Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 35, Number 5, 1 May 2018 — SENATOR'S PASSING INSPIRES OUTPOURINGS OF LOVE AND ALOHA [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SENATOR'S PASSING INSPIRES OUTPOURINGS OF LOVE AND ALOHA

THR0UGH THE YEARS

DANIEL KAHIKINA AKAKA

Q — 1924 Born Sept. 11 in Honolulu, Hawai'i O— 1942 Graduated from Kamehameha School for Boys O — 1943-1945 Served in U.S. Army CorpsofEngineers O— 1945-1947 Served in U.S. Army O— 1948 Married Mary Mildred "Millie" Chong O— 1952 Graduated from the University ofHawai'i with a bachelor's degree in education, earned professional certificates in secondary education (1953) and professional school administration (1961) O— 1953-1968 Started career teaching in Hawa'i schools, later becoming a public school vice principal and principal O— 1966 Earned master's degree in education from UH-Mānoa O— 1968 Became chiefprogram plannerforthe DepartmentofHealth, Education and Welfare ?

— 1971 Named director of the Hawai'i OfficeofEconomic Opportunity

9 { I— 1976 Elected to U.S. House

0 ' L- 1990 Appointed to the U.S. Senate by Gov. John Waihe'e followingthe death of Sen. Spark Matsunaga. He was the first Hawaiian to serve in the Senate and, at the time, the only Chinese-American

O 1 I— 1993 Legislation sponsored by Akaka leads to passage of the Apology Resolution acknowledgingthe U.S. role in the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and committing the United States to a process of reconciliation

9 < I— 2000 Twenty-two WWII veterans receive the Medal of Honor due to Akaka's legislation enabling military intelligence, Asian American and Pacific lsland veterans to receive military awards that had been unjustly withheld

? I— 2007 r Became chairman oftheSenate Committee on Veterans Affairs

9 9 I— 2011 I— i Became chairman ofthe Senate Committee on lndian Affairs

9 - 2012 L_ The Stand Against Violence and Empower (SAVE) Native Women Act, introduced by Akaka, passed as part of the Violence Against Women Act

- 2013 Retired from Congress to spend time with 'ohana

? I— 2018 Died April 6 at age 93

» The late senator will lie in state in the state Capitol rotunda for 24 hours beginning at 10 a.m. May 18. A puhlie service will be held at Kawaiaha'o Church on May 19, with visitation at noon and the service at 2 p.m. The family will have a private burial on May 21 at the National Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl.

Danny worked quietly, steadfastly, and effectively - usually behind the scenes - showing respect for even his most stubborn rivals and, in turn, winning their deep admiration. — U.S. Vice President Al Gore, One Voice: My Life, Times and Hopes for Hawai'i

HUMBLE C0NNECTI0NS

"In 2017, Senator Daniel K. Akaka, reflecting back upon his work with and on behalf of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation stated, 'The NHLC will be there for present and future generations of Hawaiians, and will be like the... 'a'ali'i shrub, whieh no wind ean push over.' Throughout his life of service, Senator Akaka was the quintessential 'a'ali'i shrub we at the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation and the Hawaiian community in general counted on for shelter and protection against the strong headwinds we as a people continue to face." — Moses Haia, Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation "Senator Akaka was an honorable Hawaiian whose service to Hawai'i was informed by his strong and abiding faith to whieh we hold great reverence." Brickwood Galuteria, Hawai'i State Senate "Wai'anae Comprehensive Health center would not have been the heahh force it is today with out the leadership of Senator Akaka and Inouye." together they were the best team Hawai'i has ever had." — Tony Guerrero, Chair of Wai'anae Comprehensive Center "Senator Akaka strongly believed in the elimination of people needlessly suffering from chronic kidney disease and other related chronic diseases. After his service in public office, he passionately and with great enthusiasm, dedicated mueh of time to raise awareness and resources because the challenges could no longer be ignored and he wanted to expand the services of the National Kidney Foundation of Hawai'i so the future generation will not suffer the same fate. His graciousness was a gift to everyone he met." — Glen Hayashida, Kidney Foundation ofHawai 'i "Senator Akaka taught me the importance of respecting people before politics. Whether meeting with a constituent or high-ranking political or military figure, his greeting was always the same." In his raspy voice, he'd ask 'Ehhhh, how you? And how's the family?' He was always genuinely interested in your response and had an amazing ability to recall names and family ties. He made people feel special, and valued their opinion. Senator Akaka truly embodied what it means to 'Live Aloha.' He will be missed, but his legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of those he inspired." — Kekoa Kaluhiwa, former Senior Executive Assistant (1999 - 2010), Currently with Kamehameha Schools

Hawai'i to his office in Washington." Visitors to the senator's office in Washington often also met his wife of 69 years, Mary Mildred "Millie" Chong.

Sen. Daniel Kahikina Akaka, the first Native Hawaiian senator, was a tireless advocate for Native rights, veteran's benefits, consumer protection and the people of Hawai'i. Pictured: President Bill Clinton signs a 1993 joint resolution apologizing for the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom 100 years earlier as Vice President Al Gore, U.S. Sen. Dan lnouye, Congresswoman Patsy Mink, Congressman Neil Abercrombie and the legislation's author, U.S. Sen. ūaniel Akaka.

BY TREENA SHAPIRO The warmth and aloha that U.S. Sen. Daniel Kahikina Akaka spread from Hawai'i to Washington, D.C., flowed back in waves last month upon news he had passed away at age 93. Akaka's congressional career spanned nearly four decades, beginning with his election to the U.S. House in 1976. He had the distinction of being the first Native Hawaiian to serve in the U.S. Senate when he was appointed by Gov. John Waihe'e in 1990. He remained the high-est-ranking elected official of Hawaiian ancestry until he retired in 2013. "During his lifetime of service to Hawai'i, Senator Daniel Kahikina Akaka reminded us that the best way to lead in these islands, whether in the 2 1 st century or in the time of our kūpuna, is through the Hawaiian values of ha'aha'a (humility), pono and aloha," said OHA Chairwoman Colette Machado. "As the first and only Native Hawaiian to serve in the U.S. Senate, he was a tireless ehampion of Native Hawaiians and our rights as an indigenous people." Akaka's advocacy on behalf of native people throughout the United States gave Hawaiian issues national attention and improved conditions for Native Americans. "He loved his people," said Jon Osorio, interim dean of the University of Hawai'i-Mānoa's Hawai'inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge in a UH release. "He had a deep and abiding aloha for Hawaiians and was legendary for his hospitality to visitors from

The senator's best-known pieee of legislation,widely known as the "Akaka Bill," would have paved the way for federal recognition of Hawaiians but never made it through the Senate. However, Akaka was instrumental in the passage of the 1993 Apology Resolution in whieh the United States acknowledged and apologized for the 1 893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Before retiring from Congress, he also championed the Stand Against Violence and Empower (S AVE) Native Women Act that offers greater protection for women and children living on federally-recognized reservations.. Former President Barack Obama, who was a teenager when Akaka went to Congress, recalled that Akaka was the among the first to weleome him to the SEE SENAT0R'S PASSING ŪN BACK PAGE