Washington, D.C. - Honoring a friend and fellow Native Hawaiian, Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) last night joined his Senior Senator Daniel Inouye and a bipartisan group of colleagues in introducing the Henry Kuualoha Giugni Kupuna Memorial Archives bill. This legislation would establish archives to enable the sharing and perpetuation of the unique culture, collective memory, and history of Native Hawaiians.

Giugni passed away on November 3, 2005. He was a longtime aide to Senator Inouye and former sergeant-at-arms to the U.S. Senate.

Senator Akaka said this bill pays tribute to one of the Senate’s most loyal servants.

"Henry lived a full life of rich experiences and along the way he accumulated a wealth of wisdom. His memory and spirit live on but it is essential to perpetuate his wisdom and experiences so that what he learned and accomplished will not be lost to future generations," said Senator Akaka. "This is the primary impetus behind creating these archives."

This bill would establish the archives by authorizing grant money to the University of Hawaii’s Academy for Creative Media. The funds would go toward enabling a statewide archival effort to secure a web accessible repository for the housing of collected material. The bill would also authorize use of grant funds for educational activities related to the purpose of the archives. It also seeks to improve student achievement by addressing cultural incongruence between teachers and students.

Senator Inouye said, "In addition to creating a digital archive and preserving the traditions and culture of Native Hawaiians, this legislation will support initiatives to develop Web-based media projects from the archive to create educational materials that can be used to enhance the education of indigenous students. It also can serve to inspire higher educational achievement by indigenous students by sharing with them the stories and histories of accomplished individuals with indigenous backgrounds, such as Henry."

Last month, Senator Akaka secured $100,000 in the Labor-HHS FY 2007 Appropriations bill approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee for the development of the Henry Kuualoha Giugni Archives at the University of Hawaii.