[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 12, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E829]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING KE AU HAWAII, THE YEAR OF THE HAWAIIAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. COLLEEN HANABUSA

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 12, 2018

  Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Ke Au Hawaii, 
the Year of the Hawaiian, which honors Hawaii's indigenous people and 
their culture, history, and accomplishments. Fittingly, yesterday we 
celebrated Kamehameha Day, a Hawaii state holiday honoring the Native 
Hawaiian monarch who first united the Hawaiian Islands under one rule.
  Native Hawaiians are the original settlers of the Hawaiian Islands. 
Over a millennium, Native Hawaiians cultivated a rich culture and 
language that reflects the close relationship they had with their land. 
However, following European contact, Native Hawaiians endured a 
multitude of hardships that resulted in significant population and 
cultural declines. The effects of these declines continue through 
today, with Native Hawaiians overrepresented in rates of homelessness, 
incarceration, drug use, health disparities, and many other social 
ills.
  One such hardship came in the form of an 1896 Republic of Hawaii-era 
law, which banned the teaching of `olelo Hawaii, the Hawaiian language, 
in both public and private schools. Over the subsequent half-century, 
this law severely diminished the percentage of Hawaii's population that 
could speak and understand `olelo Hawaii. It was not until 1978 that 
Hawaiian was established as a co-official language of the State of 
Hawaii. Since then, the establishment of Hawaiian language immersion 
programs from pre-school through the college level has served as a 
critical incubator for language revitalization. These efforts have led 
to more than 20,000 fluent speakers of `olelo Hawaii today.
  At the turn of the century, prominent Native Hawaiian leaders took 
substantial steps to address the clear decline of an entire people. 
Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, the Territory of Hawaii's at-large 
congressional delegate from 1903 to 1922, authored the Hawaiian Homes 
Commission Act, which was passed by Congress in 1921 and continues to 
provide homesteads for Native Hawaiians. The purpose of the Hawaiian 
Homelands is to support the self-sufficiency and community-based 
development of the Native Hawaiian people and the preservation of their 
traditions, culture, and quality of life.
  At the state level, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) was created 
in 1978. OHA has evolved into an entity that perpetuates Native 
Hawaiian culture and advocates for Native Hawaiian interests, providing 
community-building forums, loan assistance, scholarships, and many 
other vital opportunities to the Native Hawaiian people.
  The decades-long struggle for recognition and rejuvenation culminated 
in the Apology Resolution. Signed by President Clinton in 1993, that 
resolution formally apologized for the United States' role in the 
illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893. The sponsor of that 
resolution was the late Senator Daniel Kahikina Akaka, the first and 
only United States Senator of Native Hawaiian ancestry. He was an 
unwavering advocate for his people over his 36 years in Congress. 
Senator Akaka sadly passed away this April, but his legacy of advocacy 
on behalf of his people lives on forever.
  This year, as we mark the Year of the Hawaiian, we must remember to 
appreciate and affirm the vibrant contributions of Native Hawaiians to 
the multicultural fabric that is the United States of America. We look 
to the next generation of Native Hawaiian leaders to continue the 
important work of improving the lives of the Native Hawaiian people and 
advancing their strength in their homeland. Significant progress has 
been achieved in empowering and rejuvenating the Native Hawaiian people 
due to their resilience, persistence, and, above all, aloha. Theirs is 
a history and culture that have much to share and from which we have 
much to learn.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my distinguished colleagues to join me in 
celebrating the Native Hawaiian people and their contributions to our 
country.

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