Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 12, 1 Kekemapa 2006 — Civic action [ARTICLE]

Civic action

Civic clubs convention draws 600 participants to celebrate culture and deliberate issues By Manu Buyd E kipa mai i ka la'i 'olu o Hamohamo I ke one kaulana o Kākuhihewa Ōhāhā ka hua kūpuna ē 'O ka lei wehi no Kalaniana'ole Ua pa'a ke aloha no ka 'āina ē Aloha O'ahu ē! E kipa mai ho'i ē! We bid you weleome to the peaceful realm of Hamohamo Upon thefamed sands ofKākuhihewa, our royal ancestor Indeed, thefruits of knowledge ofour ancestors flourish And are worn as an adornment for Kalaniana 'ole Our lovefor this land is unwavering Love to O'ahu! Wekome to all! Last month, nearly 600 Association of Hawaiian Civic Club (AOHCC) members from throughout Hawai'i and across the continent converged at the Marriott Waiklkl Beach Resort for the association's 47th annual eonvention. The hotel land area, known as "Hamohamo," was a residence of Queen Lili'uokalani, inherited from her grandfather, 'Aikanaka. The conference theme, "Ōhāhā ka hua kūpuna - Because of the fruits of knowledge of our kūpuna, we flourish," set the tone for the four-day event representing a strong legacy of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana'ole: the Hawaiian civic club movement. According to AOHCC President Antoinette "Toni" Lee, this was the largest number of registered attendees in many years. In all, 2,550 members comprise 51 clubs from Kaua'i to Washington, D.C. "There is a resurgence of interest in the Hawaiian civic club movement - in part because of the many issues facing Hawaiians, including native rights and the fonnation of a Hawaiian government," said Lee. "By joining a Hawaiian civic club, you have a voice in important

Hawaiian matters." A key function of the annual convention is the drafting of resolutions relating to the Hawaiian community in such areas as heakh, education, government relations, human services, culture and more. Hours of committee deliberations and floor debates among convention delegates produce resolutions that often make their way to the state Legislature. Highlights of resolutions adopted by the association are as follows: 2006-07 - Urging the Legislature to direct medical insurers to cover screening procedures for prostate and colorectal cancer. 2006-16 - Urging the governor and Legislature to appoint representatives from the AOHCC to serve on the Hawai'i 2050 Sustainability Task Force and to eaeh island's working group. 2006-17 - Urging the Hawai'i visitor industry to increase educational and job opportunities for Native Hawaiians. 2006-18 - Reaffirming that the descendants of the races inhabiting the islands of Hawai'i, Maui, Moloka'i, Lāna'i, Kaho'olawe, O'ahu, Kaua'i, Ni'ihau, and Nihoa to Kānemiloha'i (Kure Atoll) prior to western contact in 1778 comprise the indigenous, aboriginal, Maoli peoples of Hawai'i. 2006-19 - Urging the AOHCC to support the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' ongoing efforts toward nation-build-ing to include all options of nationhood, whieh must be driven by community input and participation. 2006-21 - Opposing a proposed amendment to the Hawai'i Administrative Rules regarding lay gill nets as it applies to Native Hawaiians, with the exception of Kailua Bay, O'ahu. 2006-30 - Urging the AOHCC and the State of Hawai'i to affirm and support the sacred, cultural and historic significance of 'Iolani Palaee and the palaee grounds. 2006-37 - Supporting the Kailua HCC's efforts to work with the DLNR to regulate the use of monofilament lay gill nets in Kailua Bay on O'ahu. 2006-L47 - Calling for the creation of a task force to select a suitable site in Hawai'i where an adequate prison ean be built.

2006-L58 - Urging the County of Hawai'i and the state DLNR to create and enforce legal remedies to stop the spread of coqui frogs. 2006-L46 - Urging the U.S. Congress to provide for the establishment of a memorial within Kalaupapa National Historical Park to honor and perpetuate the memory of those individuals who were forcibly relocated to the Kalaupapa peninsula from 1866 to 1969. Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs 2006 Awards • Prince Kūhiō Award (outstanding Hawaiian civic club): Pearl Harbor Hawaiian Civic Club. • Ka Po'okela o Kūhiō (outstanding Hawaiian civic club member for service to the Hawaiian civic club): Anita Nāone, Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu. • Kalaniana'ole Award (outstanding Hawaiian civic club member for service to the coimnunity at-large): Nola Nāhulu, Pearl Harbor Hawaiian Civic Club. • Kāko'o o Kalaniana'ole (outstanding non-Hawaiian for service to the Hawaiian community): Kealoha Bode, 'Āinahau o Kaleponi Hawaiian Civic Club. • Pualeilani Award (outstanding Hawaiian Civic Club family): Lee/Gomes/Dias/Crabbe/Kahanu 'ohana, Pearl Harbor Hawaiian Civic Club. • E Hana Lima No'eau Award (traditional arts, crafts and culture): 'Āinahau o Kaleponi Hawaiian Civic Club. • Pi'ilani Award (outstanding website): Las Vegas Hawaiian Civic Club. • 'Aha Mele (Hawaiian choral singing competition): "Kaiolohiaomāmala," choral group of the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu. Newly chartered and reinstated Hawaiian civic dubs: • Ke Ali'i Victoria Ka'iulani Hawaiian Civic Club, Illinois (new). • Queen Deborah Kapule Hawaiian Civic Club, Kaua'i (new). • Moku'āina 'o Wakinekona Hawaiian Civic Club, Washington State (new). • Kuini Pi'olani Hawaiian Civic Club ('ōlelo Hawai'i emphasis), Maui (new). • Maunalua Hawaiian Civic Club, O'ahu (new). • Lāna'i Hawaiian Civic Club, Lāna'i (reinstated). □