," "The theme, liko a'e, meaning emerging forth, couldn't have been better for such an uplifting conferenee," said Joylynn 01iveira of NOAA, Hawaiian īslands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, "The conversations and contacts gained during the three days, verified that the work that ī am doing with educating the public about the Hawaiian cultural importance of whales in HawaPi is meaningful to our community and helps us continue to emerge forward," For information about the NHEA, log onto www.nhea.net, ■

______ HO'ONAAUAO

Ke Kukui Mālamalama Award winners — Kahu Dcivicl Kauweloa Ka'upu, Puaiani Kaneikei'ole Kaneihele, Māliei Crciver anel Dcirrow Kanakeinui Aiona,