HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 074 Draft 01 2022-2024 . � .,.�:.
COUNTY OF HAWAII . : _�. : ; STATE OF HAWAII
RESOLUTION NO. ~74 23
A RESOLUTION URGING AWARENESS AND PLEDGING SUPPORT TO PROTECT
NATIVE HAWAIIAN WOMEN AND GIRLS FROM ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION.
WHEREAS,the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), in collaboration with the Hawai`i
State Commission on the Status of Women,published the first of a two-part report in December
2022 titled Holoi A Nalo Wahine `Oiwi: Missing and Murdered Native Hawaiian Women and
Girls Task Force Report(MMNHWG Report); and
WHEREAS,the MMNHWG Report states that the lack of data on the MMNHWG crisis
gives the inaccurate appearance that this is not an issue that warrants further exploration and/or
government resources, and thus it is often called"the invisible crisis"; and
WHEREAS, the MMNHWG Report further states that"the invisible crisis" is due to:
(1) the lack of recognition that Native Hawaiians are the indigenous people of Hawai`i and that
they continue to experience systemic racism, (2) no concerted effort has been made to
thoroughly study and understand the MMNHWG crisis to allow for the development of a
comprehensive effort to support and protect Native Hawaiian women and girls from harm, and
(3)the avenues by which Native Hawaiian women and girls go missing or are murdered is
complex and intertwined with historical inequities that are not fully acknowledged; and
WHEREAS, according to the 2020 Census Data, as compiled by the National Asian
Pacific American Women's Forum,Native Hawaiian women are more economically vulnerable
than men, typically earning .57 cents to every dollar that white, non-Hispanic men earn; and
WHEREAS, according to the MMNHWG Report:
• Indigenous women and girls, including Native Hawaiians, are far more likely to
be victims of violence than any other population in the United States;
• In 2019, Hawaii had the eighth highest rate of missing persons per capita in the
nation;
• From 2001 to 2021, more than one-quarter of missing girls in Hawai`i are Native
Hawaiian;
• From 2018 to 2021, there were 182 cases of missing Native Hawaiian girls on
Hawai`i Island, higher than any other racial group; and
• From 2018 to 2021,Native Hawaiian children ages 15 to 17 represented the
highest number of missing children's cases on Hawai`i Island, with the most
children reported missing in Hilo; and
WHEREAS, a 2018 report by the Urban Indian Health Institute titled,Missing and
Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls:A snapshot of data from 71 urban cities in the United
States, documented the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in the United
States but did not include Hawai`i or any information on Native Hawaiian women or girls; now,
therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that the
Council will work to increase awareness of the MMNHWG crisis by encouraging all residents of
the County of Hawai`i to learn to recognize the signs of sex trafficking and abuse and to have the
compassion and courage to report incidences to authorities.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council commits to working with all
government and private stakeholders to ensure that Native Hawaiian women and girls receive the
services and support required to protect them from being abused and exploited.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council commits to supporting the Hawai`i
County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney and the Hawaii County Police Department in
collecting relevant data on MMNHWG, to be shared with OHA or the Council as appropriate,to
further address this issue in a meaningful way.
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BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the County Clerk shall transmit a copy of this
resolution to the Honorable Josh Green, M.D., Governor, State of Hawai`i; all members of the
Hawai`i State Legislature; the Honorable Mitchell D. Roth, Mayor, County of Hawai`i;
Benjamin Moszkowicz, Chief of Police, County of Hawaii; Kelden Waltjen, Prosecuting
Attorney, County of Hawai`i; Khara Jabola-Carolus, Executive Director, Hawaii State
Commission on the Status of Women; and Farrah-Marie Gomes, Chair, Hawaii County
Committee on the Status of Women.
Dated at Kona , Hawai`i, this 3rd day of May , 2023 .
INTRODUCED BY:
CO CIL MEM R, COUNTY OF HAWAII
'�'
COS IL MEMBER'CO l O' • WAI`I
COUNTY COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE
County of Hawaii AYES NOES ABS EX
Hilo, Hawaii EVANS X
GALIMBA X
I hereby certify that the foregoing RESOLUTION was by INABA X
the vote indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL of the KAGIWADA X
County of Hawai`i on May 3, 2023 .
KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER X
KIERKIEWICZ X
ATTEST: KIMBALL X
LEE LOY X
VILLEGAS X
9 0 0 0
Reference: C-151/GOEAC -40
TY CLERK C IRPERSON&PRESIDING OFFICER RESOLUTION NO. 74 23
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