Bringing you today’s stories on issues important to Native communities.  NewsClips is a complimentary service of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.  Don’t forget to Save the Date for the 5th Annual Native Hawaiian Convention being held on September 25-29, 2006 at the Hawaii Convention Center!  For information and updates on our training workshops and events, please visit our Web site at: www.hawaiiancouncil.org.

 

 

March 22, 2006

 

 

Posted on: Thursday, March 16, 2006

 

Priory-made dolls a big hit in Iraq

 

By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser Staff Writer

 

Army 1st. Lt. Nainoa Hoe of Honolulu hoped rag dolls made by students of a local school could bring joy to some children in war-torn Iraq. Photo courtesy of the Honolulu Advertiser: Richard Ambo

 

Although he was killed by a sniper before the dolls arrived, his fellow soldiers ensured the dolls got to the right little hands.

 

Yesterday, a soldier and Hoe's father came to St. Andrew's Priory, where the dolls are made, to tell the students about the power of a little cloth and thread.

 

"We were getting ready to send him the dolls when he was killed," said his father, Allen Hoe, who served in Vietnam as an Army combat medic in 1967 and 1968. "His men picked up the ball during the rest of their tour."

 

His son was a 27-year-old platoon leader when he was killed in Mosul, Iraq, on Jan. 22, 2005.

 

With Allen Hoe yesterday was Command Sgt. Maj. Hector Davila, who told the students that the Iraqi children — even the boys — loved the dolls.

 

Davila, who is in Honolulu on R&R, serves in the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry out of Fort Wainwright, Alaska. In Iraq, his unit replaced Nainoa Hoe's 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry, which is out of Fort Lewis, Wash.

 

Davila's unit, coincidentally, is the same battalion that Nainoa Hoe's father served in during the Vietnam War.

 

Hoe said he was happy to have Davila and his wife at the school, seeing where some of the rag dolls were made. Nainoa Hoe believed in passing out candies and school supplies to the children wherever he was stationed as a goodwill measure, his father said. He always felt empathy for the children caught in the chaos of the war. Photo courtesy of the Honolulu Advertiser

 

'AWESOME' PROJECT

 

Davila's unit has continued the tradition of passing out gifts of aloha from Hawai'i.

 

"It's awesome," Hoe said. "There are so many unique things that have happened since my son's death."

 

Said Davila: "Every time I go out on patrol I carry a big bag of these dolls with me. I tell the children that the dolls came from Hawai'i. They don't know where Hawai'i is, but they're happy to get the dolls."

 

When Davila went on leave he gave his replacement two huge bags filled with the cloth rag dolls to be passed out on patrol in Mosul.

 

15,000 DOLLS DELIVERED

 

The dolls are based upon a pattern created by Mary Page Jones, the wife of a retired Episcopal bishop who was an interim rector at St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church. Through Jones' work, more than 15,000 dolls have been made and passed out to children in 22 countries, said Nora Kurosu, who is helping the students with the machine sewing.

Photo courtesy of the Honolulu Advertiser: Richard Ambo

Nainoa Hoe was a 1995 graduate of Kamehameha Schools, joined the reserves and was named U.S. Army Pacific Reserve soldier of the year with the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry. He earned a master's degree from the University of Hawai'i College of Business Administration in 2003. In his last year at the University of Hawai'i, Hoe was ROTC battalion commander.

 

More than 650 mourners said farewell at his funeral at Kawaiaha'o Church in February 2005. Among them were political and business leaders, soldiers and ordinary people.

 

SPREADING ALOHA

 

At the Priory, mounds of white doll stuffing covered parts of the table yesterday where the students filled the finished dolls while others placed pattern pieces on bright green and orange fabric.

 

"So far we've mostly been cutting out the pattern," said Shauna Lim, an 11th-grader and Interact Club president. "On our good days we have about a half-hour to work on this. We didn't get to do much, but we wanted to do this project because we want to spread aloha internationally."

 

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com.

 

 

 

 

March 15, 2006

 

Akaka Expresses Sympathy and Concern for Flood Victims

 

Washington, D.C. - Senator Daniel K. Akaka today issued the following statement regarding the collapse of the Ka Loko Reservoir on Kauai.

 

Mr. President, I rise today to express my sincere sympathy and deep concern for those affected by the collapse of the Ka Loko Reservoir on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. This tragic flooding has caused loss of life and substantial property damage. The people of Hawaii have shown exceptional resolve in assisting their fellow citizens as emergency personnel and other volunteers have rushed to provide assistance to people in need. We continue to pray for those who are still missing and for those who are working tirelessly in search and rescue efforts and in additional emergency response.

 

As many of you know, several islands in my home state have been inundated by severe rainstorms over the past few weeks. Flooding has caused substantial disruptions of life as schools and business have been forced to close and many roads have been damaged or have been washed out because of high water. Property damage in cities and in rural areas has been severe.

 

Hawaii's Governor Lingle has called upon the National Guard and many state agencies to assist those who have suffered losses and to respond to immediate needs. However, the damage caused by this flooding demonstrates the need to prepare in advance for adverse conditions and to be vigilant in examining vulnerable areas.

 

I stand ready to offer any assistance to the state of Hawaii that I can, including securing emergency federal funding for the State.

 

Throughout this adversity, the people of Hawaii have shown the resolve that they are known for in times of crisis. I am proud of my constituents as they help their neighbors and work to restore conditions around their homes, schools, businesses, and places of worship. I know that their efforts will bring comfort and solace to those in need.

 

 

 

 

March 14, 2006

 

CNHA Launches Native Votes Count Campaign

 

HONOLULU, HI - The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) announced today its Native Votes Count campaign to increase voter education and awareness and encourage the Native Hawaiian community to get out the vote.  CNHA will work with community-based groups to coordinate access to Native Votes Count banners, signs and t-shirts, and ensure they have access to the information necessary to conduct voter registration drives.

 

"This is our 3rd year of promoting voter education in Hawaii," said Jade Danner, CNHA Vice President.  "With the elections coming up in November, there are some critical races, including the house seat vacated by Representative Case and the Senate seat held by Senator Akaka."  She added, "Our aim is to support and encourage our communities to participate in the process–to choose candidates they believe will be reflections of Hawaii’s people and can achieve Hawaii’s public policy needs.  Our mantra to our community is get informed, get involved and get voting."

 

CNHA will be focused on several local seats in addition to those at the federal level. "At the state government level, the Governor’s race is on, and there are five seats at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA)," Danner remarked.  "The OHA seats are important to our community, and as a public trust, to all of Hawaii.  How the resources held in trust are managed, indeed deployed, in our communities can make a significant impact for Hawaiians, and the overall well-being of Hawaii."

 

CNHA, as one of the largest national organizations serving Hawaiian communities and with more than 140 members engaged in community development, sees the OHA seats as critical opportunities to set the policy direction and strategic course of the agency.  "We encourage individuals to give their attention to these seats at the state level, in addition to the important federal seats up in the House and the Senate."

 

Native Votes Count will be the main theme of the voter education campaign, designed to provide community organizations with the resources and materials they need to register eligible residents.  "We will once again partner with several organizations and community groups in this campaign.  It’s just great to see the energy at the community level," Danner continued.  "Our role is really supportive–to provide the materials and any assistance we can."

 

On the Akaka/Case race, Danner surmised that the race between the two Democrats isn't about new or old party Democrats as much as it is about the style and approach of each candidate.  "We work in D.C. a lot with federal agencies and policy makers on economic and social issues–the style and demeanor of each member of our delegation matters, particularly in the Senate,” Danner said.  “I think Hawaii residents will consider how they want our state to be perceived and represented in D.C., and in what manner they want their business accomplished,” Danner said. “Certainly the candidates are in stark contrast in this regard.  Every eligible voter should get out and express their mana‘o at the ballot box."

 

CNHA is a national, member-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting community development in Native communities.  Operating a Public Policy Center, CNHA conducts educational workshops on federal legislation of interest to Native communities in the areas of healthcare, education, affordable housing, cultural preservation and economic development. To request voter education supplies, community organizations should contact CNHA’s Public Policy Center via telephone at 808.521.5011 or toll free at 800.709.2642, via e-mail at info@hawaiiancouncil.org or visit our website at www.hawaiiancouncil.org.

 

 

 

 

March 16, 2006

 

Center for gifted Hawaiian children extends application deadline

Na Pua No'eau, the Center for Gifted and Talented Native Hawaiian Children, at the University of Hawaii at Hilo announces the extension of its application deadline to April 14, 2006 for the Summer Institute Classics 2006.

This 2-week residential, educational enrichment program is held on the University of Hawai'i at Hilo campus on the island of Hawai'i.

Classes are open to students in grades 6 - 12. This year's class offerings are Hawaiian Volcanoes -Rocks & Rolls, Papa Malama Kai - Caring for our Ocean Resources and Mai Na Kupuna Mai - Origins of our Universe from the Eyes of our Kupuna. A native Hawaiian component is integrated into the class to provide students with Hawaiian role models, culture, values, history, protocol, and language. In addition to the enrichment in academic areas, this class will expose students to a "living classroom" conducive to hands-on experiences in science, cultural activities and personal development. A Ho'ike at the end of the two-week session will allow students to share their learning with families and the community.

Applications and requirements are posted on http://npn.uhh.hawaii.edu or call Miki'ala Pescaia or Makanani Cobb-Adams at (808) 553-9993.

 

 

 

 

March 18, 2006

 

Hawaiians with HIV sought for conference

 

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is making it possible for native Hawaiians who are HIV-positive to attend a first-of-its-kind conference to discuss the impact of HIV and AIDS on native peoples of North America.

 

The Life Foundation, Hawaii's oldest and largest AIDS support organization, will be able to send 12 Hawaiians to the conference in Anchorage, Alaska, from May 3 to 6. Carol Makainai, a program director at the foundation, said OHA donated $10,000 to make their trip possible.

 

The conference "Embracing Our Traditions, Values, and Teachings: Native Peoples of North America HIV/AIDS" will include other indigenous groups such as American Indians, Alaska natives and Pacific Islanders.

 

Paul Groesbeck, executive director of the foundation, said in a release, "While Native Hawaiians are second only to Caucasians in Hawaii AIDS cases, we know that other Hawaiian people need our help but are unwilling to come forward due to shame. I am hopeful that the people coming back from meeting with native people from across the country will be able to reach out to other members of the community and urge them to seek HIV testing and assistance."

 

More than 300 native Hawaiians have been assisted by the Life Foundation over the years, according to the organization. Two-thirds of that number have been lost to the disease. For more information, call 521-2437.

 

 

 

 

March 22, 2006

 

Grants for Hawaiian Community Development

 

HONOLULU, HI – The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement is announcing a round of five half-day grant writing workshops throughout the state of Hawaii on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Institutions Assisting Communities (NHIAC) Grant Program.  Through partnerships with institutions of higher education, $3.2 million in grant funds are available in 2006.  

 

This grant program was established to assist our local colleges and universities expand their role and effectiveness in addressing community development issues in their localities, including neighborhood revitalization, housing and economic development.  Past NHIAC projects include the renovation of the Keaau Youth Business Center on Hawaii island, the creation of the Kokea Training Center in Kalihi, and the development of a community agriculture training and agribusiness incubation center in Anahola. 

 

“More community-based organizations, homestead associations and Native Hawaiian Charter Schools should take advantage of this funding source.  Not only to receive funds for needed infrastructure, but to receive access to mentoring that our local colleges and universities specialize in,” Ms. Lilia Kapuniai, Vice President of CNHA.

 

CNHA’s Grants Training and Resource Institute has scheduled five workshops in preparation for the May 19, 2006 NHIAC grant deadline in the following locations:

 

 

Operating a Grants Training and Resource Institute, CNHA coordinates grant training workshops and provides information on various funding opportunities available to Native communities in all areas, including housing, cultural preservation, language preservation and, social and economic development. Registration fees are $55 for non-members and $45 for CNHA members.  For more information, please contact CNHA via telephone at 808.521.5011 or toll-free at 800.709.2642, via e-mail at events@hawaiiancouncil.org or visit our website at www.hawaiiancouncil.org.

 

 

 

 

March 17, 2006

 

2 senators oppose Akaka Bill

 

The GOP legislators want Congress to delay voting until an isle referendum is held

 

By Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.com

 

While Gov. Linda Lingle's administration is lobbying in Congress for passage of the Native Hawaiian Recognition Act, two fellow Republicans in the state Senate are trying to block it.

 

Sens. Sam Slom (R, Diamond Head-Hawaii Kai) and Gordon Trimble (R, Downtown-Waikiki) have introduced two resolutions in the Legislature, SCR 78 and SR 51, asking Congress to delay voting on the bill until a referendum on it can be held in Hawaii.

 

The measure, which sets the framework for native Hawaiians to organize a government that would negotiate with the state and federal government regarding native Hawaii claims, has been dubbed the Akaka Bill after its sponsor, U.S. Sen. Dan Akaka.

 

The Slom and Trimble resolutions attack the federal legislation, saying it is too broad and poorly defined.

 

"Key components of the Akaka Bill shock the conscience of all reasonableness in several ways offensive to the citizens of the state of Hawaii," the resolutions say. "Nothing in the bill guarantees the governing entity will be carried out in a democratic form. The bill fails to guarantee that the Bill of Rights are incorporated into the governing entity."

 

Last year, Slom was the only legislator to vote against a resolution supporting the Akaka Bill.

 

Slom said yesterday he "generally" did not support the Akaka Bill, adding that "it has had more debate in Washington than in Honolulu."

 

Micah Kane, Hawaiian Home Lands Department director, said having a longtime Republican like Slom oppose the bill will not hurt it as it goes before Republicans in Congress.

 

"Our Legislature made it clear about their support for the Akaka Bill, and they were re-elected. That shows their constituents are in support of the bill," Kane said. "We respect Sen. Slom's position but we disagree with it."

 

Clyde Namuo, Office of Hawaiian Affairs administrator, said the state Constitution does not provide for issues to be decided by referendum, so it would be impossible for Congress to wait for a Hawaii referendum on the Akaka Bill.

 

"Every legislator with the exception of Sen. Slom has supported passage of the Akaka Bill. It would appear to us that these senators and representatives represent all the voters in the state, and that is a sufficient plebiscite for us," Namuo said.

 

Asked if the opposition would damage the bill's chances before Congress, Namuo said Lingle's stature with the GOP majority would trump Slom's GOP status.

 

"The governor has great respect from members of Congress and the administration," Namuo said. "I don't believe that Sen. Slom being against this legislation will have any effect on this legislation.

 

"Her reputation is so positive, I don't think it matters that a senator from Hawaii Kai opposes this piece of legislation," he said.

 

 

 

 

March 16, 2006

 

President of Native American Bank explores opening branch in Fort Hall

 

By Debbie Bryce - Journal Writer

www.idahostatejournal.com

 

FORT HALL - The president of the Native American Bank, headquartered in Denver, Colo., was in Fort Hall last week to discuss opening a branch in Fort Hall.

 

NAB President J.D. Colbert said the bank's goal is to provide financial services in reservation communities.

 

Fort Hall Business Council Chairman Blaine Edmo said the tribes invested $1 million in the NAB, owned by Native American Bancorporation, last year and tribal voters approved opening a branch of the national bank on the reservation. Edmo said the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe's investment gave them 11.5 percent interest in the bank.

 

But, federal regulations ruled investors could own no more than 9 percent interest in any bank and a portion of the tribes' original investment was returned.

 

Edmo said the reimbursement was reinvested locally.

 

Launched in 2001, when Tribal Nations and Alaska Native Corporation bought the Blackfeet National Bank in Browning Mont., the NAB works with the Native American Community Development Corporation to provide a host of services to the tribes.

 

Colbert said that includes helping people who are not bank-qualified to learn how to qualify for auto loans, mortgages and small business financing. Colbert said the bank has continued to grow because it offers unique services for them.

 

A Chickasaw Muscogee from Oklahoma, he was named the bank's president in February and is the first American Indian to head the NAB. He helped found the Chickasaw Nation bank in Oklahoma City, OK. and served as its executive vice president before coming on board with NAB.

 

Colbert started his banking career as a bank examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston and organized the American Native Bankers Association.

 

“We want the Tribes to be more than equity investors,” he said in an interview last week. “We want to be their bank in terms of having a physical presence on the reservation.”

 

Edmo said the Tribes want a full service banking institution in Fort Hall, but they may have to start with a smaller operation.

 

The Tribes would be required to put up additional funding for the project, Edmo did not disclose an amount, but said it would be substantial.

 

 

 

 

March 20, 2006

 

Social Enterprise of Hawaiian Council Opens Third Tech Center

 

HONOLULU, HI - The nonprofit Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Hawaiian Homestead Technology (HHT) announced the opening of a technology production site in the community of Papakolea above Honolulu.  This will bring the production facilities to 3 sites, with the first located in Anahola, Kauai, and the second in Waimanalo, Oahu.

 

CNHA began implementing social enterprise models to further its mission of Native Hawaiian community development, and in particular, job creation in the technology field in partnership with community associations in 2003.  Partnered with a dozen Indian Nations and their business arms, the nonprofit and its social enterprise now employ 29 staff at three sites located on Hawaiian Home Lands.

 

"It’s been a terrific journey and a tremendous experience to bring business concepts to a social mission," said Robin Puanani Danner, CNHA President & CEO.  "Senator Inouye challenged a group of Native leaders from all across the country in 2002 to work together and to bring jobs to our respective communities.  We're following that advice and he was right, we can do it."

 

HHT partners with the State Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations (SCHHA), a statewide consortium of more than 20 community associations in homesteads created by Prince Kuhio and the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.  Each community association is trained in document conversion methodologies and manages the facility site and staff.  Through private and public partnerships and mentoring, technology training is delivered by local community colleges, with equipment and training costs supported in part by American Savings Bank and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

 

"The expansion and extension of the technology industry to Papakolea is definitely a milestone for HHT and our community association partners," remarked Myron Thompson, HHT President.  "Job creation is high on our list of priorities and we are proving that rural areas of Hawaii are fertile ground to not only meet that mission, but establish viable tech industry businesses."

 

HHT is partnered with 12 Indian and Alaska Native tribes. The consortium is certified by the Small Business Administration Native 8(a) program that assists Tribal and Native community firms contract with the federal government.  HHT is a community-based economic development and social enterprise initiative of CNHA, a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit with more than 140 members working in Native Hawaiian communities.  All profits from HHT are invested back into the community-based initiatives.  For more information about HHT, please contact us via telephone at 808.523.6447, or e-mail us at info@hhtech.net or visit www.hhtech.net. 

 

 

 

 

March 22, 2006

 

Hawaiians get better chance to review proposed radio towers

 

A REVAMPED Web-based system could keep the native Hawaiian community in the loop about proposed broadcast tower construction in the islands.

 

With roughly a dozen new FM station construction permits in various stages of completion -- some of which may end up sharing towers -- the system will also be useful for broadcasters and the consulting engineers they hire to find sites for towers.

 

The Federal Communications Commission's Tower Construction Notification System is voluntary, set up to ease early communication between broadcasters who need to build towers, federally recognized native Hawaiian organizations, Native American Tribes and state historic preservation officers.

 

The FCC will demonstrate the system March 30 in Washington, D.C., but it can be viewed online beginning tomorrow at http://esupport.fcc.gov/ streamingmedia.htm.

 

Tribes and native Hawaiian organizations "will be able to more effectively protect archaeological resources and sites of traditional and cultural importance to them," the FCC announcement said. The industry will benefit from a streamlining of the process, in which other organizations have not responded in a timely manner to efforts at contact, the announcement said.

 

Timely anything can be a problem in these matters, considering the numerous other levels of government where clearances are required.

 

"While (the FCC Web tool) changes the paperwork flow, this system has mostly been in place in Hawaii through each county's land-use system when constructing a tower," said John Detz, president and general manager of Visionary Related Entertainment LLC, based on Maui. The company has stations statewide.

 

However, the Web-based system could limit the number of trips broadcasters must make back to the drawing board by making them get native Hawaiian input first.

 

When Maui-based Pacific Radio Group Inc. proposed a 495-foot-tall broadcast tower for the Waianae Coast last year, the previously unaware ears of the community perked up.

 

"If they're planning on going ahead with this, I would encourage them to approach the community very early," Cynthia Rezentes, chairwoman of the Waianae Neighborhood Board, said at the time.

 

Plans for the enormous tower are now on the back burner, according to Chuck Bergson, Pacific Radio Group's president and chief executive officer. The company is exploring other options.

 

"We like to be good neighbors and we're sensitive to the issue, so we don't want to do anything to upset any group," he said.

 

The Web-based system is a good step, Bergson said. "Just to put it out there on the table and if anybody had any objections, you could address them up front."

 

 

 

 

Posted: March 17, 2006

 

Bush picks Kempthorne for Interior

 

by: David Melmer / Indian Country Today

 

WASHINGTON - President George Bush has picked Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne to replace Gale Norton as Secretary of the Interior Department.

Kempthorne is a former U.S. Senator and was also considered a front-runner to head the Environmental Protection Agency in 2003.

In announcing Kempthorne's nomination, Bush said, ''Dirk has a long and abiding love of nature.

''Dirk understands that those who live closest to the land know how to manage it best, and he will work closely with state and local interests to ensure wise stewardship of our resources.''

Bush did not mention American Indian issues in his comments. The BIA is one of the largest bureaus within Interior and more than two million Natives are dependent on the trust and fiduciary responsibility give to it.

Kempthorne, if approved by the Senate, will have his name associated with the Cobell v. Norton trust management lawsuit as the defendant, replacing Norton's.

''Five years ago, many leaders from Indian Country voiced their support for the nomination of Gale Norton to be the Secretary of the Interior. This time around, I think you are going to see us all be a lot more cautious,'' said Tex Hall, former president of NCAI and Chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota.

''The job of Secretary carries with it the sacred responsibility of keeping the United States' end of the bargain of honoring our treaties. I have high hopes for the new Secretary, but he needs to come up with a plan for real progress and real consultation with Indian Country.

''That means taking a hands-on approach to settling the Cobell lawsuit, committing to actually visiting Indian reservations and sitting down with Indian leaders one-to-one. And it means working with all of the tribes, starting the day he is sworn in, on the development of a budget for Indian Country that does not shirk the trust responsibility.''

Kempthorne's official comment is that he will not comment on any issue that could come before the committee during confirmation hearings. He would not comment on the Cobell case.

Darren Williams, attorney for the Nez Perce Tribe, said the Nez Perce and the governor reached a wolf management agreement in 1996. They also worked out, with the state and the federal government, a water rights agreement of the Snake River basin.

''He is aware of Indian issues; whether he is sensitive to them, I don't know,'' Williams said.

The relationship between the tribes and the governor was workable, he said.

Nez Perce Chariman Rebecca A Miles said her tribe and Kempthorne had a good working relationship. There was collaboration and it was respectful.

The majority of contacts between the tribe and the governor were before her tenure as chairman, which started in May of 2000.

Environmental advocates were much stronger in their criticism of Kempthorne.

''Gov. Kempthorne has built his career by pushing an anti-environmental agenda and catering to the oil, mining and timber industries. Kempthorne is cut from the same cloth as Gale Norton. He will be a cheerleader for the Bush administration's efforts to open public lands to industrial development,'' Earthjustice, an environmental organization, stated in a prepared statement.

Kempthorne was a one-term U.S. senator and, according to environmental watchgroups, cast one vote that was favorable to environment issues.

Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell's name came up as a possible replacement for Norton. Some tribal chairmen said he would be friendlier toward issues that affected the nation's American Indians.

Kempthorne was involved in the Salmon Recovery Project that included four states and the tribes of the region. That project included tribes that were impacted by hydropower dams that harmed the salmon migration, thus creating an adverse economic benefit to the tribes.

 

 

 

 

Posted on: Monday, March 20, 2006

 

Legislators consider allowing psychologists to prescribe drugs

 

By Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Government Writer

 

Jill Oliveira, a licensed clinical psychologist, usually spends three days a week on Moloka'i, helping doctors with patients who have emotional or mental health needs.

 

Like in many rural areas of Hawai'i, people on Moloka'i have limited access to psychiatric care and often rely on primary-care physicians or psychologists for help with stress, depression, anxiety or more severe mental disorders. But, unlike psychiatrists and other doctors, psychologists such as Oliveira are not allowed to prescribe medication for patients because they lack medical education and training.

 

"I've been working on Moloka'i for four years and the access to quality psychiatric care has not changed," Oliveira said, "so I'm dedicated to make something different."

 

In a close vote, the state House agreed this month to give psychologists the limited ability to prescribe antidepressants to patients at 13 federally qualified community health centers and at health clinics in areas where there is a shortage of mental health professionals. The bill now goes before the Senate, where similar legislation failed last session in an unusual deadlock after one supporter missed the vote because of illness.

 

For more than two decades, many psychologists have wanted to be allowed to prescribe medications but have been challenged by psychiatrists, who believe psychologists are not medically qualified and could put patients at risk. Only two states, New Mexico and Louisiana, allow psychologists to prescribe drugs, along with the U.S. territory of Guam.

 

While few dispute that access to psychiatric care is scarce in rural and many urban areas of the state, some believe psychologists are conveniently using access as an excuse to expand their scope of practice without taking the necessary medical training.

 

"That's like giving an airplane mechanic, who spent many years learning how to repair an airplane, a pilot's license," said psychiatrist Dr. Jeffrey Akaka, medical director of the Diamond Head Community Mental Health Center.

 

'PSYCH VS. PSYCH'

 

The "psych vs. psych" conflict is the latest in a series of turf battles among doctors, who previously fought efforts by nurse practitioners, physician assistants, optometrists and osteopaths to gain the authority to write prescriptions. Some psychiatrists say the other disciplines are grounded in medicine while psychologists specialize in counseling and crisis care.

 

Originally, lawmakers had considered giving psychologists the authority to prescribe a broader array of drugs, including antipsychotic drugs used to treat severe mental health problems such as schizophrenia. An interim task force, which included key lawmakers and psychologists and psychiatrists, met after last session to find a compromise but the sides were unable to agree.

 

The current House bill would give psychologists narrow prescription rights for antidepressants if they complete psychopharmacological training, one year of supervised practice involving 400 hours of treating at least 100 patients with mental disorders, and a national pharmacology proficiency exam.

 

Each side has marshalled experts. Opposing the bill are the American Psychiatric Association, the Hawai'i Psychiatric Medical Association, the state Department of Health and the Board of Medical Examiners. The American Psychological Association, the Hawai'i Primary Care Association, and medical directors at community health centers favor the bill.

 

Several lawmakers said influential lobbyists and advisers have been able to to keep the issue in play at the state Capitol.

 

Alex Santiago, a former state lawmaker and state Democratic Party chairman, and Patrick DeLeon, chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawai'i, side with psychologists. Santiago, former chairman of the House Health Committee, said he regrets not prodding psychiatrists to cover more rural areas years ago. DeLeon, the former president of the American Psychological Association, has been a leading national advocate for prescriptive authority.

 

Bob Toyofuku, one of the state's top lobbyists and a veteran Democratic insider, and Lydia Hemmings, wife of state Senate Minority Leader Fred Hemmings, R-25th (Kailua, Waimanalo, Hawai'i Kai), are working with the psychiatrists. Lydia Hemmings is executive director of the Hawai'i Psychiatric Medical Association.

 

Other lawmakers said the bill may have a better chance this session because of state Rep. Josh Green, D-6th (Kailua, Keauhou), a Big Island doctor who has sided with psychologists. Green, the only doctor in the Legislature, said psychiatrists have tried to use scare tactics.

 

"They put the fear of God into people, saying it's unsafe. What's unsafe is for people not to have mental health coverage," he said.

 

State Rep. William "Bud" Stonebraker, R-17th (Hawai'i Kai, Kalama Valley), an opponent of the bill, said psychologists should get a medical education if they want prescription rights and believes psychotropic drugs are overprescribed. He said that a lack of access to psychiatric care should not justify expanding prescription rights to psychologists.

 

"You could pass anything based on that. That's not the underlying principle on which we pass legislation. I could say there is a lack of attorneys in my house, so I must be able to practice law," Stonebraker said. "No."

 

SERVING THE POOR

 

The community health centers and health clinics often serve the poor and vulnerable, including many people who neglect medical conditions until they worsen or are suffering with drug and alcohol abuse. The Waikiki Health Center, in testimony to the House, estimated that 30 percent of its patients are in need of behavioral health services.

 

At the Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, doctors say about two of every three patients have a behavioral element to their health problems.

 

Oliveira, the psychologist, supervises Native Hawaiian psychology trainees at Tripler Army Medical Center and works with Na Pu'uwai Native Hawaiian Health Care System and also with the Moloka'i 'Ohana Community Health Center. She said psychologists who complete the training and get prescription rights under the bill would work with primary care physicians at health centers and clinics.

 

"Basically to maintain the status quo of no treatment, particularly in these rural areas, is a significant patient safety issue," she said.

 

As part of its safety net for the poor, the state provides psychiatric care for young people through the Department of Education and for adults through the Department of Health's community mental health centers.

 

But psychiatrists say the training for psychologists called for in the House bill is no substitute for the coursework and clinical requirements for doctors, which includes medical school, an internship and residency. The Hawai'i Medical Association and others have urged psychologists interested in prescriptive authority to take the two-year program for advanced practice registered nurses at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa.

 

"It should be laughable," Akaka, the psychiatrist and nephew of U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i, said of the training comparisons. "I mean this thing shouldn't have even come up."

 

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com.

 

 

 

 

Posted: March 17, 2006

 

Alberty: Joining a national movement to improve child welfare

 

by: Kristy Alberty

 

Editors' note: The first installment of this series looked at the current, mainstream foster care system and some of the complications of making it work for Indian families. The root causes of disagreement in Indian and non-Indian perspectives on how children should be cared for outside their birth homes were analyzed. The article also covered ''kinship care'' and some history of federal policies that influenced Indian child welfare practices.

Many child welfare professionals and tribal, state and federal leaders have been pushing for changes in the foster care system. Those advocating for changes in the current system charge that the children are not being served effectively, and accountability must be increased.

American Indians and Alaska Natives are feeling the impacts of the inadequacy of the current child welfare system, too; and tribal governments continue to be ineligible for some basic federal funding, such as Title IV-E Foster Care and Adoption Assistance, further hampering their ability to help abused and neglected children under their care.

Entering into this debate was a national advocate to improve the lives of foster children in the United States. The Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care began its study on May 7, 2003. Its task: develop practical recommendations related to federal financing and court oversight of child welfare to improve outcomes for children in foster care, especially moving children out of foster care and into safe, permanent families.

Intensive analysis and conversations with parents and children followed, and the commission published a report with their recommendations in May 2004. Among the recommendations made was making tribal governments among those eligible to receive direct funding from the Title IV-E Foster Care and Adoption Assistance Program. Title IV-E is the federal government's largest source of child welfare funding, which reimburses states' costs for providing foster care and adoption assistance services.

The National Indian Child Welfare Association, a child advocacy nonprofit organization in Portland, Ore., is a partner with the Pew Commission and is helping tribal governments and policy-makers understand how the commission's recommendations can support American Indian and Alaska Native children in the child welfare system. This partnership has led to tribal organizations recently adopting resolutions in support of the commission's recommendations.

''The Pew Commission's recommendations regarding the funding of tribal governments affirm tribes' legal authority to provide services and the critical role they play in helping American Indian and Alaska Native children achieve permanency,'' said Terry Cross, NICWA executive director.

In its full report, the commission clearly stated that tribes should be eligible for federal child welfare funds (equal access) and that tribes' restricted access limits their ability to protect abused and neglected children under their jurisdiction.

Serving on the commission was Judge William A. Thorne, Pomo/Coast Miwok, with more than 20 years' experience serving on tribal courts, a former president of the National Indian Justice Center and a former board member for National Court Appointed Special Advocates; currently, he is serving on the Utah Court of Appeals.

Thorne considers his experience on the Pew Commission to be one of the most memorable in his child advocacy career. Much of the reform recommendations for tribes can be attributed to his leadership and participation on the commission.

Recently, he reflected on the importance of increasing tribal capacity to serve children and their families.

''The commission clearly took the position indicating that the tribes should have direct access to IV-E funds, which would certainly enhance their abilities to provide services for children and their families,'' Thorne said.

And why is it important for tribal capacity to be increased? Because when tribal capacity is increased, through having better access to federal resources, it ensures Indian children receive the most appropriate and effective services.

''The commission understood that family has to be the first considered option when children cannot remain in their parents' home. They recognized that the well-being of the child has to be the primary objective. In order to assure that, you have to look for - if you're going to remove the child from their home - the best match in terms of what the child is used to, including culture, family, location and so forth. All those things, I think, are in recognition that children are better able to have a sense of who they are if they are connected with where they come from,'' he said.

Supporting Indian cultural strengths in parenting roles and ''kinship care,'' it is important that extended family and community take an active role in parenting; this is a concept that challenges the current norm in a number of ways. Thorne identified what can be best termed a conundrum of interest for state governments, whose largest source of federal monies are linked to removal of children and don't place enough emphasis on strengthening families.

Kinship care is considered by most to be a cultural norm of Indian country. When a family has problems, extended family members step in to help, and often that means assuming the caretaking responsibilities for children. So, given a choice of a child being removed from a home due to abuse and being placed in a licensed foster home with strangers in a new community, it appears most Indians will choose informal kinship care arrangements, even if it means little financial support for the kinship caregivers.

''The Indian Child Welfare Act says that you're supposed to use the social and cultural standards of the Indian community. I've been advocating that for 20-some years; every time I talk to a group of social workers I remind them that they ought to be using the standards of the Indian community. They shouldn't be worried about 'Are there enough fire extinguishers? Are there enough bedrooms per square footage?''' said Thorne.

More information, such as a recent article commenting on the report for NICWA's newsletter, and a link to the complete report is available online at www.nicwa.org under the heading of ''Policy and Research'' and then ''Legislation.''

The report could be considered a first step in creating a national movement to improve foster care in the United States. Indian community leaders and tribal officials, in agreement with the Pew Commission, point to the connection between tribal access to federal sources of revenue and the capacity to create real, positive differences for Indian children's services, which could lead to the day when kinship caregivers receive the support needed in the best interests of the child.

 

 

 

 

Posted on: Saturday, March 18, 2006

 

Man charged in artifact trafficking

 

By Ken Kobayashi and Gordon Y.K. Pang

Advertiser Staff Writers

 

More than a year and a half after Hawaiian artifacts were plundered from a South Kohala burial cave, federal prosecutors yesterday filed the first criminal charge, accusing a man of taking the objects knowing they would be sold for profit.

 

A misdemeanor charge against John Carta of the Big Island is the first here involving Hawaiian cultural objects that had been reburied under the federal Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act.

 

Carta is charged with transporting, for sale and profit, cultural items obtained in violation of the federal law.

 

Federal authorities opened the investigation, which they say is ongoing, after the artifacts were found for sale at a Big Island shop in June 2004. No arrests or charges had been brought until yesterday.

 

Carta is accused of going to Kanupa Cave with another individual who was not named in court papers. Carta took the cultural objects from the site sometime before June 16, 2004, knowing that they recently had been reburied, court papers state.

 

Carta was arrested Thursday on the Big Island and appeared briefly yesterday before federal Magistrate Barry Kurren, who approved his release on a $10,000 signature bond to reside with his daughter in Kona.

 

Handcuffed and wearing an aloha shirt, Carta said little during the hearing, except to confirm that he reviewed the indictment and understood the charge.

 

His court-appointed lawyer, Rustam Barbee, later said that it's too early to say what the defense will be. "Mr. Carta is presumed to be not guilty by the laws of the United States and he'll have his day in court," Barbee said.

 

The charge of violating the federal law protecting the cultural artifacts carries a jail term of up to a year.

 

U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo declined to discuss Carta's case, the number of items allegedly taken or details on how they were taken.

 

But federal prosecutors are working on the prosecution of a second man. The case remains confidential, but First Assistant Federal Public Defender Alexander Silvert, who represents the man, said his client has been "fully cooperative with law enforcement."

 

The sale of artifacts from a cave that was supposed to be secure from intruders was disturbing to Native Hawaiian groups and helped fuel the controversy in a separate federal civil case over artifacts reburied in another Big Island cave, in Kawaihae.

 

In both cases, the artifacts were reburied by Hui Malama I Na Kupuna O Hawai'i Nei, an organization dedicated to overseeing the perpetual care of Native Hawaiian remains and burial items.

 

The issue of whether burial artifacts should be returned to burial caves or placed in museums has generated acrimonious debate recently. Abigail Kawananakoa, a descendant of Hawaiian royalty, along with a group known as the Royal Hawaiian Academy of Traditional Arts, sued Bishop Museum and Hui Malama, charging that they and other groups had not agreed to the repatriation of 83 cultural objects in Kawaihae Cave.

 

The case is still pending.

 

Edward Halealoha Ayau, executive director of Hui Malama I Na Kupuna O Hawai'i Nei, said yesterday that he was pleased with the arrest. "We have faith that federal investigators did their job and we look forward to a successful prosecution," Ayau said.

 

"Through NAGPRA, we are the legal owners of these items," Ayau said. "When this prosecution is completed, those items must be returned to us."

 

The investigation amounted to "trying" times for Hui Malama members, Ayau said, because federal authorities gave them no information about the items.

 

Federal authorities cited the ongoing investigation for not disclosing the information.

 

Ayau said: "We understand that; we don't want to compromise their investigation. But at the same time, we are the owners of sensitive burial items. We would have hoped for at least some kind of explanation as to where the items are being kept, what items they were able to retrieve, what items they were not able to retrieve."

 

Even as activists praised the federal case, they took the opportunity to criticize the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and the attorney general's office for not investigating the break-in.

 

Kanupa is "a burial cave in an historic site located on state property," Ayau said.

 

The state, he said, should be investigating violations of disturbance of a burial cave, looting and trespassing. "Those are state law violations," he said, adding that NAGPRA provisions pertain only to trafficking of the items.

 

Kawananakoa agreed with Ayau that the state should have done more in the Kanupa case.

 

In a brief statement, Kawananakoa said: "I hope that Gov. Lingle will take note that federal intervention was required to carry out the duties of DLNR."

 

Attorney General Mark Bennett said the state made a decision to allow the federal investigation to proceed first and to cooperate with that effort. "We do not have the ability, given our double jeopardy laws, essentially to prosecute the same people for the same crimes that the federal government does," he said.

 

When the federal investigation is complete, however, "we are going to review all of the facts and make a determination as to whether or not to have other types of prosecution," he said.

 

La'akea Suganuma, head of the Royal Hawaiian Academy, said the Kanupa case underscores the need for culturally valuable items to be held in museums for safekeeping.

 

"These things were safe until they were taken and allegedly reburied and sealed in a cave, and then showed upon the black market," Suganuma said. "These things need to be in a safe environment."

 

Hui Malama's Ayau said that "under the circumstances, that's fair criticism coming from people who don't do reburials."

 

"For us," he said, "it's a lesson learned that when we do reburials of this nature, we have to seal them in a manner that will prevent looting that can happen."

 

Reach Ken Kobayashi at kkobayashi@honoluluadvertiser.com and Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com.

 

 

 

 

March 17, 2006

 

Business and academia join to train visitor industry employees

 

Pacific Business News (Honolulu) - by Prabha Natarajan

Pacific Business News

 

Hawaii's business and academic communities are joining to provide immediate training for workers in the state's visitor industry.

 

The program announced last week is part of a long-range effort to solve the chronic employee shortage in the state's No. 1 industry. It involves funding from the Hawaii Tourism Authority and training expertise from the University of Hawaii's School of Travel Industry Management.

 

The shortage of trained workers is creating an unprecedented challenge in the $11 billion industry as it struggles to maintain customer service and visitor satisfaction.

 

Hospitality executives say they don't have enough people to fill the hundreds of job openings. Last year, the leisure and hospitality industry added 2,400 jobs.

 

"While the present conditions are challenging, the future is even less reassuring," said Walter Jamieson, dean of the T.I.M. School. "Our focus is very much on the future ... if the industry is going to be in a position to provide the kind of quality service and attention that our visitors will demand."

 

Within the next six months, the school will design and implement a curriculum to help hotels and tour operators train their employees in:

 

 

The program's second phase is to develop the training program as a tool that all businesses and schools can use on their own.

 

In the program's final step the T.I.M. School will complete a strategic plan focusing on the industry's needs for the next decade. Included will be ways to make tourism jobs attractive career options for local high school and college graduates.

 

The strategic plan also is expected to address social issues such as Hawaii's cost of living, housing and the perception that jobs in the tourism industry aren't good enough for the younger generation.

 

"The overall work-force development strategy must address all of these concerns and more if the industry is going to be in a position to provide the kind of quality service and attention that our visitors will demand," Jamieson said.

 

Tourism officials see the involvement of local residents in the industry as a key to improving the visitor experience. Census data shows that more than half of Hawaii's population was not born here. That, some say, leads to a lack of sufficient knowledge of local and Native Hawaiian cultures.

 

"Visitors are turned off by employees who mispronounce local street names," said David Cole, president and CEO of Maui Land & Pineapple Co. and its subsidiary Kapalua Resort Co. on Maui.

 

pnatarajan@bizjournals.com | 955-8041

 

 

 

 

March 17, 2006

 

Fowler recieves lifetime achievement award

 

Story by: Heather Shallenberger

Nevada News

 

Garnering recognition for her life-long pursuit of preserving the heritage of the West, Catherine S. Fowler, anthropology professor, received the 2005 Earl A. Chiles Award from the High Desert Museum Dec. 6, at a ceremony held in Portland, Ore.

 

The award recognizes people who have made a contribution to the cultural and environmental preservation of the high desert and the Great Basin.

 

“In my case it’s for the cultural preservation and my effort through the years to document living Native American cultures and languages of the region and to help the non-native public understand those traditions a little better,” Fowler said.

 

The annual award gives $15,000 to an individual who has made a lifetime contribution to the conservation of the cultural or natural heritage of the Great Basin and the American West. Fowler said she will put it towards further study and preservation of the high desert’s cultural heritage, specifically the Paiute and other Great Basin Indians.

 

“A good portion of the money will go towards additional field work,” Fowler said. “I’ll interview living people, ask them about their traditions and how they managed the environment in the past. As traditions fade and new traditions take their place, native people are losing some of their land attachments and are not as intimately involved with the environment as they once were.”

 

Fowler joined the University in 1972 with her husband, Don Fowler, who recently retired from the anthropology department.

 

“I like the University, it’s been a good home for us,” she said. “It was important when we got out of graduate school that we could work at the same institution, which was a rarity. Also the setting was important for us. As Westerners by birth and inclination, this is exactly where we would like to be.”

 

Fowler is a Foundation Professor and received the Outstanding Researcher Award in 1995. She served for six years as a trustee of the National Museum of the American Indian and is currently a trustee of the High Desert Museum. She is the author, co-author, and editor of over 80 articles, monographs and books on native peoples and museum collections. She has worked with Great Basin Indian tribal programs to preserve and document their native languages and cultures.

 

“What I stressed in my acceptance speech is that I didn’t do this by myself,” Fowler said. “I did it with the cooperation of native elders and others who know the information and we willing to share it with me.

 

“I hope that through my work people will gain a better appreciation of how native peoples lived in this environment, how they took care of it, and what the environment meant to them,” Fowler said. “I also hope that people gain an appreciation for the environment itself through my work, because unless we take care of it, unless we’re custodians of that environment, than it’s not going to be there for us.”

 

 

 

 

March 16, 2006

 

Pioneer of UH Manoa Hawaiian Studies Program honored posthumously with Regents Medal of Distinction

 

PEARL CITY, O‘ahu – At its monthly meeting held today at Leeward Community College, the University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents honored Abraham St. Chad Kikiakoi Kalilioku Pi‘ianai‘a for his outstanding contributions to the University of Hawai‘i and the state by posthumously awarding him with the Regents Medal of Distinction.

 

During his long and distinguished career, Pi‘ianai‘a, who passed away in February 2003, was an exemplary educator, an accomplished seafaring voyager, and a well respected kupuna, preserving and protecting the Hawaiian language and culture for present and future generations. He was appointed the inaugural director for the Hawaiian Studies Program in 1979, and because of his pioneering effort, Hawaiian Studies became a permanent program in 1985, and the Center for Hawaiian Studies was created with the establishment of the School of Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific Studies in 1987.

 

UH Manoa Interim Chancellor Denise Konan said, “Abraham Pi‘ianai‘a has left a lasting legacy imprinted in the minds and hearts of faculty and students at Manoa. We can directly attribute our vision to become a Hawaiian place of learning to his groundbreaking efforts.”

 

Learning from a young age about sea travel and navigation, Pi‘ianai‘a was also a seafarer. One of his key achievements was his work in supporting voyaging endeavors using Polynesian navigational tools within the values and understandings of Polynesian cosmology and culture. When the Polynesian voyaging revival began, he served as mentor and historian to the crew members, as well as lead adviser in protocol matters during interactions with Polynesians, Pacific Islanders, and even Native Americans.

 

In letters supporting Pi‘ianai‘a’s nomination, friends and colleagues point to his efforts in advancing opportunities for Native Hawaiians, both academically and culturally through the Polynesian voyaging revival.

 

“Throughout his life, he exemplified the spirit and practice of ‘E Ho‘opili Mai,’ of bringing together people in and around Hawai‘i with knowledge and wisdom,” said Kiyoshi Ikeda, UH Manoa emeritus professor of sociology. “He leaves an outstanding legacy in oceanography, ethnography, and studies of islands and archipelagoes.”

 

“Polynesian voyaging owes a debt of gratitude to Abraham Pi‘ianai‘a for his mentoring and leadership in the early pioneering days of the voyaging movement,” said Nainoa Thompson, president of the Polynesian Voyaging Society. “He was the most influential mentor we had to bridge us to Hawaiian history and culture to set the foundation of voyaging to explore safely and make a meaningful contribution to the Hawaiian people.”

 

Pi‘ianai‘a also served the state through numerous community service endeavors, sitting on various local and national boards and holding several leadership positions in government, such as chair of the Hawaiian Homes Commission and director of the State Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

 

His list of honors includes Outstanding Alumnus awards from the University of Hawai‘i and Kamehameha Schools, selection as a Living Treasure of Hawai‘i in 1999, and the Ke Ali‘i Pauahi Legacy Award in 2004 from the Order of Ke Ali‘i Pauahi Foundation of the Kamehameha Schools.

 

 

 

 

March 20, 2006

 

Tales to tell

 

Students encourage love of reading in the community

 

By Katie Hoppe
Waianae High School

 

When many of us think of community service, we think of donating supplies or picking up trash. Students went beyond that by helping to advance literacy in our community.

 

Searider Story Night, which began in English teacher Wanelle Kaneshiro's class, is a new program that allows students to learn and get involved with the community.

 

"We wanted to promote literacy and have our Health and Human Services seniors promote literacy as a community service," Kaneshiro said.

 

Kaneshiro's third-period English class divided into six groups, and each group chose a children's story to act out for the community.

 

"On Nov. 10, we had 'The Three Little Pigs,' 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears,' and 'Jack and the Beanstalk." Dec. 8 featured 'The Ugly Duckling,' 'Little Red Riding Hood' and 'Hansel and Gretel,'" Kaneshiro said.

 

One requirement is that each group find an adult reader to narrate its story.

 

"If they get an adult reader they get so many points, and if they get someone who is more well known, like the mayor, they get extra points," Kaneshiro said.

 

The project continued with her AP English class. They began planning in November and performed their skits in January and February.

 

"I was in 'Rumpelstiltskin,' and I played a dwarf in 'Snow White' and Ursula in 'The Little Mermaid,'" senior Aaron Catillo said. "I was also the dragon in 'Sleeping Beauty.' I like to do it for the kids and it's fun. The extra credit is good too."

 

Searider Story Night is not the only literacy event that got students involved. The Junior ROTC program volunteered for a second year with the Read Aloud Program at Waianae Elementary School.

 

"Last year we came out and we had a great turnout," JROTC adviser Sgt. Haines Rego said. "This is a service learning project for us, and they really wanted to get back into it. Waianae Elementary has been very supportive and invited us back again."

 

The Read Aloud Program was held at Waianae Elementary on Sept. 6 and 20, Oct. 10 and 25 and Nov. 8 and 22. JROTC students were required to participate in two out of the six nights.

 

Most cadets do not read to the children, but they assist in all other aspects of the program.

 

"First we make sure the kids are paying attention to the reader, and we escort them to and from the cafeteria, and in the cafeteria we pass out books," junior Kevin Fonseca explained.

 

From Searider Story Night to the Read Aloud Program, students participated to help promote literacy and serve their community. Though they took on the role of teachers, students also learned valuable lessons about the efforts and rewards of community service.

 

 

 

 

Posted on: Friday, March 17, 2006

 

No answers yet in Nanakuli

 

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer

 

Hawaiian Electric Co. is inspecting more than 100 utility poles along the Wai'anae Coast in the wake of the dramatic toppling of a dozen poles on Sunday.

 

Hawaiian Electric spokesman Jose Dizon said it will probably take a week to complete the inspection of the poles between the Kahe power plant and Hakimo Road. The company this week began analyzing whether termite damage or some other factor played a role in the poles falling during a period of high winds.

 

The poles fell across four lanes of traffic on Farrington Highway at about 1 p.m. Sunday, at about the time that the National Weather Service forecast 60 mph winds sweeping down the mountains. As many as 20 cars were damaged but no serious injuries were reported. Traffic was disrupted for hours while the area was cleaned and the power lines reconnected.

 

Dizon explained that most of the 72,000 utility poles across O'ahu are jointly owned by the electric, cable and telephone companies. About 15,000 poles are owned outright by HECO, Dizon said.

 

The 65-foot wooden poles generally last about 30 years. "We inspect them in a three-to-five year cycle," he said. This week, a HECO official said the utility poles are designed to withstand winds of 56 mph.

 

Damaged poles may be reported by calling the company's customer service line at 548-7311.

 

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.

 

 

 

 

March 17, 2006

 

Lining up home loans HUD program strives to open doors for American Indian buyers

 

Aldo Svaldi
Denver Post Staff Writer
DenverPost.com

 

With two growing children in a three-bedroom, one-bath home, Darius Smith and his wife, Lisa Calderon, knew it was time to look for something larger.

 

But when the couple began to arrange financing, they were told that their preapproved mortgage would be limited to $270,000 and carry an interest rate nearly 1 percent higher than the market average.

 

Smith is director of Denver's Anti- Discrimination Office, and Calderon is a nonprofit executive. Even so, Smith feared they would have to leave the Highlands area for the suburbs to find a home they could afford.

 

"We were about to give up," he said.

 

Then Smith learned that, because he is Navajo, he qualified for a special loan under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 184 Indian Housing Loan Guarantee Program. Among its many perks, the program offers government-guaranteed mortgages at 150 percent of the federal lending limits for a county.

 

Several months ago, Smith became the first American Indian to take out a Section 184 loan in Denver. He and Calderon qualified for a $350,000 loan at competitive interest rates, with which they bought a four-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath home in Denver's Cole neighborhood.

 

"Sometimes I have to catch myself," Smith said. "I can't believe this is my house."

 

HUD will host a free, two-day training session in Denver on March 23 and 24 for lenders and tribal officials interested in learning more about the program.

 

Section 184 loans have been available since 1992, but relatively few have been made. While nearly 80,000 Coloradans described themselves as American Indian in the 2000 census, fewer than a dozen have Section 184 loans. Nationally, only about 3,000 loans worth $320 million have been issued.

 

The primary reason is that the program originally focused just on home purchases within tribal lands, said Randall Akers, who oversees Northern Plains American Indian programs with HUD. Economic hardship, cultural constraints and a lack of new construction and access to capital kept many rural American Indians from homeownership.

 

But in recent years, HUD has lifted the geographic limits in states where tribes have agreed to sponsor the program.

 

Last year, the Southern Ute Tribe stepped in, opening the 184 program to any qualified American Indian in Colorado who is enrolled or registered with a tribe. The bulk live in urban areas or off reservations.

 

HUD would like to make 1,000 loans under the 184 program this year, and Denver will be key in achieving that goal, said John Carson, HUD's regional director in Denver.

 

"Homeownership is the first rung on the ladder to moving up economically," Carson said. "It is something we want to push."

 

Underwriting criteria are more flexible than for conventional mortgages, and the loans have low down payments and require no mortgage insurance. HUD also watches out for predatory interest rates, junk fees and other abuses, said DeAnna Lucero, a HUD underwriter.

 

Besides purchases, the flexible loans can also be used for refinancings, rehabilitations and new construction, including prebuilt homes.

 

For most American Indian borrowers, the program represents a much better deal than other government and conventional loan programs, said Roy Chavez, who works with Clarion Mortgage Capital, one of six lenders approved to make the loans in the state.

 

Staff writer Aldo Svaldi can be reached at 303-820-1410 or asvaldi@denverpost.com.

 

 

 

 

March 16, 2006

 

Native Hawaiian curricula is now on-line

 

The Native Hawaiian Education Council, the entity responsible for coordinating federal funding for Native Hawaiian education programs, announced a new on-line curricula collection on Ulukau.org as a resource for teachers and students in Hawaii and elsewhere.   The first curriculum in the collection is titled, “Kähea Loko, Call of the Fishpond,” a 4th -12th grade natural science and culture curriculum,  produced by the Pacific American Foundation in partnership with the Hawaii Department of Education.  The fishpond curriculum consists of materials a teacher will need including a teachers guide, lesson plans, and an introductory video.  Sections of the curriculum are translated into Hawaiian.  Topics in the curriculum are searchable using a digital search engine.

 

 “Sharing this information over the internet with Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians alike will enable everyone to benefit from the collective wisdom of the Hawaiian people,” said Hamilton McCubbin, President of the Pacific American Foundation. “It is also a modern day example of the rigorous scientific methods used by Hawaiians to refine their stewardship over these complex ecosystems so essential to their survival and sustainability, something which is even more relevant today given our increasing impact on the natural resources of this planet we know as Earth,” said McCubbin. 

 

“The on-line curricula is the result of a three way partnership between the Native Hawaiian Education Council, the Pacific American Foundation, and Ulukau.org, and is intended to preserve and expand the reach of our Hawaiian ways of knowing, teaching, and learning, ” said Colin Kippen, executive director of the Native Hawaiian Education Council.

 

Ulukau.org, now in its second year, has logged over 5 million user hits per year since its creation and continues to grow. The indigenous language website is a joint project of Hale Kuamo`o, College of Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai`i at Hilo, Alu Like, Inc., and many other organizations and individuals in the Native Hawaiian education community. 

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

 

What:  Native Hawaiian On-Line Curricula Collection

On the Web:   http://ulukau.org/kahealoko1

1st Title:         “Kähea Loko, Call of the Fishpond” by the Pacific American Foundation

Contact Info: ALU LIKE, Inc. - 535-6735

 

 

 

 

Friday, March 17, 2006

 

Man'amko eyed as resource for the Chamolinian Project

 

By Marconi Calindas
Reporter

 

The "Chamolinian Project" is keen to make the man'amko a prime source for cultural heritage preservation by making them a part of the Public School System's curriculum and instruction, according to Kagman High School teacher Ambrose M. Bennett.

Bennett, who is also chairman of the project, said it got during the 12th Legislature when a bill was introduced to require all public school teachers at the elementary level to know the local languages.

Bennett said comments and concerns then poured into his office.

"I discussed it with a group of teachers and in my comments I stated that language was insufficient to support the preservation of a culture. I recommended then that our government should pursue a program that is more like what Hawaii has done, which is what the Chamolinian Project is modeled after," he said.

In his presentation to the man'amko yesterday morning at the Aging Center, Bennett said the man'amko asked him to be the coordinator of the project, should the grant be approved.

"Many of them were disappointed about the school system's refusal to allow them to teach sculpture because they were not certified, especially when they have been preserving the local culture for over 3,500 years without having the certification," he said.

Bennett said the proposal for the Chamolinian Project was initially aimed at creating a structured method to "save the indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian cultures."

The Chamolinian Project will compile the first source document-a curriculum with benchmarks that will define "what a person should know about the Chamorro or Carolinian culture."

"They are enthusiastic and very anxious about the project and they are looking forward to the opportunity to participate and perform the various functions that will be required of them such as teaching," said Bennett.

He said the man'amko expressed a desire to help with the development of the Chamolinian curriculum, and to authenticate and certify the curriculum and activities that would take place.

Bennett said one main issue that was raised during his presentation was the question of how to re-institute the initiation and recognition of the Chamorro and Carolinian chief for each island. They reportedly said the tradition needs to be revived.

Many Pacific nations still have cultural chiefs and political leaders that are different; in some cases they are the same person, added Bennett.

 

 

 

 

March 21, 2006

 

Tribal members make strides in the world of film

Film festival in New Mexico, commission formed in South Dakota, awards ceremony held in California

Native American Times

From authentic Indian Country locales in South Dakota and New Mexico to the glitzy entertainment hub of Beverly Hills, Natives are producing their own films and being recognized for their accomplishments.

In Southern California, First Americans in the Arts, a non-profit organization created in 1991 to recognize, honor and promote American Indian participation in the arts and entertainment industry, is honoring this year’s Native contributions to the stage and screen with a gala ceremony in the town of Beverly Hills.

Among this year’s recipients are Humanitarian Award winners ABC Entertainment and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition for their two-hour season finale, “The Piestewa Family.” The poignant primetime special showed the successful effort by former Prisoner of War Jessica Lynch to have a home built for the family of Lori Piestewa, a Hopi solider killed in Iraq. Lynch and Piestewa were close friends.

Other award recipients include Q’Orianka Kilcher and August Schellenberg of “The New World,” Tyler Christopher, Zahn McClarnon, Tonantzin Carmelo, Nakotah LaRance from “Into The West” and director Chris Eyre.

Tony award winning actress Kristin Chenoweth has been honored with two awards for her roles in NBC’s “The West Wing” and “Bewitched.” Chenoweth is part Cherokee and hails from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, only about a five-minute drive from the offices of the Native American Times.

Shawnee guitar god Link Wray receives a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award. Wray, who passed away last fall, influenced musical styles ranging from punk rock to grunge, heavy metal to rockabilly.

Wes Studi, Cherokee, hosts the event. Studi recently appeared in New Line Cinema’s “The New World,” TNT’s “Into the West” and Showtime’s “Edge of America.”

In South Dakota, the Northern Plains Film Commission Board of Directors has hired Moses Brings Plenty, a Lakota from Pine Ridge, as their new president and spokesman.

The commission is an association of Native American and non-Indian film professionals, politicians, businessmen and other area residents working to make the state a player in the field of movie making. The reasons have more to do with the thrill of seeing your home state up on the screen, Brings Plenty said.

“We are giving our people an opportunity – a fair opportunity on an entertainment level. We are helping our reservations be self-efficient by creating job banks for the people.” Brings Plenty said during a recent meeting of the commission held in the town of Hermosa.

In New Mexico, a well-known Indian museum has kicked off five weeks worth of films produced by indigenous artists. Museum officials say the folks behind the scenes of the productions represent more than a dozen Native American, Alaska Native and First Nations filmmakers and directors.

The film festival is timed to coincide with an art show called Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 2. The recently opened show features more than 130 of today’s leading contemporary Native artists.

“It’s our hope that this outstanding selection of works by acclaimed filmmakers and directors from across North America will shed new light on the important and ground-breaking examples of contemporary Native art on display in Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 2,” said John R. Grimes, director of the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum.

The films are shown every Saturday through April 23, with a special screening of family-friendly movies on Saturday, April 15.

 

 

 

 

March 20, 2006

 

Play explores challenges of Samoans in Maori land

 

Review by John Berger
jberger@starbulletin.com

 

Speak fluent Samoan? Kumu Kahua's current production of "The Songmaker's Chair" is the show to see. Native-speakers in the opening-night audience laughed knowingly as cast members traded one-liners in Samoan, sang along during the musical numbers and called out words of praise and encouragement when individual cast members danced.

 

A Samoan friend explained during intermission that it is customary to do so and that if there had been more Samoans in the audience, some would probably have gotten up and danced with the cast. "Everyone in Samoa knows these songs and dances," he said.

 

Those unfamiliar with Samoan culture who attend without a cultural adviser are left to figure things out as best as they can. So much of the dialogue is in Samoan that a glossary would only scratch the surface, but where the University of Hawaii would provide several pages of cultural background, Kumu Kahua provides nothing. There's no information on Samoan history or culture, and nothing on the specific cultural milieu of Samoans in New Zealand, where this story takes place.

 

Kumu Kahua veteran Wil T.K. Kahele stars as Peseola Olaga, the aging patriarch of the central family. Fata Simanu-Klutz is Pese's wife, Malaga. The experiences of the couple, their four children and their grandchildren neatly define playwright Albert Wendt's perspectives on the experiences of Samoans in New Zealand.

 

Pese and Malaga exchanged the security of their village for hard work and relatively menial jobs but gained the economic security to own a home and put their children through college. The oldest, Fa'amau, was born in Samoa, went to private school in New Zealand and married a Caucasian, Joan, who speaks better Samoan than some members of his family. Nofo, also born in Samoa, is married to Hone, a New Zealander who defines himself as Maori; they have two adult children who are well integrated in the larger society.

 

The younger children of Pese and Malaga, born in New Zealand, have not done as well. Frank is a struggling playwright and bodybuilder who lives in part on money from Malaga. Lilo has a history of drug and alcohol problems.

 

The characters' varied experiences illustrate issues of culture, acculturation and ethnic identity in compelling style. There's the uneasy balance between traditional pre-Christian Samoan culture and contemporary Christian values, the conflicts between Samoans and Maoris, and the universal experience of trying to make sense of an unfamiliar culture.

 

Pese recalls spending "nearly a week's wage" on 10 pounds of filet rather than admit to a palagi (Caucasian) that he hadn't understood a simple question. In contrast, their grandchildren felt like outsiders during a stay in Samoa.

 

All this and more is revealed as the family assembles at Pese's command, and Pese confronts his dreams of an owl, a recurring source of dread.

 

Kahele transcends ethnicity to gave a convincing performance as Pese. Sami L.A. Akuna (Fa'amau) stands out as the eldest son. D. Tafa'i Silipa (Hone) and Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl (Nofo) are well matched in playing survivors of a troubled but loving marriage.

 

Music consultant Kuki M. Tuiasosopo and sound designer Stu Hirayama make important contributions in amping up the cultural ambience with recordings by the American Samoa Community College Chamber Singers and the call of the unseen owl.

 

 

 

 

 

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