Hulihia, the time for transformative change is now
by Dan Kaneko | Aug. 20, 2022
Hulihia refers to an overturning that serves as a catalyst for deep, transformative change. This was the theme for this year’s 21st Annual Native Hawaiian Convention hosted by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.
As one of the event’s sponsors, Hawaiian Electric received a few complimentary registrations for employees to attend the educational and cultural gathering. I was privileged to be one of the employees to receive an invitation, and I attended the convention from July 19 to 21for three days of discussions, workshops and breakout sessions. After two years of virtual events, it was refreshing to come together with other Native Hawaiians to learn about and discuss the current challenges that are ripe for hulihia.
A wide range of issues were discussed over the three days — from sustainable tourism and affordable housing to perpetuating Native Hawaiian storytelling and analyzing Native Hawaiian health outcomes — and it will require hulihia for us to achieve the ambitious transformation to make Hawaii a better place. One of the workshops focused on the importance of renewable energy for a sustainable Hawaii. Our Director of Community Affairs Kurt Tsue participated as a panel member to provide updates on the community-driven renewable energy models our company is currently exploring. You can stay up to date on our latest renewable energy projects by attending our virtual community meetings.
The convention also provided an opportunity for us to interact with attendees and share resources for emergency preparedness. Partner organizations such as Hawaii Energy were also on site to provide energy-saving resources and giveaways for the whole family.
One of the highlights of the convention for me was listening to Scott Seu — our former president and CEO who now serves as president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric Industries — deliver his keynote speech about what hulihia means to him. In his speech, he affirmed the commitment of Hawaiian Electric Industries and its family of companies to ensure that Hawaii thrives economically, environmentally, culturally and socially.
There is much work that needs to be done, but these gatherings of hearts and minds provide a momentous step in the right direction. It will require the cooperation of kamaaina (residents), malihini (visitors), businesses and government to bring that vision to reality. As Scott noted during his speech, no single entity will succeed if the others are not also thriving. Our businesses and community members must work together if we are to huli the issues that our Hawaii of today is currently dealing with. Recognizing that I work for a company that acknowledges its kuleana to hulihia gives me encouragement that we’lll move toward a stronger Hawaii together.
Dan Kaneko is a digital communications and social media specialist at Hawaiian Electric Company.
