Every March, the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs honors Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole and the work he did as a statesman and as an aliʻi.
“When he served in Congress we all know that he was instrumental in getting the legislation that supports the Hawaiian Homesteading Act as we know it today, the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act,” said Dre Kalili, the Pelekikena (President) of the association.
“But he did so much more that we often don’t always remember," she said.
Kalili said there’s a reason why we have a Kalanianaʻole Highway on Oʻahu and a Kūhiō Highway on Kauaʻi.
Kūhiō helped secure funding to build these roads. He also had a hand in establishing our national parks, county government structure and the Hawaiian civic club movement, which now includes more than 60 civic clubs and 3,500 members from Hanapēpē to Washington, D.C.
“The Hawaiian Civic Club movement is really founded on advocacy at the community level for the betterment of the Native Hawaiian community and Hawaiʻi all together,” says Kalili, “And so, every year, the association will gather and adopt a resolution that become our platform so we can go to the state Legislature or county councils or other governing bodies and just ask for changes that need to be made to support our community.”
And this year, that includes the restoration of Lahaina. Kalili said this month is an opportunity to not only celebrate his legacy, but carry on that legacy through advocacy work.
