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Summary:
Cultural Issues Relating to Hawaii’s Energy Future
Cultural Issues Working Group of the Hawaii Energy Policy
Forum
The Cultural Issues Working Group (CIWG) is comprised mainly
of representatives from the Hawaiian Services Institutions
and Agencies (HSIA). The CIWG felt the issue of energy development
in Hawai`i was so critical that Native Hawaiians should be
considered as major stakeholders and empowered to play a significant
role in influencing decisions relating to Hawaii’s energy
future. As such, CIWG decided to draft a Statement of Purpose
and Call to Action to begin the process of empowering Native
Hawaiians to become involved in the visioning and decision
making process.
Statement of Purpose
In general, CIWG believes that any energy vision and policy
for Hawai`i’s future must be framed and founded on what
is “pono” (right) for Hawaii and its people. It
should also be pono for the world, because more than ever,
the world has become interconnected and in essence, an island
society. In the spirit of Aloha and ho`olauna (sharing) and
as a ho`okupu (offering to honor) our akua and aumakua, we
offer as a framework for discussion and decision-making what
Native Hawaiians referred to as, “Piko Ekolu,”
the three Piko:
1. Piko Po’o – The cultural values learned from
our ancestors, including konohiki (stewardship), malama (care
for), and kuleana (responsibility). It also refers to the
lessons learned relating to how our ancestors managed to sustain
their resources and thrive as a people through the use of
practices such as ahupua`a (mountain to sea) management and
the kapu system (traditional regulatory system used by our
ancestors to conserve and sustain resources).
2. Piko Opu – The lessons being learned by today’s
generation and how it helps us make the transition to the
future.
3. Piko Ma`i – Future generations need to thrive as
well.
Call to Action
With Piko Ekolu as a guide, CIWG supports the gathering of
input from the broader Hawaiian community and the inclusion
of a diversity of opinions. It recommends a call to action
that includes the following goal, objectives, and specific
activities:
1. Goal – Native Hawaiians empowered to become involved
in the decision-making process of policies regarding energy
development in Hawaii.
2. Objectives
a. Gather input from Hawaiian communities.
b. Develop educational/informational materials on different
types of energy resources and development.
c. Educate/inform general public regarding cultural framework
around which any energy policy is formulated.
d. Report recommendations (majority and minority reports)
to Hawai`i Energy Policy Forum.
Twelve specific activities were identified to achieve these
objectives, and work is continuing.
To see the full report go to the Hawaii Energy Policy Forum’s
website at:
< http://hawaiienergypolicy.hawaii.edu/ciwg_rpt.pdf >
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