NATIVE HAWAIIANS GIVE INPUT AT UNITED NATIONS
Day Two At Permanent Forum On Indigenous Issues Brings Recommendations From Hawaiian Organizations
New York, NY – Native Hawaiians made a strong showing today at the Third Annual Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the United Nations in New York City.
As part of the Pacific Region Caucus, Hawaiians and their supporters from several organizations issued a series of ten recommendations to the world body regarding education.
FreeHawaii.Info presents the first five today –
1.We recommend that the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII) urges member states and UN support organizations to recognize Kanaka Maoli Native Hawaiians as the indigenous peoples of Ka Pae ‘Aina o Hawai’i, the archipelago of Hawai’i.
2.We recommend that the PFII supports the right of Native Hawaiians and all indigenous peoples to speak our own Native languages and to educate our children and families in our Native language utilizing our own cultural paradigms and processes.
3.We recommend that the PFII urges observer member states such as the United States of America and UN support organizations to support Kanaka Maoli Native Hawaiians and all indigenous peoples by providing or continuing to provide vital financial and other resources to develop culturally appropriate educational systems and institutions for children and adults from pre-school through the achievement of higher education degrees and to provide educational scholarships, thereby ensuring the survival of our culture and people, and in this way, training future generations of leaders.
4.We recommend that the PFII urge the observer member states such as the United States of America and UN support organizations, to reevaluate federal and state laws that deprive indigenous people of their rights and fundamental freedoms relating to indigenous education. Specifically, the negative cultural impacts of the USA-No Child Left Behind Act.
5.We recommend that the PFII urge the observer member states such as the United States of America and UN support organizations to clarify the necessary components of an indigenous university: 1- A location or center of learning community. 2- Indigenous faculty that nurture, mentor and serve as role models for the indigenous community. 3- Connects to the indigenous community requiring input from and services to the indigenous community.
Tomorrow – recommendations six through ten and the signing organizations to this document.
