The next Office of Hawaiian Affairs Administrator / CEO shall speak Hawaiian.
To the Honorable Collette Machado, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs:
The historic 20th Century governmental suppression of the Hawaiian language diminished the opportunity to speak Hawaiian outside one’s home, and the Hawaiian language neared extinction. However, according to the State of Hawaii’s Constitution, Article XV, Section 4: English and Hawaiian shall be the official languages of Hawaiʻi, except that Hawaiian shall be required for public acts and transactions only as provided by law. [Add Const Con 1978 and election Nov 7, 1978]; it is recognized that the use and preservation of the Hawaiian language in Hawaiian institutions of governance is important because the language is essential to the preservation and perpetuation of the Hawaiian culture. However, records of the public acts and transactions of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) are presently only available in the English language, and the implementation of Hawaiian language services at OHA will require institutional support at the highest level.
Therefore, the undersigned request the Board of Trustees that the next person to serve as Administrator / Chief Executive Officer shall be conversant in the Hawaiian language at a level appropriate to the functional requirements of the position, and before December 31, 2012 the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs shall approve a schedule to transition the provision of its services in the Hawaiian language as they are also provided in English.
Updates
January 13, 2012
My grandmother was punished for speaking our language in school and I refuse to let that history define our future. Seeing the stories you all have shared about your own families reminds me exactly why our leaders must honor our tongue in the office. We are pushing hard behind the scenes to ensure the next administrator truly reflects our culture.
January 13, 2012
Seeing this level of support for our language feels like an act of healing for everything my ancestors lost. It proves we are ready to hold our institutions accountable to the culture they were founded to protect.
6 Comments
Why is this even a question? It should be a requirement for the job. Speak the language of the people you serve.
Yes! Protect the culture. Language is the heartbeat of Hawaii.
So important to preserve what we almost lost. Please make this happen.
Aloha! This is long overdue. Our culture and language go hand in hand.
Makes total sense. OHA is meant to serve our people so how can a leader represent us without knowing our own language. Time for a change.
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The next Office of Hawaiian Affairs Administrator / CEO shall speak Hawaiian.
To the Honorable Collette Machado, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs:
The historic 20th Century governmental suppression of the Hawaiian language diminished the opportunity to speak Hawaiian outside one’s home, and the Hawaiian language neared extinction. However, according to the State of Hawaii’s Constitution, Article XV, Section 4: English and Hawaiian shall be the official languages of Hawaiʻi, except that Hawaiian shall be required for public acts and transactions only as provided by law. [Add Const Con 1978 and election Nov 7, 1978]; it is recognized that the use and preservation of the Hawaiian language in Hawaiian institutions of governance is important because the language is essential to the preservation and perpetuation of the Hawaiian culture. However, records of the public acts and transactions of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) are presently only available in the English language, and the implementation of Hawaiian language services at OHA will require institutional support at the highest level.
Therefore, the undersigned request the Board of Trustees that the next person to serve as Administrator / Chief Executive Officer shall be conversant in the Hawaiian language at a level appropriate to the functional requirements of the position, and before December 31, 2012 the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs shall approve a schedule to transition the provision of its services in the Hawaiian language as they are also provided in English.
Updates
January 13, 2012
My grandmother was punished for speaking our language in school and I refuse to let that history define our future. Seeing the stories you all have shared about your own families reminds me exactly why our leaders must honor our tongue in the office. We are pushing hard behind the scenes to ensure the next administrator truly reflects our culture.
January 13, 2012
Seeing this level of support for our language feels like an act of healing for everything my ancestors lost. It proves we are ready to hold our institutions accountable to the culture they were founded to protect.
6 Comments
about time. cant have a hawaiian office lead by someone that doesnt even respect the native tongue.
Why is this even a question? It should be a requirement for the job. Speak the language of the people you serve.
Yes! Protect the culture. Language is the heartbeat of Hawaii.
So important to preserve what we almost lost. Please make this happen.
Aloha! This is long overdue. Our culture and language go hand in hand.
Makes total sense. OHA is meant to serve our people so how can a leader represent us without knowing our own language. Time for a change.
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about time. cant have a hawaiian office lead by someone that doesnt even respect the native tongue.