The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) has announced the Bishop Museum and the late Dr. George Kanahele as this year’s recipients of the 2010 Tourism Legacy Awards. The awards, which honor individuals, organizations and business that have "perpetuated the Hawaiian culture and have had a positive effect on Hawaii tourism," were presented yesterday at HTA’s Hawaii Tourism Conference.
On Oahu, the Bishop Museum is the largest museum in the state and the premier natural and cultural history institution in the Pacific, housing an extensive collection of Hawaiian artifacts, documents and photographs about Hawaii and other Pacific island cultures. The museum is recognized throughout the world for its cultural collections, research projects, consulting services and public educational programs, and also boasts one of the largest natural history specimen collections in the world. Serving and representing the interests of the Native Hawaiians is a primary purpose of the Bishop Museum.
Dr. George Kanahele was an author and educator in Hawaiian culture and history, a respected civic leader, one of the first Native Hawaiians to earn a Ph.D., and an industry consultant on values-based management until his passing in 2000. In addition to establishing the Hawaiian Music Foundation, Kahahele co-founded the Waiaha Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving the Hawaiian culture, and the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association. He has authored several important publications, including Critical Reflections of Cultural Values and Hotel Management in Hawaii and Restoring Hawaiianess to Waikiki.
Visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org.
