Hawaiian Civic Club

Hawaiian Civic Club
Name	Hawaiian Civic Club
Formation	1918
Headquarters	Honolulu, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Type	Nonprofit; fraternal
Purpose	Community service; cultural preservation; civic advocacy

Hawaiian Civic Club

The Hawaiian Civic Club is a network of community organizations founded in the early 20th century on Oʻahu to promote the welfare of Native Hawaiians and the preservation of Hawaiian culture. Emerging amid debates over land, labor, and sovereignty, the clubs have engaged with institutions such as the Territory of Hawaii, the State of Hawaii, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and the Hawaiian Kingdom restoration movement. Members have included leaders connected to Kamehameha Schools, Bishop Museum, Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, and broader Pacific institutions like the University of Hawaiʻi and the East–West Center.

History

Founded in 1918 on Oahu by Native Hawaiian leaders reacting to changes after the Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the Annexation of Hawaii by the United States, the clubs grew through the 1920s and 1930s alongside organizations such as the Royal Hawaiian Band, Kamehameha Day, and Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole’s political efforts. During the Territory of Hawaii era, the clubs interacted with entities including the Hawaiian Homes Commission, Territorial Legislature of Hawaii, Republic of Hawaii era families, and labor groups like the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. World events—World War I, World War II, and the Great Depression—shaped their priorities, connecting them to institutions like the War Department, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, and Pearl Harbor veterans and memorials. Post-statehood, ties formed with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and advocacy surrounding the Apology Resolution and Akaka Bill debates; members engaged with cultural institutions including the Hawaiian Historical Society, Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, and media such as the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and The Honolulu Advertiser.

Organization and Membership

Local chapters are structured as fraternal civic clubs similar in formation to chapters of the YMCA, Rotary International, and Lions Clubs International, while maintaining cultural emphasis comparable to ʻAhahui societies and ʻohana-based networks. Membership historically included descendants of aliʻi families linked to the House of Kamehameha, kupuna affiliated with Queen Liliʻuokalani’s legacy, educators from Kamehameha Schools, attorneys connected to the Hawaiian Bar Association, and public servants from the Governor of Hawaii’s office and municipal administrations like the City and County of Honolulu. Chapters often liaise with tribal and indigenous organizations such as the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues delegates, Pacific Islander nonprofits, and community partners including the Hawaiian Affairs Office and regional chapters of the National Congress of American Indians.

Activities and Programs

Clubs organize community service, scholarship funds, and cultural events paralleling programs at Kamehameha Schools, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa outreach, and nonprofit efforts by entities like the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu and regional civic organizations. Programs include scholarship awards honoring leaders such as Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole and Queen Liliʻuokalani, community health initiatives in coordination with Hawaiʻi State Department of Health, disaster response partnerships with the American Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency, and youth mentorship akin to Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA collaborations. Clubs have run archives and oral history projects comparable to the Hawaiian Historical Society collections, mounted exhibitions resembling those at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, and supported language revival efforts tied to ʻAha Pūnana Leo and Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani (Hawaiian Language College).

Cultural Preservation and Education

A central role has been stewardship of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi revitalization, hula perpetuation associated with halau such as those honoring Māuiʻs ancestral practices, and preservation of ʻāina-related knowledge tied to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and ahupuaʻa management principles. Clubs partner with educational institutions including Kamehameha Schools, Queen Liliʻuokalani Children’s Center, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Scholarship Program to provide cultural curricula, mentorship, and exhibitions similar to those curated by the Honolulu Museum of Art and the Hawaiʻi State Archives. They also support practices memorialized in works like those of Samuel Kamakau and David Malo, and coordinate with native cultural practitioners involved in canoe voyaging movements linked to Hōkūleʻa, Polynesian Voyaging Society, and regional festivals such as the Merrie Monarch Festival.

Political and Civic Advocacy

Historically and contemporaneously, clubs have engaged in advocacy around land rights, native claims, and legislative measures, interfacing with entities such as the United States Congress, Hawaiʻi State Legislature, and legal forums including the Supreme Court of the United States and the Hawaii Supreme Court. Activism has intersected with notable movements, leaders, and cases involving the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, the Apology Resolution (U.S. Public Law 103-150), and debates over federal recognition and sovereignty that connect with organizations like Office of Hawaiian Affairs and advocacy groups such as the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation. Members have testified before committees, participated in land trust initiatives with organizations like the Nature Conservancy and Trust for Public Land, and worked on policy issues related to resource management alongside the Department of Land and Natural Resources and county councils.

Notable Chapters and Events

Significant chapters include long-standing clubs in Honolulu, Hilo, Kona, Lāhainā, and Kauaʻi that have organized major events linked to statewide observances such as King Kamehameha Day, Kamehameha Day Floral Parade, and commemorations for figures like Queen Liliʻuokalani and Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Events affiliated with chapters have hosted speakers from institutions like the Bishop Museum, University of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian Historical Society, and leaders connected to national bodies such as the Smithsonian Institution and delegates to Pacific Islands Forum conferences. Philanthropic partnerships have involved foundations including the Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate (now Kamehameha Schools), the Hawaiian Legacy Foundation, and Hawaiian philanthropic arms of entities like the Alexander & Baldwin family trusts.

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