Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 10, 1 October 1992 — Committee funds Hawaiian culture projects [ARTICLE]

Committee funds Hawaiian culture projects

by Jeff Clark To shed new light on various areas of Hawaiian culture that are generally not known to the public, including sometimes the Hawaiian public, the University of Hawai'i Committee for the Preservation and Study of Hawaiian Language, Art and Culture is funding research projects ranging from a video of Hawai'i island folk musician Rebecca Pau to a scientific investigation of medicines used in traditional Hawaiian healing. Hawaiian language projects funded included televised language instruction, the publication of two 19th-century grammars, translations of Hawaiian language newspapers, and the final editing of "Tazana," a Hawaiian language version of "Tarzan." "We're digging for information that's been lost or obscured — we're bringing it back to this century, to this time," says Henry Iwasa, the Committee's executive secretary. During fiscal year 1992 (July 1, 1991 - June 30, 1992), the Committee funded 20 projects. It was "a banner year for funding," Iwasa said. "We got applications from Nevada, from California, and of course from throughout the state. We funded more than we ever did before." Only four or five projects normally receive funding eaeh year, said Iwasa, who credits Mark Juergensmeyer, dean of the School of Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific Studies, with providing the additional funds. Individuals and organizations with backgrounds in and knowledge of Hawaiian history, literature, language, art, and ethnobotanical studies are encouraged to apply this year. "We are unique among funding organizations in that we accept applications from individuals as well as

organizations," Iwasa said. In return for funding, "We ask that information from research projects be made available to the public," and that resulting videos and publications be donated to university and public libraries, Iwasa said. Members of the public ean access the results of projects funded by the Committee by visiting the UH's Hamilton Library's Hawaiian eolleetion and the Sinclair Library' s audio-visual eenter. The Committee's headquarters is moving from a temporary building on the loWer campus to a new location in Hamilton Library. Archivists have been "cleaning house" in preparation for the move, and compiling information on the committee's 33-year history for a report to the state Legislature.

The 1964 publication of the "EnglishHawaiian Dictionary" by Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel Elbert and the 1962 publication of Sterling and Summer's "Sites of O'ahu" are two of the more notable projects whieh received financial support from the Committee.

The deadline to apply for the next group of grants is Nov. 16. There is no limit on the amount that ean be requested. Applications will be ready by late October. Interested parties may write to Iwasa in care of the Committee at 327 Hamilton Library, 2550 The Mall, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai'i 96822.