Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs

Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs
Name	Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs
Native name	ʻAha Pūnana
Formed	1918
Type	Nonprofit cultural organization
Headquarters	Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Region served	Hawaiʻi, continental United States, Pacific
Leader title	President

Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs

The Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs is a federation of community-based organizations formed to preserve Native Hawaiian culture, advocate for indigenous rights, and advance civic engagement across the Hawaiian Islands and the continental United States. Founded in the early 20th century, the Association links local Honolulu-based clubs with mainland chapters, fostering initiatives in language revitalization, cultural preservation, and political advocacy. Its network includes partnerships with institutions such as the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and federal entities involved in indigenous affairs.

History

The Association traces origins to early 20th-century civic responses to the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the subsequent annexation by the United States of America, emerging alongside organizations such as the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act-era groups and contemporaneous with leaders like Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole and activists in the Hawaiian Renaissance (20th century). Its formation in 1918 followed community organizing seen in ʻIolani School alumni circles, Royal Order of Kamehameha I meetings, and immigrant labor organizing linked to the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association. During the mid-20th century, the Association engaged with campaigns related to the Territory of Hawaii transition to statehood and interactions with figures in the Territorial Legislature of Hawaii and later the Hawaii State Legislature. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Association aligned with the broader indigenous rights movement that included events like the 1971 Māhele Land Back movement and organizations such as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Throughout its history the Association has intersected with cultural institutions like Hula Conservatory initiatives, the Kamehameha Schools alumni network, and civic reformers tied to Queen Liliʻuokalani legacy projects.

Organization and Membership

The Association is organized as a federation of independent local clubs headquartered in Honolulu County, Hawaii with chapters across the islands—Oʻahu, Maui County, Hawaii, Hawaii (island), and Kauaʻi County, Hawaii—and mainland clubs in cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York City, and Washington, D.C.. Membership typically comprises kumu hula, kūpuna, attorneys, educators, and business leaders who are alumni of institutions like Kamehameha Schools, Punahou School, and the University of Hawaiʻi system. Governance follows a constitution and bylaws ratified at a triennial convention attended by delegates from clubs including Kona Hawaiian Civic Club, Hilo Hawaiian Civic Club, and the Kauaʻi Hawaiian Civic Club. Leadership roles such as President, Vice President, and Executive Director have been held by notable figures who also served on boards of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum and the Hawaiian Civic Clubs Council.

Activities and Programs

Programs encompass cultural preservation efforts including Hawaiian language immersion support tied to ʻAha Pūnana Leo, hula and oli workshops connected to practitioners from the Hawaiian Renaissance (1970s) movement, and archival projects conducted in collaboration with the Bishop Museum and the Hawaiʻi State Archives. The Association sponsors scholarships in partnership with Kamehameha Schools and community foundations, civic education forums referencing the Apology Resolution (1993) and land issues associated with the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1921. It organizes annual conferences and cultural festivals that feature collaborations with the Queen Liliʻuokalani Trust, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and performing groups tied to institutions like the Royal Hawaiian Band. The Association also runs health and social-service initiatives coordinated with agencies such as the Alzheimer's Association affiliates in Hawaiʻi and local offices of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Cultural and Political Role

Culturally, the Association has been central to the revival of practices championed during the Hawaiian Renaissance (20th century), including support for ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi curricula at the University of Hawaii campuses and community immersion sites like Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu. Politically, the Association has lobbied on issues connected to sovereignty debates, natural resource stewardship tied to the Public Land Trust (Hawaiʻi), and federal recognition topics intersecting with the United States Department of the Interior and the United States Congress. It has provided testimony at hearings involving the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and engaged with legal processes that reference precedents such as the Rice v. Cayetano litigation. The Association has served as a bridge between traditional leadership figures invoking the legacy of King Kamehameha I and modern policymakers in venues including Hawaiʻi State Capitol sessions and national forums in Washington, D.C..

Notable Clubs and Leaders

Prominent clubs include the Waikīkī Hawaiian Civic Club, Hilo Hawaiian Civic Club, Kona Hawaiian Civic Club, and mainland chapters like the Los Angeles Hawaiian Civic Club and San Francisco Hawaiian Civic Club. Influential leaders have included community elders and professionals who also feature in records of the Bishop Museum, board rosters of the Queen Liliʻuokalani Trust, and appointments to commissions such as the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority advisory panels. Past presidents and officers have been contemporaries of figures from Kamehameha Schools governance, alumni of Punahou School, and cultural practitioners affiliated with the Hula Preservation Society and other heritage organizations.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding streams derive from membership dues, fundraising events, grant awards from entities like the National Endowment for the Arts, private philanthropy linked to families associated with Alexander & Baldwin, and program contracts with state entities including the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education for cultural curriculum support. The Association partners with museums such as the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, academic units like the Hawaiʻi Pacific University and University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, nonprofit partners including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Queen Liliʻuokalani Trust, and federal agencies when administering programs connected to the National Park Service and tribal consultations under the National Historic Preservation Act.

Category:Native Hawaiian organizations Category:Hawaiian culture Category:Non-profit organizations based in Hawaii