The Native Hawaiian Convention is underway at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. This is the first time in the two decades since the convention started that it is being held in Las Vegas, the city with the third-highest Native Hawaiian population in the country.
The Native Hawaiian Convention serves as “the largest gathering of Native Hawaiians to discuss issues facing our community,” according to the Hawaiian Council’s official website.
The annual convention is centered on the idea of re-connecting the individuals with Hawaiian roots that have left the islands: “sharing our stories, successes and struggles and chart a course forward towards our common goals for our community.”
According to Hawaii News Now, data shows that more Native Hawaiians are now living on the mainland than in Hawai’i. Many people are leaving every day, largely due to the high cost of living. The convention wanted to connect with Native Hawaiians living outside of Hawai’i.
“We have recognized that our community is not just in Hawaii, that it’s spread out across the United States, and so we’re coming out to them, to bring Hawaii to them so they can be a part of our Ohana,” Kuhio Lewis, CEO of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, told Fox5 Vegas.
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The convention lasts for four days from June 19 to June 22, filled with workshops, performances and a vendor marketplace connecting Las Vegas back to the islands.
Its first day on Monday was packed with activities to gain more knowledge and power. Registered participants took part in Hula, Mele, Oli, Genealogy, Olelo Hawai’i workshops, a Mauna Kea workshop and much more.
“Coming here to the convention and seeing what they’re doing, how they’re making connections, how they’re talking to our Hawaiians, to come home is inspiring,” said Kanoelani Davis, Pomahina Designs owner and Hoaka Mana Executive Director.
“What’s important is Hawaii’s brand,” Lewis told Fox5 Vegas. “We have a unique brand, and we see a lot of commercialization of that brand. People make things up for the purpose of making money. So we want to make sure Hawaii is authentically represented, and so the marketplace here is a representation of 170 small businesses back home.”
The organizers only expected a few hundred people to show up, but were gleefully surprised when over 1,300 people registered for the convention.
Lewis told Fox5 Vegas that at the end of the day, he hopes the convention will help the participants help them understand who they are as Native Hawaiians.
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