ASSOCIATION OF HAWAIIAN CIVIC CLUBS
A RESOLUTION
No. 2018 – 28
URGING THE HAWAIʻI STATE LEGISLATURE TO AMMEND CHAPTER 78, HAWAIʻI REVISED STATUES, BY ADDING A NEW SECTION RELATING TO KNOWLEDGE OF HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE
WHEREAS, all Kānaka ʻŌiwi (whether they speak ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, or not) have a genealogical and ethnic connection to ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi; and
WHEREAS, Article XV, Section 4 of the Constitution of the State of Hawaiʻi establishes ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi as one of two official languages of the State of Hawaiʻi; and
WHEREAS, Article X, Section 4 Constitution of the State of Hawaiʻi provides, in pertinent part, “The State shall promote the study of Hawaiian culture, history and language”; and
WHEREAS, the number of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi speakers have significantly increased since the creation of Pūnana Leo Pre-school, nā kula kaiapuni, and other ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi programs at the university levels and in the community; and
WHEREAS, according to a study entitled “Non-English Speaking Population in Hawaiʻi” that was produced by the Research and Economic Analysis Division of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, 18,400 people over the age of five speak ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi at home; and
WHEREAS, according to the same report, ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi is one of the most common non-English languages spoken at home in Hawaiʻi by school age children (ages 5-17); and
WHEREAS, according to the Constitution of the State of Hawaiʻi, ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi shall be required for public acts and transactions only as provided by law; and
WHEREAS, with an increasing presence of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi in the day-to-day operations of the State government, there is a need for more State employees with the knowledge of and ability to communicate in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi; and
WHEREAS, at its first annual convention on September 3, 2018, the Maui Council of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs adopted this same resolution.
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, urging the Hawaiʻi State Legislature to amend Chapter 78, Hawaiʻi Revised Statues, by adding a new section relating to knowledge of Hawaiian language; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs urge the Hawai‘i State Legislature to amend Chapter 78, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes, by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
Ҥ78 РKnowledge of Hawaiian language.
(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter, chapter 76, and chapter 89, knowledge of and ability to communicate in the Hawaiian language shall be a desirable but not mandatory qualification in the hiring of all public officers and employees.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), all public officers and employees whose primary duties involve public relations or the dissemination of information to the general public shall have basic skills and ability to communicate in the Hawaiian language.
(c) The director of human resources development shall develop rules pursuant to chapter 91 to implement this section.”
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this resolution be transmitted 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
