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Gov. David Ige proclaimed 2018 as the Year of the Hawaiian, signing Senate Resolution 74 on Friday at Washington Place.
Sens. Brickwood Galuteria, Kalani English, Kai Kahele, Michelle Kidani and Maile Shimabukuro introduced the resolution and the Senate passed it in 2017 to designate June 1, 2018, to June 1, 2019, as the Year of the Hawaiian.
“There is much to celebrate,” Ige said in a statement. It “marks the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Hawaiian language immersion programs that have brought the language back from the brink of extinction and is now thriving, spoken by more than 20,000 people.”
It is also the 25th anniversary of the formal apology from Congress and the president for America’s role in the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom 125 years ago.
This is also the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, which was designated to help coordinate with the Native Hawaiian community to plan, organize and raise funds for the celebratory events and commemoration activities.