HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	210
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

honoring EARL KAWAʻA for dedicating his life to preserving Hawaiian language and culture, mentoring future generations, and strengthening communities throughout Hawaiʻi.

WHEREAS, raised in Hālawa Valley on Molokaʻi by parents, Walter and Georgina Kawaʻa, EARL KAWAʻA is one of the few remaining mānaleo (native speakers of the Hawaiian language) in Hawaiʻi and has devoted his life to preserving and perpetuating Hawaiʻi's unique language, culture, and traditions, including hale and rock wall construction, carving, farming, music, and storytelling, all of which were a part of his upbringing; and

WHEREAS, building upon the foundational teachings and lessons of his parents, who were respected hoʻoponopono healers, EARL KAWAʻA also dedicated himself to pursuing higher education, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Hawaiʻi Pacific College in 1974 and Master of Social Work degree in 1982, with specialized training in community organizing; and

WHEREAS, EARL KAWAʻA's legacy includes service as a member of the Molokaʻi National Guard as well as assisting homesteaders on Molokaʻi with economic development; he provided valuable support for the Acoma Indian Reservation in New Mexico under the domestic Peace Corps program, where he helped build baseball fields, organized Little League tournaments, and contributed to initiatives in natural resources, economic development, and early childhood education; and

WHEREAS, during this time, EARL KAWAʻA met his beloved wife, Patricia, with whom he shared a daughter, Yahna Kaiulani Kawaʻa, now a kaiapuni teacher who is dedicated to perpetuating Hawaiian language and culture; and

WHEREAS, EARL KAWAʻA has dedicated eighteen years of service as a cultural specialist with Kamehameha Schools, supporting educators, students, and families, while also collaborating with public school communities across Oʻahu on ʻāina and culture-based projects; and

WHEREAS, in 2012, EARL KAWAʻA introduced the concept of "Board and Stone in Every Home" in a TEDx talk at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law to the public; since then, his lessons have been taught to thousands of individuals in communities throughout the State, including Nānākuli, Papakōlea, Waimānalo, and Molokaʻi, through hands-on, multi-session workshops designed to deepen cultural understanding and strengthen family relationships; and

WHEREAS, having provided over a decade of instruction at Keiki O Ka ʻĀina, EARL KAWAʻA continues to train and mentor the next generation of alakaʻi across all ages in hoʻoponopono and other traditional practices, ensuring that these cultural traditions are carried forward to future generations; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaiʻi, Regular Session of 2026, that this body hereby honors EARL KAWAʻA for dedicating his life to preserving Hawaiian language and culture, mentoring future generations, and strengthening communities throughout Hawaiʻi, and extends to him its warmest aloha and deepest appreciation for his enduring legacy of service, leadership, and cultural stewardship.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Earl Kawaʻa