NŪ HOU - NEWSBRIEFS

Nū Hou

By Ka Wai Ola Staff

Visit with Senator Akaka

Students of the Hawaiian youth leadership program 'Aha 'Ōpio Alaka'i – a program of Nā Pua No'eau funded by OHA – spent an hour with U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka via a June 16 video conference in the OHA boardroom. Speaking from Washington, D.C., Akaka told the group of 10th through 12th graders, which included his grandson La'akea Akaka and great grandniece Ka'ano'i Akaka, that young Hawaiians have to prepare themselves for leadership roles in all areas, including politics and other fields in which they are underrepresented. He also spoke of his upbringing in Pāuoa Valley, known as “taro patch valley” at the time, where he caught 'o'opu and 'ōpae in the stream and shared a two-bedroom home with seven brothers and sisters. Answering the students' questions, Akaka covered a range of topics, such as the Apology Bill, perseverance, public service and the Akaka Bill, which he said he hopes to bring to the Senate floor by July. The bill passed in the House in the fall. [Click the image for a larger view.] - Photo: Blaine Fergerstrom

OHA grants

The OHA Board of Trustees has approved $3.65 million in grants aimed at serving Native Hawaiian beneficiaries of the OHA trust. The Level II grants provide funding for projects that fall outside the normal scope of OHA's community grants program.

“The money from these grants will help to ensure that all OHA beneficiaries have expanded opportunities in healthcare, education, housing and economic development,” said Board Chairperson Haunani Apoliona. “By bolstering individual opportunities, Native Hawaiians will be in a better position to unify around the common goals of preserving culture and building self-governance.”

The grants were awarded to the following:

>> $1 million to Kanu o ka 'Āina Learning 'Ohana to construct Kauhale 'Ōiwi o Pu'ukapu, a complex including a center for early education, community resource development and higher learning

>> $750,000 to Lāna'i Culture and Heritage Center for construction of a center to preserve and present the unique heritage of Lāna'i

>> $500,000 to Kaumakapili Church for renovation and construction of the community services building

>> $500,000 to Mālama Learning Center to construct an educational complex with art, science, conservation and culture to promote sustainable living

>> $300,000 to Nā Maka Walu for services for incarcerated and homeless populations.

>> $300,000 to Papahana Kuaola for the Lelekumanu educational program on O'ahu and Moloka'i promoting cultural and natural resource management

>> $150,000 to Hawai'i Maoli – Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs to construct a community center in Kapolei to provide educational, financial and community resources

>> $150,000 to La'i'ōpua 2020 to plan and design a community center for La'i'ōpua and Kealakehe.

Fishing registration

Local anglers are anything but hooked on the federal government's proposed plan to register recreational fishermen who venture into federal waters 3 to 200 miles off the Hawaiian Island coastline.

Under rule changes proposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, fishing registration would begin next year; additionally, a license fee of $15 to $25 would be imposed beginning in 2011. Native Hawaiians would be exempt from paying the license fee.

Recreational fishermen balk at the NOAA move, because they say it will add cost to an activity which is already becoming more expensive with rising boat fuel prices. They also fear it will be used to set limits on their catch. NOAA said the plan will help get a more complete picture of recreational fishing's effect on both the local economy and the health of Hawaiian Island fisheries.

Local anglers and spear fishers are especially concerned by the prospect of having their relatively small catch measured by NOAA. They are concerned that they will eventually be penalized for the damage done by commercial fishing boats that take large hauls.

The deadline for public comment on the proposed rule change is Aug. 11. Comments can be mailed to NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, Attn: Gordon Colvin. Comments can also be submitted via www.regulations.gov.

He'eia fishing days

It's summertime and Paepae O He'eia asks, “Are you hooked up and ready to go?” The nonprofit hosts fishing days July 26 and Aug. 24, when up to 30 people per day can bring their fishing poles to help remove predator fish, like Barracuda, Papio, Toau and others, from the He'eia fishpond in Windward O'ahu. Fishing days run from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

There's a $10 entry fee per pole, children younger than 14 must be accompanied by an adult, and hotdogs, chips and drinks will be available for purchase. Bring a cooler to take your fish home and other necessities like sunscreen, chair and tabis. First aid will be available. Call 236-6178 or email kelii@paepaeoheeia.org to reserve a spot.

Humu Mo'olelo

There is a new hula resource available, Humu Mo'olelo: Journal of the Hula Arts. The brainchild of hula great George Lanakilakeikiahiali'i Na'ope, this elegant reference is published quarterly by Chelle Pahinui, to share, celebrate and preserve hula and its history. The vibrant photos catch the eye, but the content keeps it. It contains little-known facts, 'Ōlelo No'eau and mele with translations. On the shelves the last week of June, this issue, volume one, number three, features the ancient salt beds of 'Ukula at Hanapepe, the Kaua'i Mokihana Festival, the Heiau Complex at Ke'e and much, much more. Available at Native Books, Hula Supply Center and other places. For information or to download a subscription form visit HumuMoolelo.com or call 808-934-0959.

Graduates earn high honors

Along with eye-level layers of lei, graduation 2008 has brought special honors to several outstanding students of Native Hawaiian ancestry. Kamehameha Schools valedictorian Nathan Nakatsuka will be attending Harvard University with the help of a $20,000 National Coca-Cola Scholarship and a $13,000 award from the National Honor Society Scholarship Program. Nakatsuka will be heading this summer to the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, where he will undertake a coveted research internship in molecular biology. Nakatsuka credits his parents for motivating his academic achievements.

Ciera Cummings, also a 2008 Kamehameha Schools graduate, received a tribute in Washington, D.C., in June, after being selected as one of Hawai'i's 2008 Presidential Scholars. She joined 138 outstanding graduating high school seniors from across the country in being honored for academic achievement in a White House-sponsored event. Cummings, who plans to attend Mills College in Oakland, California, credited 'ohana for helping her achieve academic excellence.

Marcus Kawika Iwane, a second-year student at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, is this year's recipient of the Minority Scholars Award from the American Medical Association. This marks the first time a Native Hawaiian has received the $10,000 accolade, which is aimed at recognizing the scholastic achievement of medical students from historically underrepresented groups within the medical profession. In addition to the influence of family members, Iwane named Moloka'i's Dr. Emmet Aluli as one of his mentors.

Law students

Five law students received summer fellowships in Native Hawaiian law from the Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law, allowing them to work on legal issues at organizations serving the Native Hawaiian community.

The 2008 recipients are: Julian Aguon, who will head to Australia and New Zealand to research the potential uses and impacts of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; Sunny Greer will work on Native Hawaiian burial issues at the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation; Mana Moriarty will work at Paul Johnson Park & Niles, representing the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in a water rights case; Davis Price will work at OHA's Native Rights, Land and Culture Hale; and Evan Silberstein will work at KAHEA, the Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance, on issues including the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, environmental justice and community education on genetically modified organisms.

The center also named its 2008 Native Hawaiian law research assistants, who will research, write and edit the second edition of the Native Hawaiian Rights Handbook. They are Malia Gibson, Li'ulā Kotaki, Mālama Minn, Nathaniel Noda, Scott Shishido and Nāpali Souza.

Scholarship gala

On July 24, the glitz and glamour that comes with being the major economic engine of Hawai'i's tourism industry won't be the only thing lighting up the Waikīkī sky.

Ke Ali'i Pauahi Foundation, the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association and the University of Hawai'i School of Travel Industry Management present Lamalama 'o Waikīkī, a fundraiser for the new Native Hawaiian Ho'okipa Scholarship.

The event, to be held at the newly renovated Royal Hawaiian Center, will feature dining, entertainment, and a private viewing of the new show Waikīkī Nei.

Attendees of Lamalama 'o Waikīkī will help to light the torch of knowledge that the next generation of Hawaiian leaders will carry into careers in the visitor industry.

A 2004 survey by the Hawai'i Hotel and Lodging Association determined that 11 percent of hotel general managers and 13 percent of managers or department managers were of Hawaiian or part-Hawaiian ancestry.

“This is a statistic that we need to improve upon,” said Lulani Arquette, executive director of the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association. “This scholarship will open the door for many more Hawaiian students to enter this field.”

Exclusive VIP tables of 10 are available for $10,000 and $5,000, and individual tickets are $250, $175 and $150. For information and tickets, visit www.pauahi.org.