ASSOCIATION OF HAWAIIAN CIVIC CLUBS
A RESOLUTION
No. 2018 – 15
COMMENDING KUMU EARL KAWA‘A IN HIS SELECTION AS A RECIPIENT OF THE KALANI ALI‘I AWARD BY THE ‘AHA HĪPU‘U
WHEREAS, Earl Kawa‘a was born in Hālawa Valley, Moloka‘i, and is one of only 28 known remaining mānaleo outside of the Ni‘ihau and the Hawaiian Language immersion community; and
WHEREAS, Kumu Kawa‘a’s parents were Mr. Walter Kaloheaulani Kawa‘a and Mrs. Georgina Kaliko Kawa‘a; and
WHEREAS, Kumu Earl Kawa‘a is a teacher, a mentor, counselor, deep source of knowledge; and
WHEREAS, Kumu Kawa‘a grew up in Hālawa, Moloka‘i, is a child among four other siblings, and when offered the opportunity to attend Kamehameha Schools, he chose to remain in the valley and learn from his elders the mores, culture, and language; and
WHEREAS, growing up, Kumu Kawa‘a knew a time when each family had a papa ku‘i ‘ai (board) and pōhaku ku‘i ‘ai (stone pounder) in their hale, and in the genesis of his “Board and Stone Program” in 2006, while returning to his one hānau Moloka‘i to teach poi pounding to Moloka’i students, Kumu Kawa‘a was heartbroken that on the island there were only two poi boards and one poi pounder remaining among Moloka‘i families; and
WHEREAS, upon realizing this, he flew over 18 boards and stones from O‘ahu to Moloka‘i to teach the class, and it then became a mission of family resiliency for him to reignite that connection for our Hawaiian communities by establishing the “Board and Stone” classes; and
WHEREAS, Kumu Kawa‘a established Board and Stone classes in various Native Hawaiian Communities such as Moloka‘i, Waimānalo, Kalihi Uka, Wai‘anae, Papakōlea and Punalu‘u and even extended the program to Mō‘ili‘ili hoping to target Hawaiians living in urban Honolulu; and
WHEREAS, over 400 families attended his family orientation class and over 5,000 students have been taught in his Board and Stone classes over the years, in these one-of-a-kind cultural ‘ohana engagement classes; and
WHEREAS, Kumu Kawa‘a, who holds a Master’s degree in social work extended his expertise to offer classes in ho‘oponopono (conflict resolution) and is also working with a group of apprentice students to lead a traditional hale building work group; and
WHEREAS, Kumu Kawa‘a has been established as a kumu in residence at Castle High School, Kamehameha Schools (at Kapālama), and Roosevelt High School, and works with Native Hawaiian children; and
WHEREAS, in 2017, Kumu Kawa‘a was one of a handful of leaders and organizers including Duane Kurisu, Glenn Miyataki, Lauren Nahme, and Warren Haruki to bring together a group of rising leaders across all sections of our community to develop a 100-year vision for Hawai‘i, and the group’s findings were published in the Hawai‘i Business News Magazine (on August 4 2017; and
WHEREAS, on September 8, 2018, Earl Kawa‘a was awarded the Kalani Ali‘i Award by the ‘Aha Hīpu‘u at the 13th Annual Kalani Ali‘i Awards; and
WHEREAS, Kuini Pi‘olani Hawaiian Civic Club is proud to call Kumu Earl Kawa‘a a member in good standing.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs at its 59th Annual Convention in Kalapaki, Kauaʻi, in the malama of Welehu and the rising of ʻOlepau, this 17th day of November 2018, commending Kumu Earl Kawa‘a in his selection as a recipient of the Kalani Ali‘i Award by the ‘Aha Hīpu‘u; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this resolution be transmitted to Kumu Earl Kawa‘a, the CEO of the Kamehameha Schools – Mr. Livingston Jack Wong, the Kuini Pi‘olani HCC, the ‘Ahahui ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i, Mr. Sean Wong (principal) of Roosevelt High School, Mr. Duane Kurisu and Mrs. Momi Akana of Keiki O Ka ‘Āina, as well as to 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 Welehu and the rising of ‘Olepau on the 17th day of November 2018, at the 59th Annual Convention of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs in Kalapaki, Kaua‘i.
Annelle C. Amaral, President
