Aloha e Kupulau! (Hello Spring!)

Sorry it's been a while since our last post!!! We are pleased to report that the Anti-Affirmative Action Bill did not go through, so that's one thing to celebrate!!! We're sure it'll rear it's ugly head again during the next session, but with our efforts to inform our community, many more people will be aware and actively watching for it come next year, which is a great thing.

Last week Club Pelekikena Tina Cabiles-Carden was in Arizona for work and attended the Arizona Aloha Festival. There she was priviledged to meet members of the newest Hawaiian Civic Club, Laukanaka No Hawai'i. Her favorite person, was Kupuna "Pineapple Kamakea". Of course they bonded, both being from Wai'anae, and from the very same street, no less! She says, "It was incredible to get to visit and wala'au with our newest civic club!! So encouraging to see so many active kupuna who are engaged in positive work in the community. I look forward to being able to see them at Mainland Council gatherings and at Convention!"

She was also able to meet Dirk Soma and Kaui Asing, with OHA's Continental Community Outreach. She spoke for a bit with Kaui Asing, who shared the goals of the Continental Community Outreach program, and says she looks forward to further contact with Kaui and Dirk and seeing about creating an opportunity for them to come and meet community leaders, cultural practitioners and community members here in Utah sometime in the near future. Exciting potential to build great partnerships!

GOT PA'I 'AI? Join Malama Haloa O Utah on Wednesday, March 30th at a Community Ku'i at the Hawaiian Cultural Center, 6 - 8:30 p.m. Come and experience making pa'i 'ai, bring the 'ohana and learn about this beautiful cultural practice and how together you, and Malama Haloa O Utah can continue this practice right here in Utah! Potluck dinner served, please bring a dish to share! For more information on ordering, please visit their blog!

DON'T FORGET! Our next club gathering will be on Saturday, April 16th from 3 - 6pm at the Columbus Center, 2531 S. 400 E. in Room 106. Potluck, fun activities for the entire 'ohana! Keep watching for more information!

Our club will be participating in Lei Aloha O Ka 'Ohana's 'Ohana Saturday on April 30th from 3 - 6 p.m., come join us, talk story, hang out, participate in the FREE activities and events that day, incluing a FREE screening of "Ka'ilila'au's Canoe" which aired via "Emme's Island Moments" back home in Hawai'i.

Here's a link to our last Club newsletter, the Spring issue will be out during the first week of April, make sure you sign up to receive it!

25th Anniversary!

Welina mai nei....we are slightly astounded at our quickly approaching 25th anniversary. Why astounded? Because we are only able to stand here because of the hard work, dedication and aloha of those civic club founders and members who have come before us and we are astounded at what their hard work has wrought. We are also excited. Very excited for all of the wonderful things in store for our club and our community.


KALEA is now a part of Hui Hawai`i O Utah and the potential for us to do huge and amazing things together in the community is a reality that keeps us humble, and the positive energy generated keeps us invigorated and energized. Ka `ohana Tejada, Uncle Mike, Lincoln, Johnny and their `ohana by means of their generously sharing their wa`a, have gifted this community and upcoming generations. Their sheer wholehearted aloha has served to re-energize and inspire our community and for that, we are ever grateful and humbled. MAHALO.

Halau Kawaiulu has re-emerged, with our entering once again into the Makahiki season. The cultural depth, and subsequent flow, serves to spiritually, culturally and emotionally feed na haumana a Kawaiulu, which in turn better allows them, and our club to be culturally enriched outside of the Makahiki season. Halau Kawaiulu is a Hawaiian studies type of piko, a cultural resource designed to increase the amount of `oiwi that are connected to their Native Hawaiian culture. This increases our resources, our waiwai, with the amount of `oiwi in our community who are culturally grounded and therefore able to share with others. While Halau Kawaiulu is an initiative through Hui Hawai`i O Utah Hawaiian Civic Club, they participate community wide by means of Hawaiian language classes, cultural workshops, conducting protocol, serving as Haku for ho`oponopono sessions and more. Be on the lookout for a series of cultural workshops by Halau Kawaiulu in 2011.

While our club's strength is in na mea Hawai`i, we are committed to the entire well being of our people and that includes ho`ole`ale`a, or having fun. Our civic club was active in the promotion of recent concert here in Salt Lake City that featured `Ekolu, as well as our favorite REBEL ZION, Natural Roots and Evalution. Brought to us by Fairwinds Productions and other sponsors, and held at Bar Deluxe, it was a fun way for us to support local owned businesses, and local bands and local music. Here are some pictures from that night.