STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3794

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.C.R. No. 160

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 160 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE USAGE OF HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE WHEN REFERRING TO THE NAMES OF PLACES AND GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES IN HAWAI‘I,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Urge state offices, state education entities, recreational facilities, local media, private schools, the tourism industry and other businesses, and the general public to use Hawaiian names as the sole common name of Hawaii's places and geographical features;

(2) Request that Hawaiian names be included on signage, maps, and promotional materials;

(3) Encourage retention of the original Hawaiian meaning when translating names into languages other than English or Hawaiian; and

(4) Encourage proper pronunciation and spelling of places and geographical features in Hawai‘i.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Office of Planning, Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, Native Hawaiian Education Council, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and four individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Center for Hawaiian Sovereignty Studies.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaiian language is the native language of the State and despite this, the Hawaiian language is beginning to lose its prominence throughout the State. Your Committee further finds that the Legislature has a unique duty to preserve Hawaiian history and culture and one means of doing so is through the promotion of the use of the Hawaiian language in government offices. Much of Hawaii's history can be conveyed through the language and in the names of places and the geographical features of the islands. Your Committee notes that Hawaiian place names are often associated with a story or hold a significant cultural meaning to Native Hawaiians. Your Committee believes that the State and counties of Hawaii must lead by example and practice proper usage of the Hawaiian language in order to successfully promote the Hawaiian language to the residents and visitors of Hawaii.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Additionally urging county offices and county educational entities and recreational facilities to use Hawaiian names as the sole common names for places and geographical features in Hawai‘i;

(2) Requesting that street names in all counties also include the Hawaiian place names; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 160, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 160, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO, Chair