ASSOCIATION OF HAWAIIAN CIVIC CLUBS
A RESOLUTION
No. 2018 – 47
URGING THE HAWAIʻI STATE LEGISLATURE TO AMEND CHAPTER 601, HAWAIʻI REVISED STATUTES, BY ADDING A NEW SECTION RELATING TO HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE AND INTERPRETER SERVICES
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 signifcantly 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” 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 the most common language spoken at home in Hawaiʻi by school aged children (ages 5-17); and
WHEREAS, on January 24, 2018, Maui resident Kaleikoa Kāʻeo chose to only speak ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi during his court proceeding; and
WHEREAS, when Judge Blaine Kobayashi asked Kaleikoa Kaʻeo to state his name for the record, Kaʻeo responded in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi saying “Eia wau ke kū nei”; and
WHEREAS, when Judge Blaine Kobayashi asked three times for Kaʻeo to identify himself, Kaʻeo responded in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi each time by saying, “Eia wau ke kū nei”; and
WHEREAS, Judge Blaine Kobayashi marked Kaleikoa Kaʻeo as not present and issued a bench warrant was issued for his arrest because “the court was unable to get a definitive determination for the record that the defendant seated in the court was Kaleikoa Kaʻeo”; and
WHEREAS, the State of Hawaiʻi, as mandated by the Constitution of the State of Hawaiʻi, has a responsibility to acknowledge and accept public acts and transactions in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi as provided by law; and
WHEREAS, interpreter services should be provided for any party requesting that the court proceeding be conducted 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 601, Hawaiʻi Revised Statues, by adding a new section relating to Hawaiian language and interpreter services; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs urge the Hawai‘i State Legislature to amend Chapter 601, Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes, by adding a new section to the appropriately designated and to read as follows:
“601- Hawaiian language; interpreter services.
Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a court shall provide Hawaiian language interpreter services upon request by a real party in interest.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs urge the Hawaii State Legislature to appropriate out of the general revenues of the State of Hawai‘i the sum of $75,000 or much thereof, as may be necessary for the next fiscal year to establish one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) position for the judiciary to provide interpreter services in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that upon adoption of this resolution, a certified copy of it 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
