ASSOCIATION OF HAWAIIAN CIVIC CLUBS
A RESOLUTION
No. 2017 – 51
SUPPORTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIVE HAWAIIAN RADIO STATION AND GLOBAL RADIO NETWORK
WHEREAS, The Constitution of the State of Hawai‘i, “Article XV, State Boundaries; Capital; Flag; Language and Motto,” under “OFFICIAL LANGUAGES,” Section 4, states, “English and Hawaiian shall be the official languages of Hawai‘i, except that Hawaiian shall be required for public acts and transactions only as provided by law”; and
WHEREAS, in 1978, The Constitution of the State of Hawai‘i was amended to recognize the Hawaiian language as one of the two official languages of the State; and
WHEREAS, while the Hawaiian language revitalization movement has made major strides in the last thirty years, for ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i to not just survive, but to also thrive, more people need to speak Hawaiian; and
WHEREAS, from 1978 to the present day, there has been an increase in attention to and promotion of the language; and
WHEREAS, recognizing the need to respond to the growth of the Hawaiian language, respecting the language of the indigenous people of Hawai‘i, and incorporating its use in our daily lives, the non-profit, The Friends of Ka Leo Hawai‘i Media, has proposed to institute a talk format radio program; and
WHEREAS, Ka Leo Hawai‘i radio station will elevate the cultural experience for those who live and visit Hawai‘i by making the native language prominent in everyday communications; and
WHEREAS, Hawaiian language speakers exist in pockets across Hawai‘i, nationally, and worldwide ; and
WHEREAS, radio and a companion web presence would serve as a central resource to weave the pockets together, by having local, national, and global reach; and
WHEREAS, through archiving and simple playback methods, listeners can access information live, and/or on their own schedules; and
WHEREAS, mass media is a significant force in modern culture, and in Hawai‘i there is an absence of equity in the exposure and use of the Hawaiian language versus English and other languages in our community; and
WHEREAS, the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs Constitution, supports, as stated in Article II, Purpose and Objectives, Section 2e, states, in part, “The objectives of this organization are: To honor, fulfill, protect, preserve, and cherish all sources, customs, rights, and records of Native Hawaiian traditions, including but not limited to oli, mele, mo‘olelo, mo‘okū‘auhau, cemetery and/or burial areas and the historic sites of the Native Hawaiian people; to actively encourage the teaching, learning and use of ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i; generational and traditional resource practices as handed down through traditional and customary practices; and to protect the endemic and indigenous floral and fauna of Hawai‘i nei.”
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs at its 58th Annual Convention in Seattle, Washington, in the malama of ʻIkuwā and the rising of Māhealani, this 4th day of November 2017, supporting the establishment of a Native Hawaiian radio station and global radio network; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this resolution be transmitted to Friends of Ka Leo Hawai‘i Media, ‘Aha Punana Leo, as well as the Governor of the State of Hawai‘i, President of the State Senate, Speaker of the State House of Representatives, Chair of the State Senate Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, Chair of the State House Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and all County Mayors.
The undersigned hereby certifies that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted in the malama of ʻIkuwā and the rising of Māhealani on the 4th day of November 2017, at the 58th Annual Convention of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs in Seattle, Washington.
Annelle C. Amaral, President
