Maui County now has its own agency focused on preserving natural and cultural resources, giving residents, especially Native Hawaiians, a voice in future development, and ensuring that government documents are translated into ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.
Voters on Oʻahu will be asked if the City and County of Honolulu should create an agency modeled after Maui’s department. A charter amendment question proposes creating the Office of ʻŌiwi Resources and Cultural Stewardship along with a cultural advisory council to help guide its work.
Proponents believe the new office could help protect burial sites, reinvigorate use of the Hawaiian language in the city, guide development and increase citizen participation in county government…