Testimony in of the construction of the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art (HOA)
Joseph Keola Donaghy
212 Ho‘oulu Ln. Apt 406
Wailuku, HI 96793
(808) 769-8133 • keoladonaghy@gmail.com
3/4/22
Maui County Council Budget Committee
200 S High St, Wailuku, HI 96793
Re: Testimony in Strong Support of Funding for the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art (“HOA”)
Aloha pumehana kākou,
I am writing to you as a resident of Maui County and in my capacity as an educator and scholar whose focus is Hawaiian music, language, and performing arts. With this letter, I am submitting this testimony in strong support of funding for the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Arts in the proposed 2023 budget.
Mō‘ī David Kālakaua has been quoted as saying, “Hula is the language of the heart, therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people.” Kalākau was at the forefront of the first Hawaiian Renaissance that saw a resurgence in Hawaiian cultural practices. We have been in the midst of and profoundly benefitted from the second Hawaiian Renaissance since the 1960s. Hawaiian music and hula are far more than entertainment; it is a critical practice that binds together the mauli--the spiritual essence--of Hawai‘i and kānaka ‘ōiwi. The benefits of supporting these Hawaiian arts extend far beyond kānaka ‘ōiwi.
I am not kanaka ‘ōiwi but have been involved in Hawaiian education programs in Hawaiian language and arts for nearly 30 years. The blessings I have experienced because of my participation in these programs as a haumāna (student) and kumu (teacher) are immeasurable. Although I am not a practitioner of hula, I count among my most precious mentors and colleagues members of Maui’s hula community - Hōkūlani Holt, Keali‘i Reichel, Keli‘i Tau‘ā, Luana Kawa‘a, Kamaka Kūkona, and Cody Pueo Pata. Most recently I worked with Kumu Kawa‘a to strengthen the instruction of hula at UHMC as part of our campus' Federal Title III grant activities. The value that their dedication brings to our island community is also immeasurable. I have seen firsthand the impact their commitment has had on our community.
It is imperative that the county provide a dedicated space designed for hula education and performance and not one in which hula education and performance are simply afterthoughts. Such a facility would amplify our hula practitioners' impact on our community. For these reasons and more, I urge this committee to support the funding proposed for the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art.
Please feel free to contact me if I can be further assistance in this matter.
SUPPORT INCREASED BUDGET FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (918223A-5101 and 918223B-6132)
April 4, 2022
Dear Maui County Councilmembers,
I am writing in strong support of increasing the budget of the Department of Agriculture to support additional staff positions and funding for professional services. In order for the Department of Agriculture to be a successful department, it must have sufficient staff to start addressing the needs of the community efficiently.
In addition to the positions outlined in the bare-bones budget for the Department of Agriculture. I support including the addition of two Grant Writers, two Food Access Coordinator positions and a Waste and Resource Regeneration Specialist in the Department’s Budget as additions to provide the bare-bones capacity to meet the needs of this Department.
I ask also that the Department of Agriculture budget is increased to allow for professional services that will support the establishment of countywide emergency storage and food centers, emergency food banks in Lānaʻi, Molokai and Hāna, legal assessments of the current agricultural cross-sectors with Federal and State Agencies to negotiate and address agricultural issues, and the development of a streamlined County permitting process for the agricultural sector.
Even with funding the additional positional and professional service, including making changes to fringe benefits, equipment, travel and mileage to accommodate for the additional positions will still allow the total funding for the Department to be less than $3 million dollars. Which is .3% of the overall County budget and a very reasonable ask to support increasing food security and help our local agricultural sector.
I respectfully ask that you increase the budget of the Department of Agriculture to support the addition of these positions and professional services. This funding will be crucial to the success of the Department of Agriculture. An investment in this Department’s success is an investment in the success of Maui County’s farmers and ranchers. Please help us when we need it most.
Testimony in support of MVCB funding - Maui Nui DMAP
April 04, 2022
Aloha,
My name is Riley Coon and I am submitting written testimony in support of the Maui Visitor’s Bureau funding for the Budget, Finance, and Economic Development Committee with the Maui Nui Destination Management Action Plan. I am unable to provide testimony this Friday, April 08, 2022 in person due to conflicting work commitments so please accept this written testimony in support.
I have worked with the MVB this year to create and develop the Mālama Lānaʻi Restoration Day trip. This Tri-partnership will engage visitors in respectful and reasonable travel that restores ecology, supports local businesses in Lānaʻi city, and shares community-driven messaging that the Lānaʻi Advisory Group spent considerable time in creating. This first of a kind event can help reshape parts of our hospitality industry to allow for more give-back and volunteer opportunities that can encompass both a win for the visitor, the ʻaina, and the local community. I think this is money and time well spent and I am excited to see more things like this in Maui and Hawaii as we plan our future as one of the most sought after travel destinations in the world – let’s pave the way for Maui to be the leader in a model of Tourism that is beneficial to all.
Mahalo for your consideration,
Riley E. Coon
CAPTAIN RILEY E. COON
Director of Sustainable Tourism
TRILOGY EXCURSIONS
O: (808) 874-5649 X 7014
C: (808) 283-5931
S: @sailtrilogy | #sailtrilogy | Video
VOTED #1 TOUR ON MAUI ~ TripAdvisor
SUPPORT INCREASED BUDGET FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (918223A-5101 and 918223B-6132)
Dear Maui County Councilmembers:
I strongly support increasing the budget of the Department of Agriculture to support additional staff positions and funding for professional services.
In order for the Department of Agriculture to be a successful department, it must have sufficient staff to effectively address the needs of the community efficiently.
In addition to the positions outlined in the bare-bones budget for the Department of Agriculture, I support including the addition of two Grant Writers, two Food Access Coordinator positions and a Waste and Resource Regeneration Specialist in the Department’s Budget as additions to provide the bare-bones capacity to meet the needs of this Department. These additional positions are essential to ensure that the Department of Agriculture can make the impacts that are necessary and are required for this new department to effectively serve our community.
I ask also that the Department of Agriculture budget be increased to allow for professional services that will support the establishment of countywide emergency storage and food centers, emergency food banks in Lānaʻi, Molokai and Hāna, legal assessments of the current agricultural cross-sectors with Federal and State Agencies to negotiate and address agricultural issues, and the development of a streamlined County permitting process for the agricultural sector.
Even with funding the additional positional and professional service, including making changes to fringe benefits, equipment, travel and mileage to accommodate for the additional positions will still allow the total funding for the Department to be less than $3 million dollars. Which is .3% of the overall County budget and a very reasonable ask to support increasing food security and help our local agricultural sector.
I respectfully ask that you increase the budget of the Department of Agriculture to support the addition of these positions and professional services. This funding will be crucial to the success of the Department of Agriculture.
An investment in this Department’s success is an investment in the success of Maui County’s farmers and ranchers.
Please help us when we need it most.
Mahalo,
Suzanne Fields, M.S.P.H.
Volunteer and Steering Committee member of the Maui County Healthy Eating Active Living Coalition
Haiku, Maui
Re: Testimony in Strong Support of Funding for the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art (“HOA”)
Aloha mai kākou,
My name is Lei Ishikawa and I was born and raised in Wailuku, Maui. I am a kapa practitioner and owner of Paeloko Learning Center in Waiheʻe, Maui. Mahalo for the opportunity to testify in strong support of funding for the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Arts in the proposed FY 2023 budget.
The Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art would provide long-overdue support for the culture and practitioners that make our home so special. Hula – a constitutionally protected traditional and customary practice – is not only integral to Kānaka Maoli, but to the culture of Maui County, as well. It is a nexus for so many of our ʻŌiwi arts and cultural practices to thrive. Over many decades, Hālau Hula and Kumu Hula have contributed to our community. Kumu Hula and Hālua provide resources of leadership, protocol, and environmental stewardship in our community. I recognize the importance of education in the ʻohana from Keiki to kūpuna, tell and celebrate the stories of our home, sing of its beauty, and bring both joy and pride to our larger community. Cultural practitioners like myself look to Kumu Hula as experts and leaders. Kumu Hula and The Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art would support and celebrate these arts and practices.
An investment in Hula is ultimately an investment in the community. Our island once again has the chance to be a leader for our state and global community. Providing a space dedicated to and designed through the lens of Hula creates a visible and reliable space for education, performance, preservation, and excellence of art and culture in our own home. Further, as a cultural center for our community and the world, the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art will foster, inspire connection, and uphold cultural excellence.
This space is not only an investment for the near future but will have lasting impacts on our community identity for generations to come. Mahalo for your service to our island home. Please vote to support the full funding of the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art.
Mahalo nui,
Lei Ishikawa
Paeloko Learning Center
Kapa Practitioner
lorilei@hawaii.edu (808)-264-1515
Written testimony for Maui County budget hearing in support of Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art
Aloha mai kākou, Greetings to you all,
My name is John-Mario Arcilla Sevilla. I was born and raised in Paukukalo. I have lived most of my adult life in New York City, and recently moved to Berkeley, CA, where I lead a community dance organization called Luna Dance Institute. I am writing to enthusiastically endorse the County of Maui's funding of Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art. While I am sure that many will testify to the profound impact of the Hālau on the preservation and promotion of Native Hawaiian legacies as well as to inherent benefits to the local cultural and financial ecosystem of Maui and Hawai'i, I would like to speak of how such a unique endeavor and institution will serve as a beacon to cultural bearers and citizens around the world. I firmly believe that the establishment of Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art will demonstrate the depth of vision of your governance.
I am a professional dancer and dance educator. As a dancer, I toured all over the world (twice "visiting" Maui!) with major modern dance companies. I have taught dance and dance education at New York University, Drew University and Rutgers University. I have also run dance programs for New York City Ballet and the 92Y Harkness Dance Center. Throughout my years of work in the theater, in schools and in the community, I have experienced the alluring power of hula on people.
As you may know, hula is an interdisciplinary and holistic practice, not just a dance form. Beyond the steps and gestures, hula values excellent human behavior toward others and the environment. Hula is an aesthetic experience that extols tradition, good speech and conduct, respect for elders. planning, preparation and practice, collective action, and love of land. These are deep foundational values that transform lives. And the particular responsibility of hula practitioners to care of the environment has vast implications in a world threatened by climate change and environmental injustice. Hula models the best in human action and is a medium for healing on a personal as well as global scale.
While native to Hawai'i, there are great needs and desires around the world for a place that embodies practices that can save lives and perspectives that can heal our planet. Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art would be the first institution of its kind in the world to make a legitimizing stand for hula as a cultural practice, one that can shed light on some very dark elements in our world. Hula teaches how to honor one's place and folk. Hula demonstrates how people need to work together to overcome challenge. Hula shows how we must pay attention to our history as well as to our current state of affairs. A collective like Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art will gather and share a generosity of spirit. a seriousness of intent, and a joy of the arts that only hula can inspire. Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art will grace Maui and the rest of the planet with poetry, wisdom and inspiration. Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art will reveal and empower us all with the profound dimensions of the concept, aloha. We could never have enough of such institutions.
From my perspective as a child of Filipino immigrants, it feels strange to advocate for a place for a people (kanaka mauoli) whose legacy had been deeply rooted to that place centuries before any of us were there. So, from my distant perch on the west coast of the mainland, I simply would like to admit that the development of this institution is one of the least we can do for Native Hawaiians for the historical injustices that continue to affect their lives to this day. Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art is about cultural survival and, as a result, shows the rest of humanity how we ought to survive.
Please approve this measure. Mahalo for taking the time to read this recommendation.
Respectfully submitted,
--
John-Mario Arcilla Sevilla
Director at Large
Luna Dance Institute
(510) 883-1118, ext. 3
Testimony in Strong Support of Funding for the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art (“HOA”)
Aloha mai kākou,
My name is Daryl Fujiwara and I am in strong support of funding for the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Arts in the proposed FY 2023 budget. Hula is not for everyone, but it doesn’t discriminate against anyone either. All races, ages and sizes are encouraged to learn.
I have been dancing hula from the age of 7 and it has had a huge impact on my personal and professional trajectory. The life skills that came with these experiences imbued with cultural knowledge gave me a strong sense of place and made me the contributor to society that I am. Now 32 years later I am an alaka’i, a leader in my school of hula, we are the next wave of kumu hula candidates, we are leaders in our community.
It is the job of the kumu hula to ensure the passing of their lineal hula knowledge, along with that is the passing of debt - the cost of “dancing” as a small business and running a non-profit, juggling performances for meals and practicing in parks to bless corporations. We are the first people to be called to serve our community to celebrate new beginnings - birth, to honor achievements, to remember loved one’s who have passed, yet we have no real place in our community. What is the value of this service?
It is the job of the dancer to be seen pristine in our beautiful dresses made up with lei and flowers in our hair and smiling, always smiling while presenting. What you don’t see is the kuku we are dancing on, the car with no gas that got us to the performance, the hours of picking, gardening, making ti-leaf skirt and plumeria lei, pressing our costumes, the expensive sweat resistant make-up, the pain in our knees. It is the job of the dancer and kumu to show up and show well. We do not show our hardship and this has been the life work of so many — a perpetuation of servitude for our community, to perpetuate hula? We can’t even afford to live here on Maui much less teach hula? It is sometimes the 3rd job. Who wants to take on this heavy burden? Is there a place for hula in Maui County?
The Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art would provide a long-overdue place for hula – it would be a constitutionally protected traditional and customary practice. It is not only integral to Kānaka Maoli, but the culture of Maui County. Hula is not for everyone, but it doesn’t discriminate against anyone either. All races, ages and sizes are encouraged to learn.
Over many decades, Hālau Hula and Kumu Hula have contributed to our community. They recognize the importance of environmental stewardship, educate ʻohana from keiki to kūpuna, tell and celebrate the stories of our home, sing of its beauty, and bring both joy and pride to our larger community. Cultural practitioners like Kumu Hula are experts and leaders of our community. The Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art would support and celebrate these arts and practices.
An investment in Hula is ultimately an investment in community. Our island once again has the chance to be a leader for our state and global community. Providing a space dedicated to and designed through the lens of Hula creates a visible and reliable space for education, performance, preservation, and excellence of art and culture in our own home. Further, as a cultural center for our community and the world, the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art will foster pilina, inspire connection, and uphold cultural excellence.
Please vote to support full funding of the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art.
Me ka ha`aha`a,
Daryl Fujiwara
Life long hula dancer
8082648779
125 Poniu Circle, Wailuku, HI 96793
Please support the construction of the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art (HOA), in Wailuku. This space would provide long-overdue support for the culture and practitioners that make our home so special. Hula and art is the language of the heart of the people of Hawai’i and the more space we give to it to thrive, the more our own culture will be integrated as a focal point into progress and development. If we give more funding to cultural causes, our community will grow exponentially in the right direction that honors the kanaka maoli aboriginal people of these lands. As a Maui small business owner, I witnessed the value of our culture and our community thrive even through a pandemic travel ban by being innovative and finding ways to holomua - progress.
Mahalo ā nui!
Rachael Ray Au Hoon
U'i Gallery
360 Papa Place Unit Z
Kahului, HI 96732
808-893-2149
www.rachaelrayartcollection.com
Experience Aloha!
Regarding resolution 22-82:
Property taxes are one of the ways you can encourage more affordable and workforce housing on Maui.
First, multi-generational homes and "missing middle" properties are assessed at higher amounts than the current tax structure encourages. For owner occupied and long term rentals please raise the tiers, maybe 1 million for the lowest Tier, 2 million for the second Tier and 3 Million for the third. To help residents and families, maintain the current tax schedule for these new Tiers.
However, for nonowner occupied, timeshare and short term rental please match or exceed the highest property tax rate from the continental U.S. (or Canada). Part of what makes Maui such an attractive investment is our low property tax rate, this allows middle class people from the U.S. mainland and Canada to buy property here.
These investors make it harder for residents to afford to live here. If we want more affordable housing for Maui Residents we need a tax structure that taxes second homes homes as what they are: luxury items.
The additional revenue could be used to fund infrastructure improvements, support conservation work and increase resiliency. Any excess funds could be put in the affordable housing revolving fund so that money is available when the right projects come along.
Thank you for your hard work and dedication to making Maui County a wonderful place to live.
Karen Comcowich
Lāhainā, HI
Testimonies received from BFED Committee.
Testimony in of the construction of the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art (HOA)
Joseph Keola Donaghy
212 Ho‘oulu Ln. Apt 406
Wailuku, HI 96793
(808) 769-8133 • keoladonaghy@gmail.com
3/4/22
Maui County Council Budget Committee
200 S High St, Wailuku, HI 96793
Re: Testimony in Strong Support of Funding for the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art (“HOA”)
Aloha pumehana kākou,
I am writing to you as a resident of Maui County and in my capacity as an educator and scholar whose focus is Hawaiian music, language, and performing arts. With this letter, I am submitting this testimony in strong support of funding for the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Arts in the proposed 2023 budget.
Mō‘ī David Kālakaua has been quoted as saying, “Hula is the language of the heart, therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people.” Kalākau was at the forefront of the first Hawaiian Renaissance that saw a resurgence in Hawaiian cultural practices. We have been in the midst of and profoundly benefitted from the second Hawaiian Renaissance since the 1960s. Hawaiian music and hula are far more than entertainment; it is a critical practice that binds together the mauli--the spiritual essence--of Hawai‘i and kānaka ‘ōiwi. The benefits of supporting these Hawaiian arts extend far beyond kānaka ‘ōiwi.
I am not kanaka ‘ōiwi but have been involved in Hawaiian education programs in Hawaiian language and arts for nearly 30 years. The blessings I have experienced because of my participation in these programs as a haumāna (student) and kumu (teacher) are immeasurable. Although I am not a practitioner of hula, I count among my most precious mentors and colleagues members of Maui’s hula community - Hōkūlani Holt, Keali‘i Reichel, Keli‘i Tau‘ā, Luana Kawa‘a, Kamaka Kūkona, and Cody Pueo Pata. Most recently I worked with Kumu Kawa‘a to strengthen the instruction of hula at UHMC as part of our campus' Federal Title III grant activities. The value that their dedication brings to our island community is also immeasurable. I have seen firsthand the impact their commitment has had on our community.
It is imperative that the county provide a dedicated space designed for hula education and performance and not one in which hula education and performance are simply afterthoughts. Such a facility would amplify our hula practitioners' impact on our community. For these reasons and more, I urge this committee to support the funding proposed for the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art.
Please feel free to contact me if I can be further assistance in this matter.
Me ka ‘oia‘i‘o,
Dr. Keola Donaghy
SUPPORT INCREASED BUDGET FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (918223A-5101 and 918223B-6132)
April 4, 2022
Dear Maui County Councilmembers,
I am writing in strong support of increasing the budget of the Department of Agriculture to support additional staff positions and funding for professional services. In order for the Department of Agriculture to be a successful department, it must have sufficient staff to start addressing the needs of the community efficiently.
In addition to the positions outlined in the bare-bones budget for the Department of Agriculture. I support including the addition of two Grant Writers, two Food Access Coordinator positions and a Waste and Resource Regeneration Specialist in the Department’s Budget as additions to provide the bare-bones capacity to meet the needs of this Department.
I ask also that the Department of Agriculture budget is increased to allow for professional services that will support the establishment of countywide emergency storage and food centers, emergency food banks in Lānaʻi, Molokai and Hāna, legal assessments of the current agricultural cross-sectors with Federal and State Agencies to negotiate and address agricultural issues, and the development of a streamlined County permitting process for the agricultural sector.
Even with funding the additional positional and professional service, including making changes to fringe benefits, equipment, travel and mileage to accommodate for the additional positions will still allow the total funding for the Department to be less than $3 million dollars. Which is .3% of the overall County budget and a very reasonable ask to support increasing food security and help our local agricultural sector.
I respectfully ask that you increase the budget of the Department of Agriculture to support the addition of these positions and professional services. This funding will be crucial to the success of the Department of Agriculture. An investment in this Department’s success is an investment in the success of Maui County’s farmers and ranchers. Please help us when we need it most.
Mahalo nui,
Lauren Nelson
Makawao, HI
Testimony in support of MVCB funding - Maui Nui DMAP
April 04, 2022
Aloha,
My name is Riley Coon and I am submitting written testimony in support of the Maui Visitor’s Bureau funding for the Budget, Finance, and Economic Development Committee with the Maui Nui Destination Management Action Plan. I am unable to provide testimony this Friday, April 08, 2022 in person due to conflicting work commitments so please accept this written testimony in support.
I have worked with the MVB this year to create and develop the Mālama Lānaʻi Restoration Day trip. This Tri-partnership will engage visitors in respectful and reasonable travel that restores ecology, supports local businesses in Lānaʻi city, and shares community-driven messaging that the Lānaʻi Advisory Group spent considerable time in creating. This first of a kind event can help reshape parts of our hospitality industry to allow for more give-back and volunteer opportunities that can encompass both a win for the visitor, the ʻaina, and the local community. I think this is money and time well spent and I am excited to see more things like this in Maui and Hawaii as we plan our future as one of the most sought after travel destinations in the world – let’s pave the way for Maui to be the leader in a model of Tourism that is beneficial to all.
Mahalo for your consideration,
Riley E. Coon
CAPTAIN RILEY E. COON
Director of Sustainable Tourism
TRILOGY EXCURSIONS
O: (808) 874-5649 X 7014
C: (808) 283-5931
S: @sailtrilogy | #sailtrilogy | Video
VOTED #1 TOUR ON MAUI ~ TripAdvisor
SUPPORT INCREASED BUDGET FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (918223A-5101 and 918223B-6132)
Dear Maui County Councilmembers:
I strongly support increasing the budget of the Department of Agriculture to support additional staff positions and funding for professional services.
In order for the Department of Agriculture to be a successful department, it must have sufficient staff to effectively address the needs of the community efficiently.
In addition to the positions outlined in the bare-bones budget for the Department of Agriculture, I support including the addition of two Grant Writers, two Food Access Coordinator positions and a Waste and Resource Regeneration Specialist in the Department’s Budget as additions to provide the bare-bones capacity to meet the needs of this Department. These additional positions are essential to ensure that the Department of Agriculture can make the impacts that are necessary and are required for this new department to effectively serve our community.
I ask also that the Department of Agriculture budget be increased to allow for professional services that will support the establishment of countywide emergency storage and food centers, emergency food banks in Lānaʻi, Molokai and Hāna, legal assessments of the current agricultural cross-sectors with Federal and State Agencies to negotiate and address agricultural issues, and the development of a streamlined County permitting process for the agricultural sector.
Even with funding the additional positional and professional service, including making changes to fringe benefits, equipment, travel and mileage to accommodate for the additional positions will still allow the total funding for the Department to be less than $3 million dollars. Which is .3% of the overall County budget and a very reasonable ask to support increasing food security and help our local agricultural sector.
I respectfully ask that you increase the budget of the Department of Agriculture to support the addition of these positions and professional services. This funding will be crucial to the success of the Department of Agriculture.
An investment in this Department’s success is an investment in the success of Maui County’s farmers and ranchers.
Please help us when we need it most.
Mahalo,
Suzanne Fields, M.S.P.H.
Volunteer and Steering Committee member of the Maui County Healthy Eating Active Living Coalition
Haiku, Maui
Support of Funding for the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art
April 4, 2022
Re: Testimony in Strong Support of Funding for the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art (“HOA”)
Aloha mai kākou,
My name is Lei Ishikawa and I was born and raised in Wailuku, Maui. I am a kapa practitioner and owner of Paeloko Learning Center in Waiheʻe, Maui. Mahalo for the opportunity to testify in strong support of funding for the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Arts in the proposed FY 2023 budget.
The Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art would provide long-overdue support for the culture and practitioners that make our home so special. Hula – a constitutionally protected traditional and customary practice – is not only integral to Kānaka Maoli, but to the culture of Maui County, as well. It is a nexus for so many of our ʻŌiwi arts and cultural practices to thrive. Over many decades, Hālau Hula and Kumu Hula have contributed to our community. Kumu Hula and Hālua provide resources of leadership, protocol, and environmental stewardship in our community. I recognize the importance of education in the ʻohana from Keiki to kūpuna, tell and celebrate the stories of our home, sing of its beauty, and bring both joy and pride to our larger community. Cultural practitioners like myself look to Kumu Hula as experts and leaders. Kumu Hula and The Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art would support and celebrate these arts and practices.
An investment in Hula is ultimately an investment in the community. Our island once again has the chance to be a leader for our state and global community. Providing a space dedicated to and designed through the lens of Hula creates a visible and reliable space for education, performance, preservation, and excellence of art and culture in our own home. Further, as a cultural center for our community and the world, the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art will foster, inspire connection, and uphold cultural excellence.
This space is not only an investment for the near future but will have lasting impacts on our community identity for generations to come. Mahalo for your service to our island home. Please vote to support the full funding of the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art.
Mahalo nui,
Lei Ishikawa
Paeloko Learning Center
Kapa Practitioner
lorilei@hawaii.edu (808)-264-1515
Written testimony for Maui County budget hearing in support of Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art
Aloha mai kākou, Greetings to you all,
My name is John-Mario Arcilla Sevilla. I was born and raised in Paukukalo. I have lived most of my adult life in New York City, and recently moved to Berkeley, CA, where I lead a community dance organization called Luna Dance Institute. I am writing to enthusiastically endorse the County of Maui's funding of Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art. While I am sure that many will testify to the profound impact of the Hālau on the preservation and promotion of Native Hawaiian legacies as well as to inherent benefits to the local cultural and financial ecosystem of Maui and Hawai'i, I would like to speak of how such a unique endeavor and institution will serve as a beacon to cultural bearers and citizens around the world. I firmly believe that the establishment of Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art will demonstrate the depth of vision of your governance.
I am a professional dancer and dance educator. As a dancer, I toured all over the world (twice "visiting" Maui!) with major modern dance companies. I have taught dance and dance education at New York University, Drew University and Rutgers University. I have also run dance programs for New York City Ballet and the 92Y Harkness Dance Center. Throughout my years of work in the theater, in schools and in the community, I have experienced the alluring power of hula on people.
As you may know, hula is an interdisciplinary and holistic practice, not just a dance form. Beyond the steps and gestures, hula values excellent human behavior toward others and the environment. Hula is an aesthetic experience that extols tradition, good speech and conduct, respect for elders. planning, preparation and practice, collective action, and love of land. These are deep foundational values that transform lives. And the particular responsibility of hula practitioners to care of the environment has vast implications in a world threatened by climate change and environmental injustice. Hula models the best in human action and is a medium for healing on a personal as well as global scale.
While native to Hawai'i, there are great needs and desires around the world for a place that embodies practices that can save lives and perspectives that can heal our planet. Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art would be the first institution of its kind in the world to make a legitimizing stand for hula as a cultural practice, one that can shed light on some very dark elements in our world. Hula teaches how to honor one's place and folk. Hula demonstrates how people need to work together to overcome challenge. Hula shows how we must pay attention to our history as well as to our current state of affairs. A collective like Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art will gather and share a generosity of spirit. a seriousness of intent, and a joy of the arts that only hula can inspire. Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art will grace Maui and the rest of the planet with poetry, wisdom and inspiration. Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art will reveal and empower us all with the profound dimensions of the concept, aloha. We could never have enough of such institutions.
From my perspective as a child of Filipino immigrants, it feels strange to advocate for a place for a people (kanaka mauoli) whose legacy had been deeply rooted to that place centuries before any of us were there. So, from my distant perch on the west coast of the mainland, I simply would like to admit that the development of this institution is one of the least we can do for Native Hawaiians for the historical injustices that continue to affect their lives to this day. Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art is about cultural survival and, as a result, shows the rest of humanity how we ought to survive.
Please approve this measure. Mahalo for taking the time to read this recommendation.
Respectfully submitted,
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John-Mario Arcilla Sevilla
Director at Large
Luna Dance Institute
(510) 883-1118, ext. 3
Testimony in Strong Support of Funding for the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art (“HOA”)
Aloha mai kākou,
My name is Daryl Fujiwara and I am in strong support of funding for the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Arts in the proposed FY 2023 budget. Hula is not for everyone, but it doesn’t discriminate against anyone either. All races, ages and sizes are encouraged to learn.
I have been dancing hula from the age of 7 and it has had a huge impact on my personal and professional trajectory. The life skills that came with these experiences imbued with cultural knowledge gave me a strong sense of place and made me the contributor to society that I am. Now 32 years later I am an alaka’i, a leader in my school of hula, we are the next wave of kumu hula candidates, we are leaders in our community.
It is the job of the kumu hula to ensure the passing of their lineal hula knowledge, along with that is the passing of debt - the cost of “dancing” as a small business and running a non-profit, juggling performances for meals and practicing in parks to bless corporations. We are the first people to be called to serve our community to celebrate new beginnings - birth, to honor achievements, to remember loved one’s who have passed, yet we have no real place in our community. What is the value of this service?
It is the job of the dancer to be seen pristine in our beautiful dresses made up with lei and flowers in our hair and smiling, always smiling while presenting. What you don’t see is the kuku we are dancing on, the car with no gas that got us to the performance, the hours of picking, gardening, making ti-leaf skirt and plumeria lei, pressing our costumes, the expensive sweat resistant make-up, the pain in our knees. It is the job of the dancer and kumu to show up and show well. We do not show our hardship and this has been the life work of so many — a perpetuation of servitude for our community, to perpetuate hula? We can’t even afford to live here on Maui much less teach hula? It is sometimes the 3rd job. Who wants to take on this heavy burden? Is there a place for hula in Maui County?
The Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art would provide a long-overdue place for hula – it would be a constitutionally protected traditional and customary practice. It is not only integral to Kānaka Maoli, but the culture of Maui County. Hula is not for everyone, but it doesn’t discriminate against anyone either. All races, ages and sizes are encouraged to learn.
Over many decades, Hālau Hula and Kumu Hula have contributed to our community. They recognize the importance of environmental stewardship, educate ʻohana from keiki to kūpuna, tell and celebrate the stories of our home, sing of its beauty, and bring both joy and pride to our larger community. Cultural practitioners like Kumu Hula are experts and leaders of our community. The Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art would support and celebrate these arts and practices.
An investment in Hula is ultimately an investment in community. Our island once again has the chance to be a leader for our state and global community. Providing a space dedicated to and designed through the lens of Hula creates a visible and reliable space for education, performance, preservation, and excellence of art and culture in our own home. Further, as a cultural center for our community and the world, the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art will foster pilina, inspire connection, and uphold cultural excellence.
Please vote to support full funding of the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art.
Me ka ha`aha`a,
Daryl Fujiwara
Life long hula dancer
8082648779
125 Poniu Circle, Wailuku, HI 96793
Testimony in support of HOA in Wailuku
Aloha to whom it may concern:
Please support the construction of the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art (HOA), in Wailuku. This space would provide long-overdue support for the culture and practitioners that make our home so special. Hula and art is the language of the heart of the people of Hawai’i and the more space we give to it to thrive, the more our own culture will be integrated as a focal point into progress and development. If we give more funding to cultural causes, our community will grow exponentially in the right direction that honors the kanaka maoli aboriginal people of these lands. As a Maui small business owner, I witnessed the value of our culture and our community thrive even through a pandemic travel ban by being innovative and finding ways to holomua - progress.
Mahalo ā nui!
Rachael Ray Au Hoon
U'i Gallery
360 Papa Place Unit Z
Kahului, HI 96732
808-893-2149
www.rachaelrayartcollection.com
Experience Aloha!
Aloha Chair Rawlins-Fernandez
and BFED Committee,
Regarding resolution 22-82:
Property taxes are one of the ways you can encourage more affordable and workforce housing on Maui.
First, multi-generational homes and "missing middle" properties are assessed at higher amounts than the current tax structure encourages. For owner occupied and long term rentals please raise the tiers, maybe 1 million for the lowest Tier, 2 million for the second Tier and 3 Million for the third. To help residents and families, maintain the current tax schedule for these new Tiers.
However, for nonowner occupied, timeshare and short term rental please match or exceed the highest property tax rate from the continental U.S. (or Canada). Part of what makes Maui such an attractive investment is our low property tax rate, this allows middle class people from the U.S. mainland and Canada to buy property here.
These investors make it harder for residents to afford to live here. If we want more affordable housing for Maui Residents we need a tax structure that taxes second homes homes as what they are: luxury items.
The additional revenue could be used to fund infrastructure improvements, support conservation work and increase resiliency. Any excess funds could be put in the affordable housing revolving fund so that money is available when the right projects come along.
Thank you for your hard work and dedication to making Maui County a wonderful place to live.
Karen Comcowich
Lāhainā, HI