HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

172

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THAT A LOI BE ESTABLISHED ON THE GROUNDS OF THE STATE CAPITOL.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, kalo (colocasias esculenta), Hawaiian for taro, is considered sacred and is also a central part of Hawaiian genealogy and culture; and

 

     WHEREAS, a loi, Hawaiian for taro paddy, is the traditional method of planting kalo; and

 

     WHEREAS, kalo is also an important source of food in Hawaiian culture; and

 

     WHEREAS, the State Capitol grounds are a gathering place for visitors as well as residents from across the State; and

 

     WHEREAS, the architectural design of the State Capitol building symbolizes unique aspects of the State:  the eight columns along the front and back of the building represent the State's major islands, the sloping walls of the House of Representatives and Senate chambers represent the volcanoes, and the columns rising out of the reflecting pools represent palm trees; and

 

     WHEREAS, in 2007, the Legislature designated kalo as the State's official plant; and

 

     WHEREAS, despite its cultural importance and the abundance of other symbolic representations at the State Capitol building, kalo is not present; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2010, that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) is requested to oversee the establishment of a loi on the grounds of the State Capitol; and


     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that OHA is requested to work with and consult native Hawaiian preservation and education groups and practitioners to devise a plan to ensure the success of the program by:

 

     (1)  Securing funds from private donations for the materials needed to establish the loi;

 

     (2)  Allowing Onipaa Na Hui Kalo and other volunteer organizations, taro farmers, and individuals to provide the labor to establish and maintain the loi; and

 

     (3)  Working with Oahu Hawaiian immersion and Hawaiian cultural focused charter schools to provide education, cultural activities, and research;

 

and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that OHA is requested to submit a report to the Legislature of its progress no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2011; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Board of Directors of Onipaa Na Hui Kalo, and Executive Director of the Charter School Administrative Office.

 

 

 

Report Title: 

Capitol Grounds; Taro Cultivation