Historic Hawaii Foundation News

Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Grants Funding Opportunity

2012-03-07T18:07:00.002-08:00

The Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services program promotes enhanced learning and innovation within museums and museum related organizations, such as cultural centers. The program provides opportunities for Native American tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge by strengthened museum services in the following areas:

* Programming: Services and activities that support the educational mission of museums and museum-related organizations

* Professional development: Education or training that builds skills, knowledge, or other professional capacity for persons, either paid or volunteer, who provide or manage museum service activities

* Enhancement of museum services: Support for activities that enable and improve museum services

Eligible applicants include federally recognized Indian tribes, Alaska Native Villages and Corporations, and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians. Entities such as museums, libraries, schools, tribal colleges, or departments of education are not eligible applicants, although they may be involved in the administration of the program and their staff may serve as project directors, in partnership with eligible applicants. Eligibility criteria are listed in full under Program Guidelines, available at http://www.imls.gov/applicants/native_american_native_hawaiian_museum_guidelines.aspx.

Applicants may request between $5,000 and $50,000. There are no matching funds required. Proposals are due April 2, 2012. For more information on the program and for information on an upcoming webinar, please visit, http://www.imls.gov/applicants/detail.aspx?GrantId=17 .

2012 SCENIC BYWAY APPLICATIONS DUE MARCH 31

2012-03-05T13:38:00.002-08:00

Feb. 22, 2012: HONOLULU – The state Department of Transportation (HDOT) recently designated two new Hawaii Scenic Byways and has issued a call for applications for additional corridors.

“Committed community partners are essential for applications to be successful,” said David Zevenbergen, Hawaii Scenic Byways Coordinator. “The goal is to preserve, protect, and enhance these corridors, roads that tell a story for the benefit of all.”

Scenic byways include a defined route for passenger vehicles, as well as sights that can be seen from, or are reasonably close to the road. Hawaii Island’s Kau Scenic Byway—The Slopes of Mauna and Kauai’s Holo Holo Koloa Scenic Byway were recently designated, bringing the state’s total to four (4).

The Kau Scenic Byway—The Slopes of Mauna Loa, along Highway 11, is the route from Manuka State Park in Kona (west end) to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (east end). The road rises from sea level to more than 4,000 feet. At 54 miles long, this is the longest stretch of unspoiled natural scenery in the Hawaiian Islands.

The Kau Scenic Byway sponsor is Kau Chamber of Commerce. The Holo Holo Koloa Scenic Byway is sponsored by Hui Malama o Koloa.

The Kau Scenic Byway is the third Hawaii Island designee. “Mamalahoa Kona Heritage Corridor” (Old Mamalahoa Highway) was the state's first scenic byway, designated in 2009. In 2010, HDOT designated "Royal Footsteps Along the Kona Coast" (Alii Drive, Kailua-Kona) as the second Hawaii Scenic Byway.

Holo Holo Koloa Scenic Byway, the State’s most recent byway, is more than 19 miles long and connects many historical and cultural sites representing a microcosm of pre-contact and post-contact Hawaii. The Koloa-Poipu area is a premier destination on Kauai, with a dedicated community that is looking forward to rediscovering its past and educating residents and visitors regarding its rich historic legacy.

Nomination applications for 2012 Hawaii Scenic Byway designation are due March 31, 2012. Interested community groups can get information from the recently launched website: www.hawaiiscenicbyways.org

The National Scenic Byways Program was established under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration in 1991, and includes 150 designated National Scenic Byways and All-American Roads in 46 states (http://www.byways.org).

March 15 Deadline Approaches for Prestigious National Trust/ACHP Federal Partnerships Award

2012-03-02T14:38:00.002-08:00

The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation continue to seek exemplary historic preservation efforts to honor with their joint award. Nominated projects are accomplished through federal partnerships with at least one non-federal entity involved.

The deadline for nominations is March 15, 2012.

Please fully read the general eligibility and nomination requirements, and especially the award description for the National Trust/ACHP award before submitting. The entire application must be completed online.

A jury of preservation professionals from the National Trust and the ACHP will review the nominations, and a winner will be honored in November 2012 at the National Trust’s conference in Spokane, Washington.

For more information contact Patricia Knoll at 202-606-1385, pknoll@achp.gov, or visit http://www.preservationnation.org/take-action/awards/.

10th Annual Historic Preservation Awareness Day March 30th at the Capitol

2012-02-28T17:20:00.002-08:00

Historic Hawai‘i Foundation will join the State Legislature’s Heritage Caucus to host the 10th annual Historic Preservation Awareness Day at the Hawai‘i State Capitol on Friday, March 30, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. on the third floor lanai circling the rotunda. The exhibits are free and open to the public. The event is also sponsored by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Historic Preservation Awareness Day is part of the collaborative effort to demonstrate the range of interests engaged in historic and cultural preservation across the state. The highlight of the event is an exhibit of organizations from across the state representing various roles in historic preservation including advocacy organizations, museums and educational institutions, government agencies, architecture and planning firms, heritage tourism businesses, and conservation groups. The exhibition circles the rotunda of the State Capitol for a half-day open house.

http://www.historichawaii.org/n_01/events/PreservationDay_2012.pdf

“GOING DIGITAL” PRESENTATION TO HAWAI‘I SENATE HIGHLIGHTS HISTORIC ARCHIVES

2012-02-23T17:38:00.002-08:00

The Hawai‘i State Senate’s Committee on Economic Development and Technology will hold an informational briefing on Monday, February 27, at 1:15 p.m. in Conference Room 016 of the State Capitol, 415 South Beretania Street, Honolulu.

“GOING DIGITAL” is a presentation highlighting updates on two groundbreaking projects to make Hawaii’s history accessible to all: ‘Ulu‘ulu: The Henry Ku‘ualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive, and the Hawaii State Digital Archives.

During the first half of the briefing, Academy for Creative Media Founder Chris Lee and Head Archivist Janel Quirante will present an overview of the Giugni Moving Image Archive, its opening at the University of Hawaii West Oahu Campus this summer, and long-term plans. They will also feature video clips from the Archives collection.

During the second half of the briefing, State Archivist Susan Shaner and Hawaii State Digital Archives consultant Adam Jansen will discuss their progress in developing the Hawaii State Digital Archives Development Plan, and highlight the potential for enhanced accessibility, transparency, accountability and business/societal continuity. The State Archivist has encouraged the Hawaii State Legislature to become the first state agency implementing the State’s digital archives plan.

The briefing is open to the public, but no comments or testimony will be accepted.

All aboard: Hawaiian Railway gives people a ride through history on restored locomotives and tracks

2012-02-23T12:16:00.005-08:00

By Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi, Honolulu Star-Bulletin

February 20, 2012

When Jeff Livingston went home for the very first time, a Lionel train set was waiting for him — a “welcome” gift for the newborn baby from his proud father. Over the years, Livingston’s parents, relatives and family friends augmented his collection, and as that grew, so did his interest in trains.

One of his favorite childhood outings was going with his dad to Cleveland Union Terminal, 15 miles from their house, to observe the arrivals and departures of passenger trains.

“I never got tired of watching those behemoths,” said Livingston, historian for the Hawaiian Railway Society. “I was awestruck by the size and sound of the steam locomotives, and the speed and power of the electric locomotives. I dreamed of going to places I’d never been in trains. I guess that part has never changed; I ride trains whenever and wherever I can. Last year in Germany I rode a Royal Bavarian State Railways train pulled by a gorgeous steam locomotive.”

When Livingston moved from Ohio to Hawaii in 1990 and began studying military railways, he became acquainted with Bob Paoa, who was HRS’ historian at the time.

IF YOU GO …

HAWAIIAN RAILWAY

» Address: 91-1001 Renton Road, Ewa Beach, Oahu

» Rides: 1 and 3 p.m. every Sunday (open year-round except Dec. 24 and 25). The ticket office and gift shop open at 11:30 a.m.

» Price: $12 for adults, $8 for seniors (62 and older) and children (2 through 12). Children under 2 are free. Parlor Car No. 64, which seats 14, is added to the train on the second Sunday of every month. Reservations are required for seating in this car. Cost is $25 per person. Only cash and checks are accepted for all fares.

» Phone: 681-5461

» Email: rides@hawaiianrailway.com

» Website: www.hawaiianrailway.com

» Notes: Seating for tours is on a first-come, first-served basis (maximum capacity is 150). The train, including Parlor Car No. 64, is available for charters. Call for rates.

Passengers are welcome to take food and beverages on board and to use the picnic area adjacent to the train station. With the purchase of a ride, this area also can be reserved for private functions at no charge.

On view at the open-air museum next to the station are vintage freight cars and steam engines, including the 12-ton Kauila No. 6, which, dating back to 1889, was the first locomotive bought and used by OR&L.

Tax-deductible memberships in the Hawaiian Railway Society start at $25 ($10 for children). Checks or money orders can be made out to the Hawaiian Railway Society and mailed to P.O. Box 60369, Ewa, HI 96706.

“Bob is a great mentor and friend,” Livingston said. “He encouraged me and shared all the information he had not only about Hawaii’s military railroads, but its plantation railroads and ‘common carriers’ — passenger and freight trains. I became HRS’ historian in 2009, but Bob continues to be active in our research efforts as historian emeritus.”

HRS WAS FOUNDED on Oct. 13, 1971, as the Hawaii Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (its name was changed to Hawaiian Railway Society two years later to emphasize its local ties). An educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to researching, preserving and sharing Hawaii’s train history, it maintains and operates the only historic railroad on Oahu.

One of HRS’ major accomplishments was the restoration of half of a 12-mile track from Ewa to Nanakuli that was formerly used by Oahu Railway & Land Co., a common carrier founded by renowned entrepreneur Ben Dillingham. (OR&L officially opened on Nov. 16, 1889, King Kalakaua’s 53rd birthday, and remained in business until 1947.)

That track, the only remaining portion of OR&L’s main line, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on Dec. 1, 1975. HRS began restoring it three years later and completed the first phase (6.5 miles) in 2002. Plans call for about three more miles of the track to be restored when time and funding permit.

On Sunday afternoons, passengers gather for narrated 90-minute rides on the restored track offered by Hawaiian Railway, the operating arm of HRS. Two 45-ton ex-Navy diesel locomotives take turns pulling six ex-Army flatcars that were rebuilt to accommodate passengers. All the equipment dates back to the 1940s.

The train chugs along at a leisurely 15 miles per hour, making a stop at Kahe Point where spectacular views of Oahu’s Leeward coast are revealed. “We’ve had old folks on board who grew up on Ewa sugar plantations and remember riding this route,” Livingston said. “During World War II, soldiers also rode OR&L’s trains, so the ride also brings back fond memories for many veterans.”

After the war, virtually all the railroads in the islands were dismantled to make way for paved roads for cars, buses and trucks.

Hawaiian Railway’s track is a precious relic that needs constant maintenance. Revenues generated from ticket sales enable HRS to do that and continue its preservation work.

Thus far the group has cosmetically restored three steam locomotives dating back to 1889, 1890 and 1912. Thanks to its efforts, three diesel locomotives (one built in 1942 and two in 1944) are fully operational.

Volunteers — including mechanics, electricians, welders and pipe fitters — are restoring another 1944 diesel locomotive at HRS’ train yard in Ewa. “Most of them are HRS members, but that’s not a requirement and we don’t only need skilled craftsmen,” Livingston said. “Anyone who has interest is welcome. Come out and remove one square foot of old paint and rust; it all adds up!”

Participants can expect to learn a lot about Hawaii’s fascinating railroad history. Livingston notes that agriculture (primarily sugar and pineapple) played an important role in the islands’ economic development, and that development could not have occurred without railroads. Industrial development also was closely tied to railroads.

“Hawaiian Railway is one of the last remaining vestiges of that chapter in Hawaiian history,” Livingston said. “When people ride our train, they’re riding back in time.”

Polynesian voyaging online archive unveiled

2012-02-23T12:00:00.002-08:00

By: Cheryl Ernst

http://www.hawaii.edu/news

If he had known what a complex undertaking it would be, Nainoa Thompson says now, he might not have asked Honolulu Community College to create a digital library of documents related to the Polynesian Voyaging Society.

But the man whose name is synonymous with rescuing traditional voyaging from the brink of extinction celebrated the public launch February 8 of hookele.org, a digital archive created through a partnership of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, Honolulu Community College and the Hawaiian Digital Library Ulukau.

"The stuff you folks have done is on the level of a miracle," Thompson told the project staff and a supporting crew of contributors.

Creating an archive

It took six years and review and research and the digitizing and organizing of 65,000 documents to create the extensive record of the society and the voyages of Hokuleʻa. The project began with the society's archive at Kamehameha Schools, where materials were preserved but not readily available for scholarly or public use, Thompson said. The effort expanded to include additional materials from crew members and sources.

"Voyaging by the ancient Polynesians was one of the most remarkable navigation feats in the world and we don't know anything about it," Thompson said. "This archive is a place to maintain the kuleana so we do not forget again."

Honolulu Community College Chancellor Michael Rota also recognized the work of important, if more recent, predecessors. State leadership 30- to 40-years ago resulted in legislation that set aside funds for Hawaiian-serving institutions that support Hawaiian language, culture and education, he said. It was former Chancellor Ramsey Pedersen who agreed to use those federal Title III funds to support the project.

"The unique assets of our Marine Education and Training Center and the unique undertaking of the Polynesian Voyaging Society have been major benefits to Honolulu Community College and to our place in the community," Rota said.

"What we're sharing is one of the most significant cultural events in Hawaiian history in the last 100 years," he added, touching on the importance placed on the Hawaiian cultural resurgence by his colleagues in the Pacific.

Forging a partnership

The Polynesian Voyaging Society came to the college's marine center as a place to tie up Hokuleʻa, Thompson observed. But the partnership between the institutions since 2003 has created opportunities. "There are educational programs we could create together that we couldn't create apart."

Training for the society's World Wide Voyage started at the center, he added. The research to support a sailing plan that addressed weather systems around the globe, safety issues such as piracy and political unrest and accompanying educational programs took place within the center's walls.

Traditional knowledge has to be coupled with technology, he said, describing solar powered engines that will be installed on the canoe that will be the new child of Hokuleʻa.

"The other canoe we launch today"-a website that will carry thousands, perhaps millions of people on voyages. "It is an enormous service to those who have gone before us and those generations not yet born who want to grow up believing their homeland is a place to believe in and a place that is sacred."

Hoʻokele project team members with donors and sponsors of the digital archival site at launch celebration

About the archive

A boon to academics, educators and students alike, the site allows users to search by year, individual, voyage, document title or topic.

Project coordinator Jonathan Wong calls it "one of the coolest things I ever did."

Visit the hookele.org.

Please Support PVS at West Marine's Grand Opening

2012-02-22T13:13:00.000-08:00

Aloha PVS ‘Ohana,

Please support Polynesian Voyaging Society at West Marine’s Honolulu Store Grand Opening on Thursday, March 22, 2012, by buying and selling tickets to the event.

When: Thursday, March 22, 2012 from 6:00 – 9:00pm

Where: West Marine Honolulu - 420 N. Nimitz Highway (across from K-mart)

Cost: $10 per ticket (All profits for the tickets that we sell will go to Polynesian Voyaging Society)

-Cash or checks are accepted. Please make checks payable to Polynesian Voyaging Society

Ticket includes: 1 entry, 1 meal and 2 drinks

For every ticket sold by PVS that is used at the door, PVS gets an additional $2, so please encourage people to use their tickets and go to the event.

The evening’s festivities will include a silent and live auction, Hawaiian music, local food, and community leaders in attendance. In keeping with the company’s mission of protecting our waters and supporting local non-profits across the country, West Marine is eager to work with Hawai'i-based charities that serve the marine environment and local boating, fishing and sailing communities. “Cruising for a Cause” will earn money for local charities (like PVS) by offering them 100% of ticket proceeds for the event.

PVS also will have a booth at the event and be posting displays in the store a week before the grand opening.

Please stop by the PVS office on weekdays from 9:00am to 5:00pm to pick up and purchase tickets. We are hoping to sell a few hundred! If you pick up tickets to sell to friends and family, you must return all proceeds and leftover tickets to the PVS office no later thanMarch 9.

We hope to see you all there!

Mahalo

Call for papers & posters for multidisciplinary conservation in Historic House Museums

2012-02-17T13:07:00.001-08:00

Authors are invited to submit abstracts related to these topics by the 1st March 2012 to the Artifact.Context.Narrative@gmail.com

Multidisciplinary conservation in Historic House Museums

A Joint Conference of ICOM‐DEMHIST and three ICOM‐CC Working Groups, to be held at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, November 6‐9, 2012.

Call for papers & posters ICOM‐DEMHIST, the international committee for historic house museums, and three ICOM‐CC working groups Sculpture, Polychromy, and Architectural Decoration, Textiles, and Wood, Furniture, and Lacquer are collaborating in the organization of a conference to be held in November 2012. This four day conference will be hosted by The Getty Research and Conservation institutes in Los Angeles.

Past conferences organized individually by ICOM‐DEMHIST and ICOM‐CC working groups have already focused on conservation of collections, structures and settings and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach. In this new collaboration we aim to promote the concept of multidisciplinary conservation within the specific context of historic house museums.

The theme of the symposium will focus on managing the inevitable deterioration of structure and materials in historic house museums, while balancing the need for public access with current standards of practice in conservation. Historic houses remain in constant use throughout their lifespan and their interiors consist of diverse materials often altering dramatically due to change imposed by society, their environment and function. The proper care for historic interiors and their edifices draws from many conservation specializations as well as from many other fields. Therefore it is essential to approach each project in a holistic manner using a multidisciplinary collaborative approach involving all stakeholders. It is intended that posters and papers selected for the upcoming symposium will focus on the following key issues:

•The Historic House Museum as an artifact: This theme relates to all issues encountered when the house itself is a significant historic artifact and how to balance public access with current standards of practice in conservation.

• The artifact within its context: This topic concerns the historic house museum as a vessel in which a collection is presented. Focus will be given on balancing the individual conservation needs of solitary objects within the context of an integrated collection and its setting.

• Conservation and the “narrative” of the Historic House: This theme will delve into how conservation and its discoveries can play a role in engaging and educating the public, both in the narrative presented on public tours and by demonstration of conservation techniques

Authors are invited to submit abstracts related to these topics by the 1st March 2012 to the following email address: Artifact.Context.Narrative@gmail.com

All work submitted must be original and not have been published elsewhere.

Abstracts of no more than 500 words should include the title, authors’ names, profession, ICOM registration number and relevant committee / working group, e‐mail and address of the corresponding author. We kindly request that all submissions be proof read by a native English speaker.

Selection will be based on the relationship to the theme of the meeting, with an emphasis on an interdisciplinary approach, originality, and addressing the context of historic house museums. We encourage the submission of papers that result from collaborative projects that echo the multidisciplinary approach of the conference. Preference will be given to ICOM members.

All final papers and posters will be peer reviewed by an editorial committee prior to the conference.

Selections will be made by the 1st April 2012, authors will be informed accordingly.

Proceedings of the symposium will be made available to delegates and members of ICOM‐CC & ICOMDEMHIST.

Programme:

Presentations will be held over three days and delegates will be given the opportunity to continue the theme of the discussions during the excursions. Posters will be exhibited during the symposium and a dedicated poster session will highlight their content. The language of the symposium and proceedings will be English.

The Venue:

The Getty Research and Conservation Institutes are located at the Getty Center in Los Angeles California (USA) and are world renowned institutes dedicated to furthering the knowledge and understanding of visual arts on a theoretical and technical level.

23RD ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORY OF HAWAI`I AND THE PACIFIC

2012-02-16T13:49:00.000-08:00

The general public, sport and tech divers, diving operators, historians, students, underwater archaeologists, preservationists and all others are encouraged to participate in the 23rd Annual Maritime Symposium, co-sponsored by NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the University of Hawai`i Marine Option Program, and the Maritime Archaeology and History of the Hawaiian Islands Foundation. This year’s theme is: Diving into History: Technical and Sport Exploration of Shipwrecks. Come join the informal discussion! What do wreck sites tell us about out past? What wreck survey training might be available to recreational divers? How have other locations enhanced their wreck diving opportunities?

The symposium begins Friday, Feb. 17, 6:30 PM (free to public). Keynote speaker Dr. Della Scott-Ireton discusses Heritage Awareness Diving Seminars (HADS), an approved NAUI, PADI, and SSI course specifically geared to instructors, bridging the gap between academic and sport wreck diving. Participants must register to attend the Saturday and Sunday presentations (registration rates available at http://www.hawaii.edu/mop/site/2012symposium.html or at door). Presentations include more than 24 speakers covering: new submerged ship and aircraft discoveries by local divers; HURL’s recent discoveries of the S-4 and USS Bennington; wreck inventory for the main Hawaiian Islands; Maui’s WWII Legacy; potential for public maritime archaeology courses at local diving operations; current status of our Falls of Clyde; Manila galleon trade in the Pacific; Blackbeard’s flagship Queen Anne’s Revenge; international projects from the Marshall Islands, Tokelau, and Greece…and more. The symposium includes continental breakfast, informal receptions and pupus, and a conference BBQ.

WHAT: 23rd Annual Maritime Symposium “Diving into History: Technical and Sport Exploration of Shipwrecks”

WHEN: February 17-20, 2012

Public keynote talk: Dr. Della Scott-Ireton

Friday February 17 @ 6:30 PM

Symposium presentations

Saturday and Sunday February 18 and 19, 8:30 AM-5:00 PM

Optional field trip to HURL research facility for symposium participants

Monday February 20 @ 9:30 AM

WHERE: NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Pacific Islands Region

6600 Kalaniana`ole Hwy, Suite 302

Honolulu HI 96825

(third floor of Roy’s Restaurant building in Hawai`i Kai)

WHO: Contact NOAA heritage coordinator Hans Van Tilburg (808-271-4187) for details

hans.vantilburg@noaa.gov

On the Web:

http://www.hawaii.edu/mop/site/2012symposium.html

Kauai Vintage Book Offering with Wine and Cheese Tasting

2012-02-10T17:02:00.000-08:00

Date and Time:
02/24/0012 at 4:30pm

Location:
Kauai Historic County Building Lobby

Description:
Peruse a collection of vintage books from the Kauai Historical Society's duplicate collection along with items donated by members. Acquire books for your personal collection while sampling cheese and wine , enjoying music and helping the Society raise money for new additions to collection

Price: Donation

Contact Info:
Phone 808 245-3373
E-mail kauaihs@hawaiiiantel.net

http://kauaihistoricalsociety.org/events/

Next Steps: Hawaii State Digital Archives Development Plan

2012-02-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

Presentation Scheduled for February 29

The Hawaii State Archives has embarked on a mission to preserve and provide access to historical digital records of Hawaii’s government. The Archives will hold a presentation on Wednesday, February 29, 2012 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. to discuss the next steps in establishing a Hawaii State Digital Archives, the benefits of the digital archives, and the ways in which others can help during the three-year implementation process.

The Archives found that while there is a clear direction on what records need to be preserved, there are no mechanisms within the state to assist agencies in addressing the difficulty of the long term preservation of digital records. The State Archives is mandated by law to preserve the permanent records of state government. Creating a centralized digital archives for the preservation of digital records is a necessary next step. Not only will this ensure the preservation of digital records in a cost effective manner but will provide a single access point to all citizens of the state.

The digital archives will provide the following:

Accessibility: Allow those who cannot travel to access records 24x7 from anywhere

Transparency: Use records on any platform and not require special tools

Accountability and Trust in Government: Ensure government accountability by showing what government has done

Business/Societal Continuity: Allow government to continue in the event of disaster and provide for sustainable government operations

Location: No. 1 Capitol District Building (250 South Hotel Street), Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, 1^st Floor Conference Room.

The speakers: Adam Jansen, Hawaii State Digital Archives consultant, and Susan Shaner, State Archivist.

Support for this project is made possible by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. The Commission works closely with those individuals and organizations concerned with establishing policies, best practices, and tools for the long-term preservation of and access to records of enduring value. Commission-supported projects explore what is necessary to manage electronic records in accordance with archival requirements.

Register by February 23 by calling or emailing Harriet Miura at: 586-0311 or harriet.miura@hawaii.gov

Questions: Call Susan Shaner at 808-586-0310.

HISTORIC PERFORMANCE TO SHOWCASE "ANNEXATION DEBATES"

2012-02-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

The Hawai'i Pono'i Coalition is hosting live performances of the "Annexation Debates," a reenactment of the historical debate over the United States' annexation of Hawai‘i in 1898. The performances will be held February 23 through Feb 26. Performances begin at 7 p.m. Thursday - Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday in the Judiciary History Center Courtroom in historic Ali‘iōlani Hale in Honolulu. Admission is free, but seating is limited. For reservations, call 534-8880. Event co-sponsored by the Center for Biographical Research, the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities, and the Judiciary History Center.

Save the Date for Preservation Conference in Spokane, Washington

2012-02-07T10:27:00.000-08:00

October 30 – November 3

MOVE BEYOND TRADITIONAL BOUNDARIES AT THE 2012 NATIONAL PRESERVATION CONFERENCE

“Beyond Boundaries” is the theme for the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2012 National Conference, hosted this year in eastern Washington from October 30-November 3.

Estimated at around 2,000 attendees, this conference attracts nationally recognized experts and practitioners for a weeklong series of educational workshops and peer-to-peer networking. The conference will explore preservation’s boundaries using Spokane and the Inland Northwest as a living laboratory to showcase preservation successes and as a classroom for discussing preservation challenges.

The conference provides an opportunity for the attendees to interact with the local preservation community, bringing their depth of knowledge and expertise to bear on local issues. It also provides local community leaders with affordable and accessible high-caliber professional development opportunities. Participants learn from leading experts and practitioners, share tactics and achievements, and explore challenges and successes in our region. Attendees will include board members and staff of nonprofit preservation organizations, downtown revitalization professionals, real estate developers, architects, planners, and students, all of whom will bring fresh eyes to Spokane and return to their own communities with newly acquired knowledge and inspiration.

The conference will include interactive education sessions, field sessions with hands-on exploration of preservation sites, affinity sessions for partnership building and networking, and on-your-own activities that inform, teach and connect. Engage in vital conversations about how we can expand the role of preservation in revitalizing cities, combating sprawl, creating jobs, saving energy, preserving landscapes, and building community. The conference will challenge the preservation community to work with traditional and new partners to increase preservation’s relevance in modern communities and become better advocates for the movement in our hometowns.

Conference focus areas include:
Sustainability: Reuse of historic and older buildings, greening the existing building stock and reinvestment in older and historic communities to combat climate change.
Diversity: Protecting, enhancing and enjoying the places that matter to people to ensure these places and their stories remain part of the American narrative, ensuring a diversity of people and places to reflect the full range of the American experience.
Public Lands: Enhancing stewardship of cultural resources on public lands through education on their importance and increased funding for their protection
Re-imagining Historic Sites: Creating new and innovative models for historic site interpretation and stewardship.

Attendees will enjoy Spokane’s vibrant, walkable downtown dominated by historic buildings. Events are scheduled for a variety of memorable venues, including the magnificent Davenport Hotel and two recent national Honor Award winners – the art deco Fox Theatre and the Steam Plant – both masterpieces of adaptive use. With over $3.4 billion invested in this urban core in the last decade, downtown Spokane has established itself as a compelling destination with incredible shopping, world-class entertainment, and the region’s best dining – including local wineries in historic buildings.
Come to Spokane to bridge chasms, break tradition, and explore what going beyond boundaries can do to instill a preservation ethic in Americans of all ages, backgrounds, and outlooks. Watch for more details coming to: www.PreservationNation.org/conference and www.historicspokane.org/nthp

Illustrated Lecture on Aviation History to be Presented Feb. 4

2012-01-31T11:29:00.000-08:00

HALE‘IWA--The North Shore Chamber of Commerce’s historic preservation committee will host an illustrated historical lecture on Aviation History. The event features historic committee members and long time North Shore residents Vera Williams and Rick Rogers. The event will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 7 p.m. at the Historic Haleiwa Gym. It is sponsored by Stearman Biplane Rides. Author Vera Williams will present an illustrated talk on her extraordinary book, "WASPs, Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II," recently republished by the Pacific Historic Parks in 2011. Aviator, historian and author Rick Rogers will showcase the fascinating history of aviation on the North Shore in his illustrated presentation. See the attached flyer. Enjoy a preview of Vera's book by checking out Danny Martinez's interview with Vera on our website at www.gonorthshore.org. We'd like to extend our special thanks to Stearman Biplane Rides, our sponsor, for their generous financial support of our event.
A girl's chorale ensemble from Kahuku High School's Vocal Motion will perform "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B." There will be swing music, swing dancing and refreshments. During intermission, a photographic presentation of life in the islands during World War II will be presented, courtesy of the Hawaii War Records Depository and the Honolulu Star Bulletin and Advertiser. Guests will also have an opportunity to learn more about the North Shore’s aviation history by visiting the tables set up by the Pacific Aviation Museum and the Naval Air Museum from Barbers Point. As a salute to "the greatest generation," guests are invited to dress in period attire.
Please join the North Shore Chamber for a memorable evening celebrating the WASPs and learning about the North Shore's and Hawaii's unique aviation history. Café Haleiwa, a delightful family owned and operated restaurant in the adjacent historic Takahashi Building, will open early at 5 p.m. for dinner to serve our patrons. Beer and wine pairings can be made at the family's Bonzer Front next door and brought into the Café.
WHAT: "WASPs, the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II," an illustrated talk by Vera Stone Williams and "The History of Aviation on the North Shore," an illustrated talk by Captain Rick Rogers
WHEN: Saturday, February 4, 2012, at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Historic Haleiwa Gym across from Haleiwa Post Office
ADMISSION: $10 pre-sale and $12 at the door (includes light refreshments)
TICKETS: Available at Kai Ku Hale, Strong Current, and the Chamber office Monday to Friday, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
CONTACT: Phone:637-4558 website: www.gonorthshore.org

National Trust issues Call for Nominations for National Trust/ACHP Federal Partnership Award

2012-01-26T13:25:00.000-08:00

The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation are seeking nominations for the 2012 National Trust/ACHP Award for Federal Partnerships in Historic Preservation. A category of the Richard H. Driehaus National Preservation Awards, this joint award honors outstanding federal partnerships that advance the preservation of important historic resources.

This award requires a demonstrated partnership with a federal organization. Partners may include Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations, not-for-profit organizations, individuals, businesses, state and local governments, and other non-federal persons or organizations. Nominated projects or programs can include one or more non-federal partners and more than one federal agency.

The deadline for nominations is March 15, 2012.

The entire application must be completed online. Please fully read the general eligibility and nomination requirements, and especially the award description for the National Trust/ACHP award before submitting.

For more information contact Patricia Knoll, ACHP Awards Coordinator, at 202-606-1385 or pknoll@achp.gov.

2012 marks a new decade for the National Trust/ACHP Award for Federal Partnerships in Historic Preservation. Past winners include the following:
• 2011 – United States Army, Fort A.P. Hill, and the U.S. Army Environmental Command along with The Conservation Fund, the Rappahannock Tribe of Virginia, and Virginia State Historic Preservation Office for an innovative model to purchase an easement preserving archaeological sites within an off-base buffer area and the Camden National Historic Landmark in Caroline County, Virginia.
• 2010 - National Park Service, Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, Hartrampf, Inc. and its contractors, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., and the City of Tuskegee to preserve Moton Field where the famed Tuskegee Airmen learned to fly in Tuskegee, Alabama.
• 2009 – Federal Transit Administration, Lower Manhattan Recovery Office and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, and National September 11 Memorial and Museum for Section 106 work related to the Vesey Street Staircase and World Trade Center Site Preservation Project, New York, New York.
• 2008 – Department of Energy, Los Alamos National Laboratory along with the Atomic Heritage Foundation, Crocker LTD/ Crocker & Associates, and the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office for the V-Site Restoration Project in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
• 2007 – Bureau of Land Management’s Anasazi Heritage Center and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument for numerous multi-faceted partnerships that have significantly broadened the scope of preservation and advocacy in the Four Corners region of the United States.
• 2006 – General Services Administration and New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office for the Amy Biehl High School project in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico.
• 2005 – Bureau of Land Management and the Arizona Site Steward Program for its Arizona-wide project of enlisting volunteers to monitor and protect archaeological sites.
• 2004 – National Park Service and the Alliance for National Heritage Areas (Homestead, Pennsylvania) for the more than two dozen National Heritage Areas nationwide.
• 2003 – General Services Administration, along with numerous other federal and state agencies, organizations and companies, for ensuring the protection of Governors Island, New York Harbor.
• 2002 – An unprecedented collaboration among Navy, Coast Guard, and numerous federal and state agencies, private-sector organizations, corporations, and individuals for the discovery, raising, restoration, and interpretation of the Confederate submarine H.L.Hunley off Charleston, South Carolina.

The Kona Historical Society is pleased to share our upcoming events with you!

2012-01-23T11:03:00.000-08:00

Hanohano `O Kona/Honoring Kona: A Free Lecture Series for 2012
Every Last Wednesday in 2012, 5:30PM - 7:00PM at West Hawai`i Civic Center

Hanohano ‘O Kona/Honoring Kona, a free community lecture series starting in 2012, will spotlight local and state speakers on a wide variety of cultural and historical subjects. Presented by Kona Historical Society, in cooperation with the County of Hawai’i, this lecture series is a gift from the Society to the community that has supported it for so long. Free of charge, it is open to all, residents and visitors alike. Check the attached flyer (please share to spread the word!) and PSA for details on each month or go to our events calendar: http://www.konahistorical.org/index.php/events_calendar/

Hanohano `O Kona Lecture Series for January 2012

Wednesday, January 25, 5:30PM - 7:00PM, West Hawai`i Civic Center, Kealakehe Parkway, Kailua Kona
Ka`Olelo Hawai`i/The Hawaiian Language: Revitalizing the Language Through Our Children
Join us as staff and students of the K-12 Hawaiian language immersion school, Ke Kula `o `Ehunuikaimalino, share ha`i olelo (talk) and mele (songs) and “continue to revitalize the Hawaiian language through children”. Also, the members of Unuehu, a branch of the larger hula community of learners of the Hawai`i Community College’s Unukupukupu, will be sharing their mele (songs), oli (chants) and hula (dance). Unukupukupu is the name of the rigorous, didactic and experiential hula curricula of Dr. Taupouri Tangaro.This is the January portion of a community lecture series for 2012 that spotlights local and state speakers on a wide variety of cultural and historical subjects. Presented by Kona Historical Society, in cooperation with the County of Hawai’i, this lecture series is a gift from the Society to the community that has supported it for so long. Free of charge, it is open to all, residents and visitors alike.

Historical Sunset Cruise Aboard the Fair Wind II
Sunday, February 5, 2:00PM – 5:00PM

This tour starts and ends at Keauhou Bay and includes Kahalu`u Bay, Kealakekua Bay, and
Honaunau Bay aboard the catamaran Fair Wind II. kama`aina resident John Mitchell provides
the fascinating historical narrative prepared by Kona historian Jean Greenwell on the
holua at Keauhou, the battle of Kuamo`o, Kealakekua Bay, the battle of Mokuohai at Ke`ei,
and Pu`uhonua o Honaunau. The sightings of whales and dolphins are often an added treat.
Reservations are $65 for KHS members and $75 for non-members. KHS members will be
asked to show their membership cards to receive the discount. Check-in time is 1:45 PM at
Keauhou Pier. There will be a no-host bar aboard. For reservations call Fair Wind at 808-
322-2788.

For more info visit our website at: http://www.konahistorical.org/

Please feel free to share this with others who also care about what is happening in historic places and communities throughout the Big Island!

Kona Historical Society
PO Box 398
Captain Cook, HI 96704
808-323-3222
khs@konahistorical.org
The Kona Historical Society preserves and shares an appreciation of Kona’s sense of place and inspires everyone to continue the sustainable practices of generations past.>

A New Year's Visit to the Maui Jinja Shinto Shrine

2012-01-23T10:57:00.000-08:00

Pacific Memories and Visions
January 3, 2012 - Ray Tsuchiyama, The Maui News

On January 1, following Japanese New Year’s tradition, I visited the Maui Shinto Shrine or Jinja in low-key Paukukalo, off Waiehu Beach Road, just beyond Wailuku town and barely two miles from Kahului Harbor. In 1978 Maui Jinja was listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
For the last 20 years around New Year’s Day we visited the Nogi Shinto Shrine, named after a general in the Russo-Japanese War, near Roppongi, Tokyo. My father shares the Chinese ideogram with General Nogi (plus we usually found parking on the street near the shrine).
Shintoism is an ancient, animistic religion originating in Japan thousands of years ago, yet there are many Shinto shrines outside Japan (and non-Japanese who are shrine priests or priestesses), ranging from Canada, California (Fresno, Gardena, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose), Holland, Brazil, France (Paris, Bordeaux), Great Britain (several sites), Germany, Spain, Italy, and even Switzerland.
For many Dutch or Italians or Swiss who visit Shinto shrines, there is much current interest in Japanese culture and rituals (along with anime cartoons, very popular throughout Europe and even Russia). In one photo of a Dutch Shinto priest, he was dressed in a white formal kimono identical to a Japanese Shinto priest.
In pre-World War II there were bustling Shinto shrines throughout Hawaii, like Izumo Taisha near downtown on Oahu and other shrines on the Big Island, but some are gone, like Kato shrine in Kaka’ako.
At the old Maui Jinja – designed by architect Ichitaro Takata -- I saw an old photograph of a large Japanese group in front of the original Maui Jinja location, near the former Kahului racetrack. A large percentage of pre-War Maui Japanese weddings were performed there, plus New Year celebrations, Autumn festivals, and all kinds of blessings. I have heard of the Ebisu Jinja Shrine somewhere in Maalaea, but I have not figured out where it is or was. A researcher named Takakazu Maeda even published a 1991 monograph (in Japanese) on a reflection on Maui Jinsha as a focal point in Maui/Hawaii social history.
In 2009 the Maui News published an article entitled “Named an endangered historic site, Paukukalo’s Maui Jinsha Shinto Shrine struggles to survive” on the challenges the Maui Jinja faced for its future survival. The Rev. Torako Arine, whom I spoke to in the Jinja, is probably now 97 years old. The shrine was built originally in 1915, the year my father was born in Kahului; perhaps my grandparents brought him there for a blessing. It has been named as one of the State's most endangered historic sites by the Historic Hawaii Foundation, and the daunting task is still exists for any group to begin a project to remedy years of salt-wind damage from the near-by beach and termite infestation.
Although some contemporary Europeans have expressed interest in Shintoism, Maui has a legacy of Shinto shrines as community centers up to the War. Unfortunately, Japanese military leaders usurped Shintoism into a “state” religion (the Emperor performs some annual Shinto rituals now, but in a much more restrained manner) and an animistic, peaceful religion became the part of the state ideology for the Pacific War that resulted in enormous Japanese military and civilian casualties, and destruction of many cities.
The War made all things Japanese suspect throughout Hawaii, and led to the closing all Shinto shrines, and only a few re-opened after the War – including the relocated Maui Jinja in the mid-1950s. Now only the memory of a thriving pre-War community remains in the minds of an aging Japanese Maui population, filled with weddings, babies, benshi or narrators of silent films, sumo tournaments, haiku poetry recitals, and home-grown dramatic ensembles, of Japanese heroes and history.
During my New Year’s visit to the Maui Jinja I saw on the old wooden wall a black and white reproduction of the famous portrait painting of George Washington, the first President of the United States of America. Afterwards, while walking in the salty air at Waiehu Beach, I wondered why the picture was hanging on the wall.

National Trust for Historic Preservation Grant Applications due February 1st

2012-01-23T10:54:00.000-08:00

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is now accepting applications for grants from the National Trust Preservation Fund, the Hart Family Fund for Small Towns, the Johanna Favrot Fund for Historic Preservation, and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors. The application deadline for all four programs is February 1, 2012. Guidelines and links to applications can be found here. (Please note: the Hart Family Fund for Small Towns uses the general National Trust Preservation Fund grant application. Grants from the Hart Fund are awarded to projects in communities with populations of 5,000 or less.)
If you have questions about NTHP grant programs, staff in the grants office will be happy to assist you. Any questions can be sent to grants@nthp.org, or contact Nicky Vann, Director, Administration, Grants and Awards, Preservation Division, National Trust for Historic Preservation 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20036

Fit for a Queen

2012-01-23T10:46:00.000-08:00

A kahili, or royal feather standard, will be presented at Queen Emma Summer Palace in Nuuanu

By Nina Wu, Honolulu Star Advertiser

A traditionally made kahili will be presented to the Daughters of Hawai‘i at Queen Emma Summer Palace January 2 on the queen's 176th birthday.
The feather standard, dubbed Kahili Hanaiakamalama after the name of the palace grounds in Nuuanu, will be presented at noon in a procession, accompanied by an original chant and surrounded by 15 other kahili.
It will be on permanent display near the grand piano in Queen Emma's parlor.
Daughters of Hawai‘i member and former regent Gerry Miyamoto says it's particularly symbolic for the presentation of this new kahili — an endeavor to re-create a forgotten Native Hawaiian practice — to be held on the birthday of Queen Emma, who lived from 1836 to 1885 and was royal consort to Kamehameha IV.
"The new kahili is a symbol, a visual form of the project to give the community a better understanding of this ancient part of the Hawaiian culture," she said.
The presentation will occur during a daylong open house at the palace, which is owned and maintained by the Daughters. The free event will include a birthday cake, refreshments and a performance by the Queen Emma Summer Palace ‘Ukulele Club.
While most kahili nowadays are made from feathers flown in from a distributor in New York, this one was made from the feathers of Hawaiian birds.
To be more precise, they were hand-plucked from Laysan albatrosses, known as moli in Hawaiian, that shed their plumes or died naturally during the summer nesting season on Midway in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
"We were trying to accomplish what was done in ancient Hawaii, but in the 21st century," said Miyamoto. "We did the best we could with the information we had."
Miyamoto said the gathering of feathers for a kahili, a symbol of royalty, has not been done since pre-contact times. It all started when she was overseeing a project to clean and refurbish about 20 kahili the Daughters of Hawai‘i had purchased from Bishop Museum in 1936. The standards were part of a larger acquisition of 58 kahili that once belonged to Queen Liliuokalani, Hawaii's last monarch. Experts at the time of the purchase did not believe the kahili held much value.
"Our thoughts are that these kahili are priceless because they belonged to the queen," said Miyamoto.
She contacted master kahili maker Shad Kane, and as they talked about the tradition, they were inspired to try to re-create the ancient practice of feather-gathering using Hawaiian protocol.
After applying for a $25,000 grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, a team of five, including Kane and Miyamoto, flew to Midway to gather the feathers for a week last summer.
Kane made the new kahili with the albatross feathers and mounted it on a koa stick. They recorded their experiences, and a video will be made to share with others.
While they originally planned to gather the tail feathers of koae ula and koae kea (red- and white-tailed tropic birds), they were given a permit instead for the Laysan albatross due to that species' higher numbers.
The kinds of feathers chosen have symbolic meaning, according to Kane, based on altitudes the birds reach in flight and distances they travel. It was thought that the higher the birds soared, the closer they were to the realm of the gods. Seabirds were held in high esteem.
The presentation of the new kahili will be an homage as well to generations of feather workers, with the 15 other kahili representing their legacy.
Since there is no written record of a chant for kahili presentations, Kahu Kalama Cabigon composed an original oli with appropriate prayers for today's presentation.
"We've lost so much of the past," said Kane. "As contemporary Hawaiians, that should not stop us from making decisions in an effort to get back as much of the past as we can. The whole effort is to get our children to understand it's not completely lost."

Signs point way to Maui's town of Makawao

2012-01-23T10:29:00.000-08:00

By Honolulu Star Advertiser

Newly installed "Historic Town" signs now inform motorists that the quaint town of Makawao is just a few miles away.
The large, brown signs along Haleakala Highway were installed recently by the state Department of Transportation in coordination with Councilmember Mike White, who represents the district, and Mayor Alan Arakawa and staff.
The initial request was made by the Makawao Community Association.
"This is a great boost for Makawao at a time when our small-town businesses need all the help they can get," White said in a statement Dec. 15.
"Our hope is that the signs will bring a direct financial benefit by making it easier for residents and visitors to enjoy the shopping, dining, and overall experience of historic Makawao town."
Makawao, surrounded by rolling pastureland on the slopes of Mount Haleakala, is the heart of Maui's ranching or paniolo (cowboy) country.

SAVE THE DATE FOR API PRESERVATION FORUM

2011-11-29T11:17:00.000-08:00

The second annual Asian Pacific Islander American Historic Preservation Forum will be held June 21-23, 2012 in Los Angeles. The theme will be

"SAFEGUARDING AND SHARING AMERICAN STORIES.”

For more information, visit www.apinhpforum.org

3,000 Volunteers Needed to Bring Historical Hawaiian Language Newspapers to the Internet

2011-11-29T11:10:00.000-08:00

HONOLULU, HAWAII - Awaiaulu, Inc., a local non-profit organization, is seeking 3,000 volunteers from around the world to participate in a unique nation-building initiative that aims to make 60,000 pages of Hawaiian-language newspapers accessible via the Internet. Participants can sign up to hand-type pages of newspaper copy currently housed in Hawai'i archival collections as originals and microfilmed images.

The ambitious project, titled 'Ike Ku'oko'a, or Liberating Knowledge, will launch on November 28, 2011 to coincide with La Ku'oko'a (Independence Day as celebrated throughout the Hawaiian Kingdom era), and is scheduled to be completed in approximately eight months. The entire volunteer effort will be managed online using a web-based program, allowing interested individuals to download the files and participate from remote locations. Volunteers are not required to know the Hawaiian language to participate.

"The magnitude of what we are trying to accomplish is unprecedented," said Puakea Nogelmeier, Professor of Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, who is spearheading the project. "With the completion of this project, more than half of the entire archive of Hawaiian-language newspapers published between 1834 to 1948 will be searchable on the World Wide Web. In the past 10 years, a small team of paid operators was only able to process 15,000 pages, mostly using OCR technology. We realized that we needed to change our approach and, after careful consideration, decided the best way forward would be to open up participation to anyone who wanted to help."

While funding sources recommended exporting the work to a foreign company experienced in similar digital-text projects, they ultimately determined that exportation would violate the spirit and integrity of the project - and it would produce less usable text.

"Certainly, to coordinate an enormous volunteer campaign requires more resources than simply hiring a company to produce the pages, but we strongly believe the benefit of Hawai'i claiming back Hawaiian knowledge far outweighs any additional effort and costs," said Kaui Sai-Dudoit, Project Manager for Ho'olaupa'i: Hawaiian Newspaper Resource, an innovative program of Awaiaulu, Inc. that makes searchable pages from early Hawaiian language newspaper available on the Internet.

Key benefits noted by organizers include the unparalleled potential for social engagement and the sense of pride, ownership and familiarity for the Hawaiian community and its far-flung supporters.

Interested volunteers can visit http://www.awaiaulu.org/ for more information. Pre-registration will occur from now to November 27, 2011. General registration will begin on November 28, 2011 and will continue until the project's scheduled completion on July 31, 2012, or La Ho'iho'i Ea (Restoration Day in the Hawaiian Kingdom) or until all the work is completed.

Once the project commences, volunteers will be able to log in to the website, reserve a page for typing and hold that page for one week, with the option of an additional one-week extension. If the reserved page is still not completed by the end of the extension, it will return to the unfinished cache, where other volunteers may select it for typescripting. All typed pages will be reviewed for accuracy. The completed project is scheduled to be available for online viewing on November 28, 2012.

Many organizations and institutions are jumping on board to assist with finances and resources in this important Hawaiian legacy project. Organizations include The Puʻa Foundation, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Kamehameha Schools, Hawai'inuiakea: Center for Hawaiian Knowledge, U.H. Sea Grants Hawai'i, and numerous civic clubs and halau in Hawai'i and abroad.

"It's impossible to overstate the value that the success of this project will have, not only for the Hawaiian people, but for those interested in Hawaiian history and scholarship," said Toni Bissen, Executive Director of the Pu'a Foundation. "We invested in this project to support our own (Pu'a Foundation's) mission of developing educational resources to serve Hawai'i's communities and reconcile consequences of the overthrow of our monarchy," said Bissen.

Submitted by Bright Light Marketing

National Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Program to Host Webinar on FY 2012 Grants

2011-11-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

What: Section 10 of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to make grants to museums, Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations for the purposes of assisting in consultation, documentation, and repatriation of Native American "cultural items", including human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony.

The National NAGPRA Program offers two types of grants, Consultation & Documentation Grants and Repatriation Grants. Consultation & Documentation Grants are project-based grants that support the efforts of eligible applicants to consult and document NAGPRA-related human remains and cultural items. Consultation & Documentation grants are competitive awards for up to $90,000.

Repatriation grants are non-competitive awards for up to $15,000. These project-based awards are intended to defray costs associated with packaging, transportation, contamination removal, reburial, and/or storage of NAGPRA-related human remains and/or cultural items.

The webinar will provide information on the NAGPRA Grants program, review the FY 2012 Consultation & Documentation grant application and provide information about new resources available on the NAGRPA website to assist with proposal development.

When: December 6, 2011 2:00PM-4:00PM Eastern Daylight Time

Fee: This is a free webinar!

For More Information: To register for the webinar, please send an email to nagpra@rap.midco.net. Information on how to access the webinar will be sent after registering. Include the following information in the body of your email message:
* Name
* Title
* Institution
* Address
* Email
* Phone number
* Name and Title of additional participants
* How you found out about the webinar

Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Stakeholders Meeting

2011-11-29T10:45:00.000-08:00

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) is hosting a meeting for cultural stakeholders in the Kalihi and Kapalama ahupua`a. The purpose of the meeting is to consult with potential lineal and cultural descendants, Native Hawaiian organizations and other interested parties about the Archaeological Inventory Survey (AIS) and the Final Consultation Protocol for `Iwi Kupuna Discovery During the AIS for City Center (Construction Phase 4) of the Honolulu Rail Transit Project, which includes Kalihi, Kapalama and Honolulu Ahupua`a in the Honolulu District on the Island of O`ahu.

The burial consultation protocol is available (click HERE). A copy is also available on the project website at www.HonoluluTransit.org under the Document Library - Programmatic Agreement - Identification & Protection of Archaeological Sites and Burials.

Project staff will provide an update on the archaeological survey work in this region and a briefing on the consultation protocol for `iwi kupuna discovery.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this meeting, please contact Kaleo Patterson at KPatterson@honolulu.gov or (808) 768-6176.

City Center AIS Consultation
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Kalakaua District Park Multi-purpose Room
720 McNeil Street

Honolulu, HI 96817

HISTORIC FIRETRUCK TOURS SET FOR CITY LIGHTS

2011-11-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

Fire Truck Hawaii will be offering tours of the Honolulu City Christmas Lights in the historic fire truck during December. The tours will be daily from December 4 – 30, 2011. Tours run every 30 minutes from 6:00 p.m until 9:00 p.m. They are closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Prices are $8 per person, $4 for children 2 and under (cash only). Meet at the Mission Houses Museum, 533 South King Street (across the street from Honolulu Hale, facing Frosty the Snowman).

Call (808) 781-7389 for reservations.

2011-11-17T14:46:00.000-08:00

We’re looking for Haunted Historic sites in Hawaii that may be suitable for filming a SYFY channel feature……. Historic homes and buildings are fascinating in many ways as we all know. We’d like to learn more about the local ghost stories related to historic homes and buildings here. We’d love it if you would post to our Facebook wall “Historic Hawai‘i “ or send an email to us at member@historichawaii.org

Kakaako Fire Station. An old man with a dog, probably an ancient firefighter, is said to haunt this fire station on South Street.

The Painted King

2011-11-16T10:29:00.000-08:00

CONSERVATION OF ORIGINAL KAMEHAMEHA I STATUE

DETAILED IN NEW BOOK, THE PAINTED KING

Visiting art conservator to present book at two events on November 22

HONOLULU — New York art conservator Glenn Wharton will visit Honolulu on November 21–23 to launch The Painted King: Art, Activism, and Authenticity in Hawai‘i, released this month by University of Hawai‘i Press.[ http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/p-8559-9780824836122.aspx/] The book is Wharton’s first-hand account of his life-changing experiences while working with the North Kohala community in conserving the original King Kamehameha I statue in Kapa‘au. (The Kamehameha statue in downtown Honolulu is a replica; the original, cast in Paris in the 1880s and the first statue in the Islands, stands before the old courthouse in rural Kapa‘au, North Kohala, the legendary birthplace of Kamehameha I.)

During his upcoming visit, Dr. Wharton will first make a stop on the Big Island to celebrate the book’s publication with North Kohala residents. He will then fly to Honolulu and has two events scheduled for Tuesday, November 22. The public is invited to attend these free events (books will be available for purchase):
From 3:00-4:30 p.m., at the Queen Lili‘uokalani Center, Room 412, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Dr. Wharton will give a brief presentation on his book, followed by comments from UH-Mānoa faculty Karen Kosasa and Ty Tengan. Professor Geoffrey White from the Department of Anthropology will moderate the discussion. Karen Kosasa is associate professor of American studies and director of the Museum Studies program. Ty Kāwika Tengan is associate professor of anthropology and ethnic studies and author of the book, Native Men Remade.
From 6:30-8:30 p.m., the Hawai‘i Arts Alliance will join UH Press in celebrating The Painted King at Native Books/Nā Mea Hawai'i, with a short talk by the author, followed by a book-signing and reception. With several national grants, the Hawai'i Arts Alliance was able to support the work of Glenn Wharton for the conservation of the original monument. In addition to The Painted King, the DVD of King Kamehameha: A Legacy Renewed, directed by Tuti Baker, which PBS nationally broadcast in 2002, will also be available for purchase.
Glenn Wharton holds dual positions at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and New York University (NYU). At MoMA he serves as time-based media conservator, where he cares for video, performance, and electronic collections. At NYU he is a research scholar in the Museum Studies program, teaching graduate courses on the conservation of cultural heritage.

Published by University of Hawai‘i Press, The Painted King: Art, Activism, and Authenticity in Hawai‘i is priced at $19.00, paperback and $42.00, hardcover. Books will be available at local retailers and can be ordered directly from UH Press—address: 2840 Kolowalu Street, Honolulu, HI 96822; phone: (808) 956-8255 or toll-free 1-888-847-7377; FAX: (808) 988-6052 or toll-free 1-800-650-7811; email: uhpbooks@hawaii.edu; or online via its website: http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/.
For more information, contact Carol Abe at UH Press, phone (808) 956-8697; email: abec@hawaii.edu

Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Forum Releases Video

2011-11-15T11:15:00.000-08:00

The video below captures some of the ideas and energy that resulted from the first National Asian Pacific Islander American Historic Preservation Forum held in San Francisco in June 2010. Interviews were conducted with more than twenty attendees and portions of those interviews, along with additional footage from the gathering, form the basis of the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUrNoMf8GJM
The second National Asian Pacific Islander American Historic Preservation Forum will be held in Los Angeles, June 21-23, 2012.

AMERICA’S GREAT OUTDOORS

2011-11-15T11:10:00.000-08:00

Salazar Highlights Two Proposed Projects in Hawaii to Promote Outdoor Recreation, Conservation

WASHINGTON — Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar released a 50-state report outlining some of the country’s most promising ways to reconnect Americans to the natural world. Salazar highlighted two projects in the state of Hawaii that are included in the final report — representing what states believe are among the best investments in the nation to support a healthy, active population, conserve wildlife and working lands, and create travel, tourism and outdoor-recreation jobs across the country.
Expanding recreational opportunities at the North Kona-South Kohala Coastline String of Parks on the island of Hawaii and creating a National Blueway on the Wailua River on Kauai are among 100 projects nationwide that are in the report — two in every state — as part of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative to establish a 21st century conservation and recreation agenda and reconnect Americans to the outdoors.
The report is a result of 50 meetings with governors and stakeholders held by Salazar and other senior Interior officials to solicit ideas on how to best implement AGO in their states. These projects were identified for their potential to conserve important lands and build recreation opportunities and economic growth for the surrounding communities as part of close engagement with Gov. Neil Abercrombie and the state of Hawaii, as well as private landowners, local- and tribal-elected officials, community organizations and outdoor-recreation and conservation stakeholders. The full 50-state report will be released in the coming weeks.
“Under the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, we are listening to the people of Hawaii and communities across America and working with them on locally-based projects that will conserve the beauty and health of our land and water and open up more opportunities for people to enjoy them,” Salazar said. “My staff and I have been asking each governor for the most promising projects to support in their states, and we will do all we can to help move them forward.”
The two projects in Hawaii highlighted by Salazar in the report are:
North Kona-South Kohala Coastline / Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail
Thirty-one miles of coastline on the Island of Hawaii make up the North Kona-South Kohala Coastline String of Parks, beginning at Honokōhau Small Boat Harbor and ending at Pu‘ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site. Hawaii wants to connect these seven national, state, and county parks via aquatic and terrestrial trails interspersed with multi-use recreation facilities. The National Park Service’s Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail already provides land links through parks in coastal areas, and it could be linked by sea as well, via recreational-boating opportunities.
In addition to providing recreation access, the North Kona-South Kohala Coastline has a rich cultural history, including ancient artifacts at sacred sites, and great potential for environmental education and interpretation. The National Park Service is currently working with a dozen local communities in the trail corridor to develop community-based trail-management plans. The plans include an economic-development component, which is focused on job creation within the recreation- and visitor-services fields. This project meets AGO outdoor-recreation goals and is supported by state and community entities.
Wailua River National Blueway
The slowly meandering Wailua River on the Island of Kauai is a heavily used recreational destination. Its culturally and historically significant features include the sacred Fern Grotto site, several Hawaiian Heiau, and ancient petroglyphs at the mouth of the river. Commercial tours and paddleboat entrepreneurs crowd the banks.
Managing the Wailua River’s limited area presents the challenge of balancing its heavy recreational use with public safety and impacts on natural and cultural resources. Demand for public recreation access has increased, but an aging marina infrastructure must be addressed.
The state needs help with increasing the access to the river, enhancing existing facilities, and assisting in the conservation of the natural and cultural resources. The long-term goal is to manage river use sustainably to protect river values while increasing recreation use along the blueway.
The report will also include potential actions by Interior and its bureaus to support the projects identified. In Hawaii, for example, the Department could designate the Wailua River as a National Blueway and provide technical, financial, and planning assistance to Hawaii both for increasing public access and restoring the river.
The Department could also provide technical and financial assistance to the Island of Hawaii to enhance the Ala Kahakai Trail and provide new access along the Kona Coast. It could work with the state and local communities in greenway, water trail, and interpretive planning for 31 miles of the Kona Coast. At the Wailua River, it could provide technical, financial, and planning assistance to Hawaii to both for increasing public access and restoring the Wailua River.
The Department of the Interior will work with each of its key bureaus — including the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — to direct available resources and personnel to make these projects a reality.
“The America’s Great Outdoors Initiative turns the conventional wisdom about the federal government’s role in conservation on its head,” Salazar said. “Rather than dictate policies or conservation strategies from Washington, it supports grassroots, locally driven initiatives.”
For more information on the President’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative, click here.
To view a map of the projects already announced, click here.

Oahu’s beautiful architectural legacy disappearing one home at a time

2011-11-14T10:45:00.000-08:00

By J.R. Robinson, for Honolulu Star Advertiser

This stately Colonial Revival home at 2346 Manoa Road was not protected by preservation restrictions and was torn down.
In early October, the City Council finalized its amendments to Ordinance 11-7, the rule that grants a significant property tax exemption to owners of historic homes. The amendments provide new clarity, transparency and improved enforcement to the city’s historic homes preservation program.
My purpose in writing is, first, to applaud the City Council members for supporting this measure. The continuation of the property tax exemption for historic homes was by no means assured. Abuses of the exemption privilege by homeowners were exposed in investigative reports published in the Star-Advertiser and certain vocal activists attempted to turn the issue into a debate about social equity. To its great credit, the Council was able to see the larger, more important picture — that preserving our architectural heritage is absolutely critical to maintaining the sense of “old Hawaii” in Oahu neighborhoods. In truth, the property tax exemption for historic homes is a proven, effective tool for encouraging preservation, and it is indisputable that historic homes enhance the values of surrounding properties and their neighborhoods.
My second inspiration for writing is to provide an unfortunate example of what happens in the absence of either economic incentives for preservation or zoning restrictions on alterations to historic residences. On Manoa Road, there stood a stately home that was one of a handful of Colonial Revival houses built in Manoa in the 1920s by the same architect. The home had a beautiful lava rock fireplace, double-wall redwood construction, white oak floors, a sleeping porch and many interesting visual architectural features. I toured the house during a Realtor’s open house last year and, while it was in need of major interior restoration, it was by no means beyond salvation. On my drive home from work recently, I was saddened to discover that the house had been demolished and the site leveled for new construction.
To be clear, I do not begrudge the new owner of the property for his actions — the house was not on the historic register and, in the absence of other preservation restrictions, he has the right to do with his property as he sees fit. I also understand that not everyone shares my appreciation of old houses. However, to those who do not see the value of preserving Oahu’s architectural heritage, I maintain that Manoa suffered a very real economic and cultural loss when the house was destroyed. Aside from the loss to an Oahu landfill of the old growth redwood, pine and koa from which the house was constructed, the disappearance of this irreplaceable home undeniably diminishes the character of the neighborhood and Manoa Valley. The cost of losing this house is tangible, obvious and permanent.
To my knowledge, this is at least the third such property to disappear in Manoa in 2011 alone. Had these homes been on the historic register, it might have deterred the people who demolished them from buying the houses in the first place.
Make no mistake: The incremental loss of these properties is extinguishing the charm and character of Oahu’s residential neighborhoods, and underscores the importance and need for further measures to preserve the startlingly small number of pre-WWII homes that remain.
I hope that in some small way this example will raise awareness of the importance of Ordinance 11-7 and of the need to do more to preserve Oahu’s architectural legacy.

FIVE SITES ADDED TO HAWAI‘I’s MOST ENDANGERED HISTORIC PLACES LIST

2011-11-07T15:24:00.000-08:00

Historic Hawai‘i Foundation has announced five additions to the list of the Most Endangered Historic Places in Hawai‘i. The annual list is compiled by HHF in cooperation with the State Historic Preservation Division and HONOLULU magazine.

The 2011 additions are published in HONOLULU’s November issue

"The list is a call to action, but it’s also a way to appreciate the hidden treasures of our built environment,” writes reporter Victoria Wiseman.

The 2011 Most Endangered Historic Places are:
Mānoa’s historic residences (Honolulu, O‘ahu)
Kapahulu Art Moderne buildings (Honolulu, O‘ahu)
Ka‘a Ahupua‘a (Lāna‘i)
Queen Emma Building (Honolulu, O‘ahu)
Kapaia Swinging Bridge (Līhu‘e, Kaua‘i)

Waikalua Loko Fishpond Work Day November 19

2011-11-07T13:17:00.000-08:00

La Hana Loko I'a

Work Day at Wikalua Loko fishpond

(just ma kai of Pu ohala Elementary School in Kaneohe)

Work Days
2011

February 19, April 16, June 18, September 10, November 19

Time:

8 a.m. to 12 noon

Bring:

"Ohana," friends, school and community groups

Wear clothing you don't mind getting dirt

Old athletic shoes or tabis

Reusable water bottle

Bonus:
Education tours of our fishpond

We will provide a light lunch!

Interested?
Contact Andrea Jepson at jepsona001@hawaii.rr.com or phone 263-8202 to pre-register yourself or your group.

For additional information see:www.waikalualokofishpond.org or www.ulukau.org for a teacher's curriculum guide.

Directions to the Fishpond:
Take Kane'ohe Bay Dr. to Castle High School.
At the traffic light, turn right onto Puohala Rd. if you're coming from Kailua.
Or, left if you're coming from Honolulu.
Make your first right onto Kulauli Rd. Follow road past Puohala elementary School through the golf course until you reach fork in the road, veer off to the left and follow dirt road to the end.

HTA SEEKS TO FUND PROJECTS THAT PERPERTUATE HAWAIIAN CULTURE AND PRESERVE NATURAL RESOURCES

2011-11-07T11:29:00.000-08:00

Free workshops to be held statewide for interested applicants of HTA's Kukulu Ola - Living Hawaiian Culture Program and Natural Resources Program

-The Hawai'i Tourism Authority (HTA), the state agency for tourism, in partnership with the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA), is accepting applications for the HTA's Kukulu Ola - Living Hawaiian Culture Program (HTA LHCP) and Natural Resources Program. These programs provide funding to support organizations for projects that strengthen, perpetuate and preserve the Hawaiian culture and the state's invaluable natural resources. This year, the HTA is providing $1.4 million to support these initiatives for non-profit, for-profit and government agencies as a part of key initiatives in the Hawai'i Tourism Strategic Plan: 2005-2015 and The Hawai'i Tourism Authority Strategic Plan: 2012-2013.
"This is an incredible opportunity for eligible entities to receive funding for programs and initiatives aimed to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture and preserve our precious natural resources," said Keli'i Wilson, Director of Hawaiian Cultural Affairs for the HTA. "The natural beauty of our islands and the Hawaiian culture are part of what makes our islands so special, and the HTA is pleased to support these programs for both residents and visitors to enjoy."
To assist individuals and organizations with the application process, the HTA and CNHA will be holding statewide workshops to provide technical assistance and training to explain the objectives of the HTA programs, including the application and award process. Registration forms for the workshops are available at the following link http://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/about-hta/hta-events/workshops/

Information on the workshops is provided below:

Kaua'i- Tuesday, November 8, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Anahola Resource Center, 4523 Ioane Road.

Maui- Wednesday, November 9, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Maui Arts and Cultural Center, 1 Cameron Way.

Kona-Thursday, November 10, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., King Kamehameha Hotel, 75-5660 Palani Road.

O'ahu Wednesday, November 16, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Best Western Ohana Honolulu Airport Hotel, 3401 Nimitiz Hwy.

Applications are available for pick-up at the HTA's office (1801 Kalakaua Avenue, Level 1) or downloadable at http://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/about-hta/rfps/. Packets are also available at the CNHA's office (1050 Queen Street, Suite 200). Proposals must be received no later than 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2011 at the CNHA's office.
For more information about the program or to register for a workshop, contact Katie Gallagher, CNHA Community Development Specialist, at (808) 596-8155 or via email at training@hawaiiancouncil.org.
CNHA is dedicated to enhancing the cultural, economic, public policy and community development of Native Hawaiians. CNHA achieves its mission through policy advocacy, community convening, leadership development, training and technical assistance, providing access to capital, and linking resources and solutions to community challenges. For more information on CNHA, visit www.hawaiiancouncil.org. Established in 1998, the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, the state's tourism agency, is responsible for strategically managing tourism to optimize benefits for Hawai'i that integrates the interest of visitors, the community and visitor industry. Tourism is our state's leading economic driver and largest employer and the HTA continually works to ensure its sustainability well into the future. For more information on the HTA, please visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter (@HawaiiHTA).

Royal Hawaiian displays final painting by Herb Kane

2011-10-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

By Nina Wu, Honolulu Star Advertiser

Herb Kane's final painting hangs near the entrance to the Monarch Room in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

Herb Kane's last painting, "Kamehameha Landing," now graces the wall by the entrance to the Monarch Room at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
It was the last painting the artist-historian was working on before he died March 8. It remains incomplete and unsigned, though someone with an untrained eye might not notice.
The 5-foot-tall, 10-foot-wide oil on canvas depicts King Kamehameha I and his warriors in canoes preparing to land on the shores of Waikiki in great detail.
Commissioned by Kyo-Ya Hotels and Resorts, "Kamehameha Landing" will be officially unveiled Friday with a private Hawaiian blessing by the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation.
Kane is also being honored by the foundation as the 2011 Kamaaina of the Year with a benefit dinner on Saturday in the Monarch Room.
"One of the marks of his greatness was his attention to culturally accurate detail, including the color of the water, the rigging and cordage on the canoes and the angle and slope of surf," said cultural consultant Peter Apo, his friend of more than 30 years. "Most people would just sort of draw waves, but if you're a surfer and you saw the waves, you would say, ‘I know where that is. That's the Waikiki swell.'"
Several years ago, Kane had already made a sketch of the scene but had not yet gotten to the full color painting, which he had always wanted to do.
As Kyo-ya was renovating the Royal Hawaiian, the company wanted a new piece of art for the hotel. Apo connected Kane with architect Rob Iopa.
Kane worked on the painting for about seven to eight months in his studio at Kealakekua Bay before he died.
"He fully expected to finish it," Apo said.
He also intended for it to be his last painting of that scale because his eyesight was deteriorating and he could paint only during the day.
After his death, Kyo-ya had the painting framed and transported to Oahu, according to Iopa, and decided it was best to leave the painting as is, with Kane's final touches rather than having someone else complete it.
King Kamehameha I's Waikiki landing in 1795 was a pivotal point in the history of Hawaii, Apo said, given that he would go on to conquer Oahu and unite the Hawaiian islands.
Some 2,000 war canoes stretched from Ala Moana Beach Park to Kahala, according to some accounts, he said.
"It's a beautiful depiction of a landing and preparing for battle," said Iopa. "Probably what stands out more than the painting itself was the knowledge behind what was being painted. It really celebrates a great man and what we believe to be a great piece."

Polynesian Voyaging Discussion - FREE Event!

2011-10-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

Polynesian Voyaging Discussion - FREE Event!

Come join us on Sunday, October 23, 2011 for this free event:

Polynesian Voyaging Discussion
12 noon
Royal Hawaiian Hotel
Free and open to the public

Join a Talk Story about Polynesian ocean voyaging and its rebirth in modern times and get to meet some of the original navigators!

ʻŌiwi TV - Herb Kane Information

2011-10-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation’s 2011 Kamaʻāina of the Year: Herb Kāne

Herb Kawainui Kāne will be honored at this year’s HHF event for his contributions in the revival of our Hawaiian culture.

The amount of detail and the amount of research that went into Herb’s paintings really are unprecedented in depicting Hawaiian scapes.

His paintings remain a rich source of Hawaiian history, including his last piece “Kamehameha Landing.”

It’s especially unique and special because Kamehameha set up his then united kingdom here on the grounds of the Royal Hawaiian in Helumoa

The Foundation is honoring Herb as the “Kamaʻāina of the Year” for his valuable contributions to Hawaiʻi’s history.

Our mission as (the) Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation is to preserve the elements of our culture.
Herb accomplished this via his paintings and much more. I obviously know of him as an artist, obviously know of him as a historian, and obviously know of his instrumental participation and leadership in establishing the Polynesian Voyaging Society.

Events will be held thru Sunday including a screening of Papa Mau, a talk story with voyagers, and canoe landings.

Visit http://www.oiwi.tv/live/article/historic-hawai%ca%bbi-foundations-2011-kama%ca%bbaina-of-the-year-herb-kane/ for complete article and video.

Papa Mau: The Wayfinder

2011-10-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to join us Friday night, October 21, 2011 for this event!

Papa Mau: The Wayfinder
Screened at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Regency Room
6:30 p.m. / Open to the public
This documentary recounts the fundamental role that master
navigator Mau Piailug played in reawakening Polynesian pride by
teaching Hawaiians the dying art of traditional voyaging without
the aid of instruments.
Sponsored by Paliku Documentary Films and ‘Oiwi TV

How we deal with Natatorium will put our character to the test

2011-10-20T14:44:00.000-07:00

Star-Advertiser
A 1973 aerial view shows the Waikiki Natatorium in better times.

By Peter Apo; Steven M. Baldridge; Brian Keaulana; Benjamin R. Mixon; William M. Smith Jr; and William Y. Thompson. Published in the Honolulu Star Advertiser, Oct. 19, 2011

Richard Borreca argues that 32 years of "dithering and delay on the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium has got to end" ("Natatorium is a problem that just won't go away," Star-Advertiser, On Politics, Oct. 4).
We agree.
But we do not agree with those who say that demolition or a change of use is in the public interest or the less expensive financial alternative to restoration.
The city, while led by Mayor Jeremy Harris, spent $4.2 million restoring the facade, bathrooms, bleachers and volleyball court and built a new district lifeguard office. Mayor Harris's and the Honolulu City Council's total $11.5 million appropriation for the project also would have paid for a re-engineered pool that would provide ADA access to the ocean for the elderly, and disabled. Had the so-nearly-realized restoration been completed, we would be celebrating its return to public use and swimming there today.
But the succeeding mayoral administration, under Mufi Hannemann, swept into City Hall with a passion to undo important major projects undertaken by Harris, beginning with a stunning reversal of a fully designed and permitted Natatorium restoration.
It not only stopped the restoration, but went into high gear to demolish the entire structure. It pursued demolition with a spirit of irreverence that dishonored the memory of more than 10,000 warriors from Hawaii who are memorialized by the Natatorium. Auwe!
We are as tired of sloshing through debate as some are of having to listen to it, but Borreca's column cannot be left unchallenged. To spare your readers from having to navigate a manifesto on the subject, let it suffice for us to say here that the real consequences of demolition lie far beyond what most people realize. The Natatorium serves as a sand retention revetment; it created San Souci beach. Demolish the Natatorium and San Souci is history.
Alternative uses like creating additional new beach or volleyball courts are not permitted shoreline uses and would have to survive a lengthy and daunting county, state and federal permitting process, not to mention court challenges.
The Hawaii Supreme Court has already ruled, in 1973, against demolition for any other use of the shoreline expect for a Natatorium (defined as a swimming pool in Act 15 of the Territorial Legislature, 1921). The cost of demolition to effect the new uses proposed, even if successful, rivals or exceeds the cost of restoration. So much for the argument that it's cheaper to demolish.
Further, the structure sits in a declared marine sanctuary. Demolition-triggered reef damage is a significant threat. A new beach, according to an Army Corps of Engineers study, would require replacing the Natatorium with the equivalent of a three-wall small boat harbor replicating the footprint of the Natatorium walls and its sand retention function to protect San Souci as well as the proposed added 100 feet of new beach. Go figure.
The proposal to "preserve" the arch by moving it is not an engineering possibility. It would have to be rebuilt as a reproduction. So much for preservation.
Finally, hundreds of pages of scientific and expert studies, including a $1.2 million environmental impact statement, show the least expensive, least environmentally harmful option is full restoration.
The idea of demolishing the Natatorium ranks up there with the attempts to demolish Iolani Palace for a parking lot and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for a new high-rise hotel. The Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium is the last of the great historic treasures of the Waikiki shoreline. How we respond to this challenge will mark the greatness or failure of who we are as a people.
———
Peter Apo is an Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee; Steven M. Baldridge is president of BASE Structural Engineering; Brian Keaulana is a waterman; retired Lt. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon is former commander of the U.S. Army Pacific; William M. Smith Jr. is an Olympic gold medalist and former director of the city Water Safety Department; and William Y. Thompson, is president of the 442nd Veterans Club.

Application Now Available for Battlefield Preservation Grants

2011-10-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

Proposals are now being accepted for the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) Battlefield Preservation Grants. Non-profit groups, academic institutions, and local, regional, state, and tribal governments are encouraged to apply.

Types of eligible projects inlude:

* Archeology
* Cultural Landscape Inventories
* Cultural Resource Documentation
* GIS Mapping
* National Register Nominations
* Preservation Plans

Since 1990, the ABPP has worked with partners like you to help protect and enhance more than 280 battlefields. Project funding has ranged from $5,000 to $75,000. The ABPP encourages, but does not require, matching funds or in-kind services for these projects. Application form, deadline and complete guidelines are available on-line at: www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/

For further information contact Kristen McMasters at: 202-354-2037.