Winona Rubin, an Alu Like Inc. co-founder who served as the Hawaiian social service agency’s first executive director, will be honored by the Bishop Museum at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Awards Dinner, July 28, from 5 to 9 p.m. on the museum’s Great Lawn. Read more about Bishop Museum to honor Rubin
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is proud to be sponsoring two long-running hula festivals in July – one will crown the new Miss Keiki Hula and Master Keiki Hula, and the other will honor three giants in the hula tradition.
From July 19 to 21, young hula dancers representing 23 hälau from Hawai‘i and Japan will compete at the Queen Lili‘uokalani Keiki Hula Competition at the Blaisdell Center Arena in Honolulu. The Miss and Master Keiki Hula Competition starts things off at 6 p.m. Thursday, followed by hula kahiko at 6 p.m. Friday and hula ‘auana at 1 p.m. Sunday. Read more about Hula festivals shine in July
A workshop on “Achieving Small Business Success” will be held July 25 exclusively for Native Hawaiians business owners.
Deadline to register is July 24. Presented by SCORE in partnership with OHA, the free workshop runs from 9 a.m. to noon at the Small Business Administration Training Room, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 1-306 in Restaurant Row.
SCORE's experienced business professionals will provide confidential business counseling to address challenges such as flat or declining sales, skyrocketing expenses, decreasing employee productivity and more. Read more about Free workshop for Hawaiian entrepreneurs
Kamehameha Schools has donated a total of 24 modular buildings valued at $4.8 million to five Hawaiian-focused and conversion charter schools.
On July 10, KS presented keys to Kamaile Academy, Hälau Kü Mäna and Ke Kula ‘O Samuel M. Kamakau on O‘ahu, and Kanuikapono and Kawaikini on Kaua‘i. Each school's buildings will be assembled and ready by the end of 2012, KS said. Read more about KS donates modular bulidings to charter schools
The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands broke ground June 29 on a Waimänalo subdivision that will be home to 44 Hawaiian Homes beneficiaries and their families.
The 7-acre Kaka‘ina subdivision sits a half-mile mauka of the Waimänalo Shopping Center. Undivided interest leases for the 5,000-square-foot lots were awarded in 2006. Infrastructure construction begins in July and is expected to be completed by April 2013, with home construction to follow. Read more about DHHL’s new Kaka‘ina subdivision under way
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ Mälama Loan Program is suspending its popular debt consolidation loan as of July 1, 2012.
Since its inception in May 2011, the program has issued more than $8.5 million in debt consolidation loans, making it one of the most popular loan products ever offered. Read more about Debt-consolidation loans put on hold
Residents on Neighbor Islands will be giving a voice to longstanding concerns about the disproportionate number of Native Hawaiians who are in prison in Hawai‘i and the U.S. mainland.
The 2012 Native Hawaiian Justice Task Force is holding a series of meetings aimed at identifying and supporting comprehensive solutions to this nagging issue, which has been documented by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in a 2010 report titled The Disparate Treatment of Native Hawaiians in the Criminal Justice System. Read more about Native Hawaiian Justice Task Force to host meetings
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs joined in celebrations in June honoring King Kamehameha, who unified the islands in 1810. Parades, ho‘olaule‘a and lei-draping ceremonies were held statewide in the king’s honor. Celebrations weren’t limited to Hawai‘i, however, with scores gathering some 5,000 miles east of the Islands, for the annual lei-draping ceremony in Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Visitor Center. Kamehameha I is remembered both for his prowess in war and for his humanity. Read more about Honoring King Kamehameha
Gabby Pahinui’s 1947 recording of “Hula Medley” and Sol Hoopii and his Novelty Five’s 1938 recording of “Fascinating Rhythm” have been inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.
An estimated 150 Moloka‘i residents turned out for a community meeting that raised the profile of coordinated efforts to help steer their island in a desirable direction.
Hosted by Office of Hawaiian Affairs Chairperson Colette Machado, the three-hour community meeting also provided useful perspectives and information on the dent grant money is helping make on often overlooked public health problems. Read more about Moloka‘i groups report on reach of OHA grants
Kamana‘opono Crabbe Ph.D., officially began his post as CEO of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in mid-March. Here is a look at his philosophy for leading the agency
By Garett Kamemoto
When the trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs were considering candidates for the recently vacated chief executive officer position, they were captivated by the metaphorical concepts of Kamana‘opono Crabbe, Ph.D., their research director. For the past two years, Crabbe had been preaching the concept of Kükulu Hou, literally a rebuilding, but also a metaphor for building of a hale, or home, and the hard work it would take to do so. Read more about Kūkulu Hou, a vision for OHA
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs on June 29 issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal in Corboy v. Louie.
The plaintiffs had sued the state and two county governments to eliminate property tax exemptions currently available only to those living on Hawaiian Home Lands. The Hawai‘i Supreme Court ruled that the plaintiffs lacked legal standing to bring the case in 2011 and that decision was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Read more about OHA reacts to Supreme Court decision in the Corboy case
