A planned international conference on native economic development scheduled for later this month in Honolulu has been postponed until May 2002, organizers say. Native economic
conference postponedBy Pat Omandam
pomandam@starbulletin.comSherry Salway Black, acting president of First Nations Development Institute, said its annual Oweesta ("money," in Mohawk) conference, scheduled for Sept. 23-26 in Waikiki, was postponed in response to the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., earlier this week.
Black said the delay would serve the best interests of all participants, who may want to remain close to home with family and friends. As many as 500 people were expected to attend the conference.
Also, she said, the decision was inevitable due to increasing concerns about traveling to the conference from the mainland and other countries, as well as other logistical problems.
Hawaiian partners and participants were concerned the richness of the experience would be lost, she said. Ultimately, everyone recognized the need for a time to grieve, and so the event was delayed.
"We desperately wanted to go forward with the conference," Black said.
"We felt it was important to demonstrate to the terrorists that we are not afraid. We also wanted to come together with our conference attendees to comfort each other and to heal."
The event has been rescheduled for May 5-9, 2002, at the same venue, Renaissance Ilikai Waikiki Hotel.
First Nations is a Virginia-based national program that helps native peoples obtain economic self-sufficiency. The nonprofit group has assisted native Hawaiians in the past, most recently providing start-up funds for the planned Bank Aloha on Maui.
For information on registration fees and related issues, call 540-371-5615 or visit the First Nations Web site, www.firstnations.org.
