Creating partnerships, fundraising, community service, and traditional knowledge projects continue to be the focus for Waikīkī Hawaiian Civic Club. Here are some of the exciting club activities that we have carried out in 2013-
January 2013: Waikīkī HCC partnered with Kuaʻana Native Hawaiian Student Development Services at UH Mānoa to provide our famous puaʻa kālua plate to the participants of the Scholarship ʻAha. The ʻaha was held at Roosevelt High School and it was a part of a series of Native Hawaiian scholarship fairs in underserved communities in Hawaiʻi. This was also a fundraising opportunity for our scholarship fund.
March 2013: Prince Kūhiō Festival/Hōʻikeʻike in Kapolei- This year we partnered with ʻAhahui Siwila Hawaiʻi o Kapolei and Hawaiʻi Maoli to provide an imu workshop for the Kapolei community. This was a great awareness raising activity for the community about the imu that is available on the grounds of Hawaiʻi Maoli. The imu workshop was in collaboration with the first annual Hōʻikeʻike in Kapolei.
In addition to helping the imu workshop we also partnered with Hālau Hiʻilaniwaialoha and Kailua High School Project Grad to sponsor a food booth to support their community activities.
Prince Kūhiō Festival/Hōʻikeʻike in Waikīkī- Every year Waikīkī HCC participates in this event by having a food booth with our ʻono puaʻa kālua and chicken long rice plates.
June 2013: A few of our members met up with Indigenous Peoples from the 7 global geo-political regions and participated in the Global Indigenous Preparatory Conference for the United Nations High Level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly to be known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (WCIP) in the traditional territories and lands of the Sami people in Alta, Norway.
July 2013: Every July, Waikīkī HCC is honored to kōkua with the cleaning and mālama of Maunaʻala.
August 2013: Our annual traditional knowledge project this year was called “Ka Wai o ka Niu Haohao” that was held at Ka Papa Loʻi o Kānewai at UH Mānoa. Once again we invited our members, their ʻohana, as well as Native Hawaiian foster care, legal guardianship and adoptive ʻohana.
Our project created opportunities for the sharing and utilization of Indigenous wisdom between Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners and Native Hawaiians to facilitate the exchange, preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge relating to the niu or coconut. We learned about the various uses of the coconut tree, leaves, and fruit to make things like coconut milk, coconut woven baskets, bowls, hats, and coconut oil.
All of the event participants helped to prepare their lunch and we made delicious chicken and pork laulau. We also demonstrated making haupia out of the coconut milk that we freshly squeezed. Hū ka ʻono! Have you ever tried haupia made of fresh coconut milk? Or what about heʻe with waiū niu, lime, cucumber, paʻakai, and pepper? We all loved the freshly prepared meaʻai.
September 2013: Participating in the Onipaʻa festival at ʻIolani Palace in celebration of Queen Liliʻuokalani’s birthday has become an important event for Waikīkī HCC. This year we added on new items to our menu and included poke bowls as well as beef stew. By 2pm we were sold out! Mahalo nui and Hauʻoli Lā Hānau e Liliʻu!
Waikīkī HCC is excited to attend and participate in the upcoming annual convention on Kauaʻi. We submitted 8 resolutions this year and look forward to the vibrant discussions ahead of us.
E HUKI LIKE!!!