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The University of Hawai'i is soliciting proposals for a digital archive of Native Hawaiian histories.
Named for the first Polynesian United States Senate sergeant at arms, who died in 2005, the Henry Ku'ualoha Giugni Archives will feature Hawaiian photographic artifacts and personal narratives. The U.S. Department of Education awarded $191,593 to the univeristy for the project, earlier this month.
"The Giugni Archives will perpetuate and share the special history and culture of Native Hawaiians, and allow voices from the past to touch future generations," said Sen. Daniel K. Inouye in a written release. "It will be especially valuable as a resource for creating educational materials and for researchers."
Inouye's sentiment on the cultural significance of the archive is shared by U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, the first U.S. senator of Native Hawaiian ancestry and a supporter of the program. "These archives will enable the sharing and perpetuation of the culture, collective memory and history of a community that Henry Giugni so dearly loved," Akaka said. "It will ensure that future generations have access to the traditional knowledge and wisdom of all indigenous people."
Due to the efforts of Henry Giugni's daughter, local filmmaker Heather Giugni of Juniroa Productions Inc., the Henry K. Giugni Archives will be hosted by UH's Academy for Creative Media. Giugni and Academy for Creative Media founder Chris Lee are currently leading a nationwide search for a development consultant.
Once hired, the consultant will craft plans for a virtual and physical repository capable of transferring existing recorded histories onto a permanent digital format. The project's coordinators will also record oral histories in a high-definition format suitable for mass distribution.
"The consultant will advise on the best practices to facilitate the sharing, perpetuating and preserving of Hawai'i's culture, traditions, oral histories and collective memory through the development of a facility with the ability to transfer existing films, television shows and privately recorded histories," said Dr. Stephen Itoga, the project's technical representative.
Many Native Hawaiian artifacts are deteriorating with age, according to Lee, who hopes that the newly formed archives will save indigenous relics before they become obsolete.
"We have a society that is rapidly losing our collective memory in the passing of every kupuna and the destruction of recorded media due to age, climate conditions and neglect," said Lee, who recently served as executive producer for United Artists' "Valkyrie," a film starring Tom Cruise. "Our personal histories need to be recorded and preserved before we lose these treasures and their experiences forever."
Giugni believes the archives will allow the global community to learn about the Native Hawaiian community, while also providing a way for Hawaiians to pass their memories from one generation to the next.
"Hawai'i has needed an archive that cares for its photographic treasures both moving and still, treasures that will not only be saved but shared," said Guigni. "Working alongside dedicated individuals such as Chris and others in our community will ensure the success of this effort," said Giugni.
Proposals should be submitted no later than Feb. 16, 2009.
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