Ka nalu ha`i o Kalehuawehe (The rolling surf of Kalehuawehe) Kalehuawehe was Waikīkī’s most famous surf. It was so named when a legendary hero took off his lei of lehua blossoms and gave it to the wife of the ruling chief, with whom he was surfing.
Like Kalehuawehe, Waikīkī Hawaiian Civic Club (WHCC) continues to roll forward with the tide in trying to do our best for our community.
Celebrating 45 Years of Waikīkī Hawaiian Civic Club and Scholarship Awards Presented to Six (6) Native Hawaiian Students
E HUKI LIKE! This year Waikiki Hawaiian Civic Club celebrated our 45th anniversary and we would like to mahalo everyone that attended and supported us throughout the years. Our celebration was also a fundraiser for our scholarship program that provides assistance to Native Hawaiian students.
For our 45th birthday we decided to celebrate at Tree Tops Restaurant in Mānoa on Saturday, July 25, 2009. There were at least 125 supporters who joined us including Representative Calvin Say and Senator Brickwood Galuteria. They both officially presented resolutions on behalf of the Hawaii State Legislature in recognition of the work of the Waikīkī HCC.
We are very proud of many of our new members who took on the kuleana to organize this event. Besides securing the venue they also organized a donation/ for sale table that included baked goods, plants, etched glassware, lei etc… Our members are also very talented musicians and provided the nahenahe music for the event.
Waikīkī HCC was also very excited and proud to honor our past scholarship recipients (Brycen Nakashima, Blake Wong, Lisa Letoto-Ohata) and hear an update on their educational journey. At our celebration we also presented six scholarship awards for the academic year 2009 – 2010 to the following students- Kody Limasa, Haunani Kamai, Brycen Nakashima, Blake Wong, Lisa Letoto-Ohata, and Monica Hau’oliipo Waiau.
Donations to Foster Children Programs and Domestic Violence Shelters
Waikiki HCC continues to make donations to various foster children programs and domestic violence shelters throughout the year. Our donations include amenities like shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc… We have also donated suitcases and other bags to these programs so that they are able to move from place to place when needed and to take along any of their belongings or donations.
Protecting our Biodiversity
Our club continues to network with other community organizations to protect our biodiversity. We continue to call for the protection of our various kalo species that are unique to Hawai`i as well as all of our endemic Hawaiian plants and animals for all future generations.
If you would like to be added on to our biodiversity email listserve please email Malia Nobrega at malianob@gmail.com.
Advocating for Indigenous Peoples’ Rights at Various International Fora
Once again Waikīkī HCC has sent representatives to advocate for our rights at various international fora like the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
At these meetings we have actively participated by doing interventions regarding our rights to our land, territories, and natural resources. We have actively participated in the Pacific Caucus, the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), and the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC).
If you would like to get regular information regarding these meetings you can do so by joining the Pacific listserve- pacific@lists.riseup.net
Email Malia Nobrega to join this listserve- malianob@gmail.com
Native Communities Program Grant Awarded to Waikīkī HCC
Waikīkī HCC is very excited to receive a grant award for our project called Fish and Poi. This project creates opportunities for sharing Indigenous wisdom between Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners and Native Hawaiian foster care families to facilitate the exchange, preservation and transmission of traditional food knowledge (traditions, cultivation, harvesting and preparation). In this way, traditional Native Hawaiian practices are passed on by Hawaiian cultural practitioners to Hawaiian children in foster care and their foster families. We will be completing this project in the beginning of 2010.
Resolution at 2009 AOHCC Convention- Protect the Waikīkī Natatorium
It’s been a while since our club introduced a resolution at our annual convention. This year Waikīkī HCC partnered with Peter Apo as well as other organizations concerned with the preservation of the Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium and we are urging strong support for the preservation, stabilization, and rehabilitation of the historic Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium.
E HUKI LIKE KĀKOU!