Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 1, 1 Ianuali 2017 — E Hoʻokanaka [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

E Hoʻokanaka

Picture this nearly a century ago, Prince Jonah Kuhio founded the Hawaiian Civic Clubs.

■ toaay īn zu tt>, tne I Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs continues to uphold those principles of civic responsibility and lead the advancement for native Hawaiian's rights and entitlements. At the convention held this past November in Las Vegas, the workshop offerings were eomplex with tier levels of content and subject matters. The intent of these sessions was to provide an in-depth understanding of issues confrontin2 our native

Hawaiian community at all levels. Issues on the floor were debated thoroughly and decision-making was democratically achieved by a majority vote. What an inspiration! The theme of this year's convention comes from a less commonly shared story of the last moments of Kamehameha. This version was captured in Mrs. Mary Kawena Pukui's Hawaiian Ethnographic Notes that are held in the National Museum of the American Indian archives facility of the Smithsonian Institute in Suitland, Maryland. In this version after Kamehameha speaks his flnal words, Liholiho weeps uneontrollably and his father, in his last breath, looks to the succeeding King and says, "E Ho'okanaka!" (Be a man!), and dies. Throughout history from 1819 to the early days of the 20th century the term "E Ho'okanaka" was mentioned many times and became a theme for the Native Hawaiians. Though Kamehameha told his son to be a man, several uses of "E Ho'okanaka" throughout the Hawaiian newspapers implore use to be as a Hawaiian should be. With a new year beginning, I share with you a message of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Club's president. I've

taken the liberty to reprint Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs President Annelle Amaral's message to the 57th

Annuai v.onvention. "E HO 'OKANAKA ! Our eonvention theme in this 98th year of the founding of the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu by Prince Kūhiō and his supporters is especially appropriate as we Hawaiians contemplate the wide range of issues we face as a native people in our native land. To this end, the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs represents a diverse membership of sixty seven clubs in Hawai'i and throu2hout the continental U.S .

committed to the purposes and objectives as stated in the constitution and by-laws of the Association. "While our theme, E HO 'OKANAKA, echoes through history as Kamehameha's flnal utterance to this son, it is a fltting slogan in this time and space where Hawaiians stubbornly continue to sustain an identity in a world surrounded by accelerated change of many kinds. As Civic Clubs we are members in an organization of rules and procedures where decisions are made by the majority of Hawaiian citizens. Individual clubs and councils provide opportunities to learn and practice muhiple skills to members who transfer those skills to be Hawaiian leaders in other communities. Prince Kūhiō would not be disappointed in what has evolved with Hawaiian Civic Clubs over the past century. The Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu continues to thrive and set standards of excellence for all clubs that would make Prince Kūhiō proud, but he would really be amazed at the growth and development of clubs beyond Honolulu's shoreline. It remains for us...all of us... to remain ever vigilant to keep and nurture our basic principles... E HO'OKANAKA!" ■

Cūlette Y. Machade TrustEE, Muluka'i and Lāna'i