Bill Text: HI HCR154 | 2019 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Supporting The Development Of A Hawaiian Language Plan And Requesting The Convening Of A Coalition To Develop The Plan.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 16-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-14 - Referred to WLH, FIN, referral sheet 33 [HCR154 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2019-HCR154-Introduced.html

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

154

THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE PLAN AND REQUESTING THE CONVENING OF A COALITION TO DEVELOP THE PLAN.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, the United Nations General Assembly, as part of an effort to draw attention to the critical loss of indigenous languages and the urgent need to preserve, revitalize and promote indigenous languages and take further urgent steps at the national and international levels, has declared that 2019 is the International Year of Indigenous Languages; and

 

     WHEREAS, the United Nations acknowledges that indigenous languages represent complex systems of knowledge that have been developed and accumulated over thousands of years and are repositories of diversity and key resources for understanding the environment and utilizing it to the best advantage of local populations; and

 

     WHEREAS, the United Nations has expressed deep concern about the vast number of endangered languages, particularly indigenous languages, and stresses that, despite continuing efforts, there is an urgent need to preserve, promote and revitalize endangered languages; and

 

     WHEREAS, olelo Hawaii, or the Hawaiian language, is the indigenous language and, as recognized as by article XV, section 4 of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii, an official language of the State; and

 

     WHEREAS, the State, in upholding the spirit of the International Year of Indigenous Languages, and in recognition of the numerous achievements over the past thirty-five years in preserving and revitalizing olelo Hawaii, has proclaimed that 2019 is the Year of the Indigenous Language; and
     WHEREAS, for the past thirty-five years, Hawaiian language movement leaders; including Aha Punana Leo, Ka Haka Ula O Keelikolani College of Hawaiian Language; Hawaiinuiakiea School of Hawaiian Knowledge; the Hawaiian language programs throughout the University of Hawaii System; the Department of Education's Office of Hawaiian Education, including its Hawaiian medium and Hawaiian immersion schools, and all other Hawaiian language programs at all public schools, including charter schools; and Kamehameha Schools have collectively worked to reverse the language loss that occurred at the turn of the twentieth century; and

 

     WHEREAS, the aforementioned entities have taken efforts to preserve, revitalize, and promote olelo Hawaii through cooperative efforts to raise speakers of this indigenous language, educate learners in immersive settings, normalize the language in its homeland, and drive and inspire change to ensure a living language in Hawaii and beyond; and

 

     WHEREAS, the specific outcomes and results of these collective efforts include:

 

     (1)  The reestablishment of a P-20 Hawaiian medium pathway of education from the Punana Leo preschool; the State's Hawaiian medium and Hawaiian immersion programs; and the graduate degrees offered at Ka Haka Ula o Keelikolani, which serves over four thousand students annually at over forty different sites throughout the State;

 

     (2)  The availability of courses in the Hawaiian language at over two-thirds of the Department of Education's high schools, which recognize the language as a world language;

 

     (3)  The Hawaiian language broadcast media initiative in partnership with Aha Punana Leo and Oiwi Television Network; and

 

     (4)  A generation of graduates from Hawaiian medium and Hawaiian immersion programs that grew up speaking Hawaiian and are raising their own keiki to speak and live olelo Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, to build upon these successes and further accelerate the normalization of olelo Hawaii beyond the educational realm, the development of a Hawaiian Language Plan is necessary to advance use of olelo Hawaii in government services and transactions, private sector activity, and tourism; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2019, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature supports the development of a Hawaiian Language Plan to accelerate the normalization of the use of olelo Hawaii; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Executive Officer of Aha Punana Leo, or the Chief Executive Officer's designee, is requested to convene and serve as the Chair of a Hawaiian Language Plan Coalition to develop a Hawaiian Language Plan; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following officials, or their respective designees, are requested to serve as members of the coalition:

 

     (1)  The Director of the Office of Hawaiian Education, Department of Education;

 

     (2)  The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs;

 

     (3)  The Dean of the Hawaiinuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, University of Hawaii at Manoa;

 

     (4)  The Director of the Ka Haka Ula O Keelikolani College of Hawaiian Language, University of Hawaii at Hilo;

 

     (5)  The Chairperson of the Executive Council of Aha Kauleo;

 

     (6)  The President of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs;

 

     (7)  The Chief Executive Officer of Kamehameha Schools;

 

     (8)  The President of Kanaeokana;

 

     (9)  The President of Keomalamalama;

 

    (10)  The Chief Executive Officer of Oiwi Television Network; and

 

    (11)  Officials of other appropriate entities, as invited by the chair of the coalition, to ensure a collective representation in the development of the plan; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the coalition is requested to develop an effective Hawaiian Language Plan that:

 

     (1)  Builds upon past accomplishments to normalize the use of olelo Hawaii and accelerates further normalization; and

 

     (2)  Includes aspirational goals, benchmarks, strategies, and outcomes for the next thirty-five years; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaiian Language Plan Coalition is requested to submit to the Legislature its plan, including any proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2021; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaiian Language Plan Coalition shall cease to exist after June 30, 2021; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Director of the Office of Hawaiian Education, Department of Education; Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Dean of the Hawaiinuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, University of Hawaii at Manoa; Director of the Ka Haka Ula O Keelikolani College of Hawaiian Language, University of Hawaii at Hilo; Chief Executive Officer of Aha Punana Leo; Chairperson of the Executive Council of Aha Kauleo; President of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs; Chief Executive Officer of Kamehameha Schools; President of Kanaeokana; President of Keomalamalama; and Chief Executive Officer of Oiwi Television Network.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

By Request

Report Title: 

Hawaiian Language Plan

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