Organizers waive registration fee for Hawaiian Home Lands Sovereignty Conference, June 2-4

Native leaders from across the country will convene in Honolulu next month for the annual Hawaiian Home Lands Sovereignty Conference hosted by the Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations (SCHHA).

Thanks to sponsor support, scholarships are available to cover the full $350 registration fee. Walk-in attendees are welcome. The event is scheduled for June 2–4 at the Ala Moana Hotel.

The 2.5-day conference features sessions led by federal, state and nonprofit leaders on topics related to sovereignty, housing, agriculture and self-determination. Highlights include:

• Chrystel Cornelius, CEO of Oweesta Corp., on capitalizing Hawaiian homelands, 11 a.m. June 2
• USDA lawyer Janie Hipp, founder of the Native American Agriculture Fund, 8:30 a.m. June 3
• A bipartisan state lawmaker panel on homelands policy with Sens. Samantha DeCorte and Tim Richards, and Reps. Diamond Garcia and Darius Kila, 11:45 a.m. June 3
• Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian nonprofit caucus, 3:45 p.m. June 3
• Talk story with Office of Hawaiian Affairs CEO Stacy Ferreira and Trustee Brickwood Galuteria, 9:40 a.m. June 4
• A self-determination panel with Native leaders from Alaska, Hawaiʻi, Idaho, Montana/South Dakota and Wisconsin, 10:45 a.m. June 4

Kali Watson, director of the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, will keynote on the first day at 11:45 a.m. June 2. Gov. Josh Green will deliver the keynote address at 9:45 a.m. on June 3.

Registration is open from 5 to 7 p.m. June 1, and from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on June 2 and 3. For more information, call 808-651-8370 or email kara@hawaiianhomesteads.org.