Speeches & Testimony

Madam Speaker, I deeply appreciate my friend and colleague from New Mexico leading this Special Hour and yielding me time to join in recognizing November as Native American Heritage Month, a time for us to reflect on and celebrate the rich histories and diverse cultures of our Nation's indigenous peoples.

It is said that cultural heritage is the sum total of the unique ways of living of a culture handed down from generation to generation, be they customs, practices, places, objects, artistic expressions, language, and values, all amounting to a distinct identity and integrity as a people. By that measure, most Americans have some familiarity with the rich cultural heritage of the indigenous peoples of the continental United States and Alaska. It is indeed gratifying to listen to my colleagues speak of the rich diversity within our continental United States, from New Mexico to Florida to Washington and Wisconsin.

As we celebrate the heritage, identity, and integrity of these great peoples this month, I want to highlight that of another indigenous peoples of our country, the Native Hawaiians. Because of Hawaii's geographical distance from the U.S. mainland and our unique history with the United States, most Americans are not aware of the almost 600,000 among us who identify, in whole or in part, as Native Hawaiian. Some 50 percent still live in my home State of Hawaii, and I am deeply humbled to represent a native group with such a deep and rich heritage all its own.

Today's Kānaka Maoli are descendants of the original voyagers who made the incredible journey from Kahiki, today's Tahiti and the Marquesas, somewhere around 1,500 years ago, a full 1,000 years before the universally recognized indigenous peoples of New Zealand, the Maori, arrived in Aotearoa.

By the arrival of the West through Captain Cook in 1778, Native Hawaiians had already long developed, practiced, and handed down a truly unique cultural heritage, from their own language, dance, and music to customs and practices, values, and religion. They were truly their own people, in every sense of the word.

However, like virtually all other indigenous peoples throughout our country and world, the Kānaka Maoli endured cultural marginalization and discrimination to the point that, by the middle of the 20th century, their cultural heritage was at risk for extinction, as has happened with most other indigenous cultures throughout our history.

Beginning in the mid-1960s, though, a renewed interest in traditional Hawaiian arts and culture began to emerge, driving deep cultural pride and resurgence. The ranks of prominent Native Hawaiians include figures such as George Na'ope, a kumu hula who, with others, brought back the study and practice of ancient hula. I had the honor of presenting “Uncle George” as a 2006 National Heritage Fellow here, our Nation's highest honor in folk and traditional arts.

The Hawaiian language itself had virtually disappeared after statehood. But in 1982, a small group of Hawaiian language educators came together and formed the Punana Leo preschools, which focused on nurturing a new generation of Native Hawaiian speakers through education in the Native Hawaiian language, the ‘Ōlelo. The first school was established in 1984 in Kekaha, Kaua‘i  Today, there are many such schools and thousands of Native Hawaiian language speakers.

Another ancient practice prominent in the Hawaii renaissance was the art of Polynesian voyaging. Hundreds of years had passed since the last voyage, and the ancient ways of navigating had been lost. But in 1975, the Polynesian Voyaging Society built the Hokule'a, a traditional outrigger canoe first captained by Elia Kawika David Ku'ualoha, whose mission was to follow in the footsteps of Native Hawaiians and sail unaided across Polynesia.

Today's voyaging canoes sail freely across the Pacific and even around the world in the ancient ways, an amazing symbol of cultural recovery.
These kānaka are just a few of the tens of thousands of Native Hawaiians and others who simply decided that the rich cultural heritage of the indigenous peoples of Hawaii would not die but would be carried forward into generations to come. Their stories, and the story of all Native Hawaiians, should not be left unrecognized by this Congress, either today or in the laws of our country focused on indigenous peoples.

I am honored to recognize them and their special contributions and legacy to our great country and to join all of my colleagues who advocate so forcefully for our indigenous peoples.

Madam Speaker, again, “mahalo nui loa,” thank you very much, to the gentlewoman from New Mexico for bringing us together to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. May all Americans reflect on the diverse cultural legacy gifted to all of us by all indigenous peoples of our Nation.