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The remnants of the Hawaiian Culture are constantly at risk of being obliterated by development that is springing up in Hawaii every day. Numerous incidents have occurred in the past where entire ancient burials were dug up to make room for Hotels, golf courses and condominiums.The Office of Environmental Quality Control (OEQC) was established in 1970 to help stimulate, expand and coordinate efforts to maintain the optimum quality of the State's environment.
In the year 2000, the legislature found that native Hawaiian culture plays a vital role in preserving and advancing the unique quality of life and the "aloha spirit' in Hawaii. Articles IX and XII of the state constitution, other state laws, and the courts of the State impose on government agencies a duty to promote and protect cultural beliefs, practices, and resources of native Hawaiians as well as other ethnic groups. The Governor signed the bill into Law in April of 2000.
Even after the law passed, developers are constantly trying to find loop holes in the law to circumvent the requirements mandated by this law. This is the reason many Hawaiian people are becoming "Hawaiian Cultural Watchdogs" to keep track of what is happening here.
Kahu Charles Kauluwehi Maxwell Sr., a Hawaiian Priest, Practitioner and Cultural Specialist is using the benefit of this law to effect a change in how development deals with the sensitive issues of the Hawaiian culture. He specializes in Cultural Impact Statements using State of Hawaii Office of Environmental Quality Control methods which includes cultural impacts surveys and identifying cultural sensitive areas on the property that any work or building is to take place. These areas are noted on a map and preserved for the future generation.
CKM CULTURAL RESOURCES was formed several years ago and after attending the Asian Development Bank Convention on Oahu, the Hawaiian Sail Logo designed by Ipo Nihipali an artist extraordinaire, who had the wisdom to create the sail. The saying "Imina I Ka Na'auao E Pahu Ia Makou Imua" (Seeking the knowledge to push us forward) was created by Uluwehi "Diggy" Maxwell who is fluent in the Hawaiian Language. Ipo Nihipali's story follows:
The sail logo design, created by Ipo Nihipali, a kanaka wahine artist, highlights an historical motif, described in the book, The Hawaiian Canoe by Tommy Holmes, “when the sail was ‘for a king, for a distinguished priest or for a war canoe, the sail was dignified with the name la or pea la … and was a work of art. This name apparently … [came] from an emblem also termed la that was woven in its centre … [that] consisted of a circle with twelve rays of a red color pointing inward towards its centre, where was inscribed another smaller circle, the central part of which was white in color.”
First used as the logo for 'Aha Hookele at the ADB Conference in May 2001, with the artist's kind permission it is now used as the logo for CKM Cultural Resources.
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