This year, Kau Inoa outreach touched Hawaiians at 60 events in Hawai‘i Nei and on the continent. As of the end of November, 108,118 people have placed their name and indicated their commitment to build and raise a nation. That means that 5,877 Native Hawaiians have signed up this year.

One new project for Kau Inoa this year was embracing and managing a social media outreach initiative. While Kau Inoa has been on the micro-blogging service Twitter (http://twitter.com/kauinoa) since 2008, this year was the year Twitter was fully utilized. You can “follow” us at the service for the latest updates relating to Kau Inoa, Hawaiian Governance, and nation-building. For those who may not use it, Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to share “tweets” or messages of up to 140 characters with their followers and the world. Tweets allow users to provide brief updates and information to others, both quickly and easily.

The social media initiative continues with the Kau Inoa Newsblog (http://www.kauinoa.org/blog) that you are reading. A blog, or “web log,” is a type of website that is updated regularly and can share events or other information. Like Kau Inoa’s Twitter account, this blog is meant to keep people up-to-date with what is going on in the Hawaiian community in the governance arena. Because the blog does not have the character limit that Twitter does, more detailed information can be shared here.

Both of these services are interactive. On Twitter, anyone with an account can “reply” to a post from @kauinoa to share an opinion, ask a question, or repeat a message (called “retweeting”). At the blog, anyone can leave a comment – no account required. However, users must provide an email address, for verification purposes only, although it is not shared when the comment is posted.

With both of these undertakings, Kau Inoa is able to let anyone answer the question, “What’s on your mind?”

With our Hilo event behind us, Kau Inoa is pleased to announce that we will have three additional registration events scheduled for the month of December. This is your opportunity to sign up before the end of 2009.

If you or someone you know is interested in signing up, please join us:

• Sunday, December 13:  2^nd Annual “A Fair for Pauahi”
                  Kawaiaha‘o Church Grounds
                  957 Punchbowl St.
                  Honolulu, HI 96813
                  10 am – 2 pm
                  (All faiths are welcome)
• Wednesday, December 16:  Aloha Stadium Swap Meet
                  Aloha Stadium
                  99-500 Salt Lake Blvd.
                  Honolulu, HI 96813
                  8 am – 1 pm
• Friday, December 18 - Saturday, December 19
                  Windward City Shopping Center
                  (between Foodland and Denny’s)
                  45-480 Kāne‘ohe Bay Dr.
                  Kāne‘ohe, HI 96744
                  9 am – 5 pm (Friday)
                  10 am – 5 pm (Saturday)

Kau Inoa – place your name — to build a Hawaiian governing entity

What is Kau Inoa?

Kau Inoa is a registry of Native Hawaiians who want to participate in the formation of a Native Hawaiian government.  The registration process was developed by broad-based community working groups who drew upon previous work done by others.  Kau Inoa is the first broad, concerted effort of its kind with sufficient resources to include Native Hawaiians from all walks of life. Those who register in Kau Inoa will help shape the Hawaiian nation to come.

The Latest Count

We are happy to share that at the end of November 2009, 108,118 people were registered in the Kau Inoa Native Hawaiian Registry, as reported by Hawai`i Maoli, the non-profit arm of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs and the independent organization that serves as the Kau Inoa repository. That means that 5,877 Native Hawaiians have signed up at one of the 60 events that Kau Inoa attended this year.

Are you one of them?

Registration Opportunities

If you haven’t already signed up, we encourage you to place your name. If you or someone you know is interested in signing up for Kau Inoa, please join us at this community event during the month of December:

• Saturday, December 5 – Sunday, December 6:  Nā Mākua Invitational Christmas Gift Fair
                  Butler Building (next to the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium)
                  648 Piilani St.
                  Hilo, HI 96720
                  9 am – 5 pm (Saturday)
                  9 am – 3 pm (Sunday)

As we enter the busy holiday season, Kau Inoa also attends fewer events, to adjust to the growing demands on Native Hawaiians at this time of year. However, our commitment to registering as many Native Hawaiians as possible remains steadfast.

Got Questions?

If you have any questions about Kau Inoa you would like answered, please contact John Rosa at 808-594-1902, toll-free at 1-800-366-1758, or email at johnr@oha.org.  You may also visit www.kauinoa.org for registration forms and our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

Social Media Outreach

Did you know that Kau Inoa has gone social? Social media that is! Kau Inoa is on Twitter as @kauinoa. You can “follow” us at the micro-blogging service at http://twitter.com/kauinoa for the latest updates relating to Kau Inoa, Hawaiian governance, and nation-building.

For those who may not have heard of Twitter, it’s a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to share “tweets” or messages of up to 140 characters with their followers and the world. Tweets allow users to provide brief updates and information to others, both quickly and easily.

Tweets sent from @kauinoa are for information sharing related to Kau Inoa, Governance, and nation-building. You can even send tweets to @kauinoa.

What’s on your mind?