Conference to address Native Hawaiian issues

Hawaiian sovereignty and the management of Mauna Kea — where a group of activists has opposed construction of the $1.4 billion Thirty Meter Telescope — will be among issues discussed by clergy and lay leaders at an upcoming conference.

The Pacific Justice and Reconciliation Center and the Pacific Peace Forum are among the sponsors of the “Essentials Training” conference, which will be held Jan. 15 in Davies Hall at the Cathedral of St. Andrew, 229 Queen Emma Square.

Early registration is required for the event, which aims to “provide critical education and exposure to clergy and lay leaders on important issues emerging today,” according to a news release. Check-in is at 8 a.m., with breakfast and lunch included in the $100 fee for Oahu participants, and an additional $50 for those not from Oahu. Financial assistance is available.

“The role of religious leadership and faith institutions is critical to social justice and transformative community collaborations. Many of the Hawaiian issues today are viewed as related to historic injustices,” the release said.

Speakers include former Gov. John Waihee, who was governor during the Protect Kahoolawe Ohana controversy and the creation of Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Na‘i Aupuni, an independent organization tasked with establishing a path of Native Hawaiian self-governance; Leon Siu, representing the Coalition of Hawaiian Nationals, Kingdom of Hawaii; Kahookahi Kanuha and Lanakila Mangauil, who are among those leading the protest against the Thirty Meter Telescope project at Mauna Kea; and Kaleikoa Kaeo, who will speak about the telescopes at Haleakala.

Participants will be limited to 30, with preference given to clergy and laypersons. New clergy and lay leaders unfamiliar with Hawaiian issues or the community are welcome to attend.

For registration and more information, contact Kahu Kaleo Patterson, president of the PJRC, at 330-3769 or kaleop@gmx.com; Joann Fukumoto, 371-7694 or joumc@aol.com; or Haaheo Guanson of the Pacific Peace Forum, 330-3771 or guanson@me.com.