STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3836

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.C.R. No. 130

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 130 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION APOLOGIZING TO THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN PEOPLE FOR THE EFFECTIVE PROHIBITION IN HAWAII SCHOOLS OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL USE OF THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE FROM 1896 TO 1986,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to offer an apology to the Native Hawaiian people for the effective prohibition in Hawaii schools of the instructional use of the Hawaiian language from 1896 to 1986.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Ke One O Kākuhihewa, ‘Aha Kauleo, and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Center for Hawaiian Sovereignty Studies.

Your Committee finds that ‘Ōlelo Hawaii has been the native language of Hawaii's indigenous people for more than two thousand years. Especially from 1795 to 1893, during the time of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the Hawaiian language thrived. By 1834, indigenous Hawaiians obtained a ninety-five percent literacy rate. By the 1840s, the Hawaiian language was advanced enough to support judiciary law, law enforcement, health systems, public systems for education, science, trade, and the arts. However, three years after the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893, laws were enacted that suppressed ‘Ōlelo Hawaii resulting in its effective exclusion from Hawaii's public schools for ninety years. The purpose of this measure is to offer an apology to the Native Hawaiian people for the effective prohibition in Hawaii schools of the instructional use of ‘Ōlelo Hawaii from 1896 to 1986.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 130, and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Hawaiian Affairs,

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MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO, Chair