HONORING EARL KAWAʻA FOR DEDICATING HIS LIFE TO PRESERVING HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE, MENTORING FUTURE GENERATIONS, AND STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT HAWAIʻI.

HR210

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

210

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

honoring EARL KAWA
ʻ
A
for dedicating his life to preserving Hawaiian language and culture, mentoring
future generations, and strengthening communities throughout Hawai
ʻ
i
.

����
WHEREAS,
raised in Hālawa Valley on Moloka
ʻ
i
by parents, Walter and Georgina Kawa
ʻ
a,
EARL KAWA
ʻ
A is
one of the few remaining mānaleo (native speakers of the Hawaiian
language) in Hawai
ʻ
i
and has devoted his life to preserving and perpetuating Hawai
ʻ
i's unique language,
culture, and traditions, including hale and rock wall construction, carving,
farming, music, and storytelling, all of which were a part of his upbringing;
and

����
WHEREAS,
building upon the foundational teachings and lessons of his parents, who were
respected ho
ʻ
oponopono
healers, EARL KAWA
ʻ
A
also dedicated himself to pursuing higher education, earning a Bachelor of Arts
degree in psychology from Hawai
ʻ
i
Pacific College in 1974 and Master of Social Work degree in 1982, with
specialized training in community organizing; and

����
WHEREAS, EARL
KAWA
ʻ
A's legacy
includes service as a member of the Moloka
ʻ
i
National Guard as well as assisting homesteaders on Moloka
ʻ
i with economic
development; he provided valuable support for the Acoma Indian Reservation in
New Mexico under the domestic Peace Corps program, where he helped build
baseball fields, organized Little League tournaments, and contributed to
initiatives in natural resources, economic development, and early childhood
education; and

����
WHEREAS,
during this time, EARL KAWA
ʻ
A
met his beloved wife, Patricia, with whom he shared a daughter, Yahna Kaiulani
Kawa
ʻ
a, now a
kaiapuni teacher who is dedicated to perpetuating Hawaiian language and culture;
and

����
WHEREAS, EARL
KAWA
ʻ
A has
dedicated eighteen years of service as a cultural specialist with Kamehameha
Schools, supporting educators, students, and families, while also collaborating
with public school communities across O
ʻ
ahu
on
ʻ
āina and
culture-based projects; and

����
WHEREAS, in
2012, EARL KAWA
ʻ
A
introduced the concept of "Board and Stone in Every Home" in a TEDx
talk at the University of Hawai
ʻ
i
at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law to the public; since then, his
lessons have been taught to thousands of individuals in communities throughout
the State, including Nānākuli, Papakōlea, Waimānalo, and
Moloka
ʻ
i, through
hands-on, multi-session workshops designed to deepen cultural understanding and
strengthen family relationships; and

����
WHEREAS,
having provided over a decade of instruction at Keiki O Ka
ʻ
Āina, EARL KAWA
ʻ
A continues to train
and mentor the next generation of alaka
ʻ
i
across all ages in ho
ʻ
oponopono
and other traditional practices, ensuring that these cultural traditions are
carried forward to future generations; now, therefore,

����
BE IT
RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the
State of Hawai
ʻ
i,
Regular Session of 2026, that this body hereby honors EARL KAWA
ʻ
A for dedicating his
life to preserving Hawaiian language and culture, mentoring future generations,
and strengthening communities throughout Hawai
ʻ
i,
and extends to him its warmest aloha and deepest appreciation for his enduring
legacy of service, leadership, and cultural stewardship.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Earl
Kawa
ʻ
a