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Gov. Linda Lingle is a keynote speaker for a native Hawaiian conference this summer aimed at those who help the native community.
Lingle will speak at the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement's annual gathering set for Aug. 27-30 at the Sheraton-Waikiki Hotel.
Last year's inaugural conference drew 500 people, and at least 600 are expected this summer, said Brandi Lau, council vice president and events director. Lau said the conference provides those who work with the Hawaiian community an opportunity to celebrate their work and its impact.
"The first conference sent out the clear message that what challenges the Hawaiian community in our state, challenges all of Hawaii," Lau said.
The four-day event will include presentations and workshops on topics such as financial management, media and public relations for nonprofit organizations.
The UCLA Law Clinic will provide a workshop on constitutions. There will also be a segment devoted to Hawaiian elder and youth issues. Other speakers include Tex Hall, president of the National Congress of American Indians.
Last year, U.S. Sens. Daniel K. Inouye and Daniel K. Akaka told the group, in separate speeches, there was growing sentiment in Congress against the rights of indigenous peoples which has stalled a bill that sets up a process for federal recognition of native Hawaiians.
A new version of the so-called Akaka bill remains pending a full vote before the U.S. Senate. Meanwhile, legal challenges to government programs for Hawaiians remain alive.
Puni Kekauoha, executive director of the Papakolea Community Development Corp. and council board member, said the conference is timely because it provides an opportunity for Hawaiians to discuss the challenges and issues facing them, and to plan how to address them.
The council is a statewide, nonprofit group that provides support services to native organizations. This past January, the council held a native Hawaiian roundtable in which Lingle announced her plans to lobby Congress and the Bush administration to support the Akaka bill, which she did during a trip in late February to Washington, D.C.
For more information about this summer's conference, call the council at 800-709-2642 or visit their Web site at: www.hawaiiancouncil.org.