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The Hawaiian Council is a Native Hawaiian CDFI and plays a wide range of supportive roles within the Hawaiian community. Prior to the rebrand, the organization was named “Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement”. The name was often listed incorrectly, and if people knew it as CNHA, they didn’t know what that stood for. It became clear that a rebrand was necessary, one that reflected the diverse roles the Council fills in the community.

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An ‘aha is one name for cordage in the Hawaiian language and a name for a Council. It brings to mind the many different threads and fibers that come together to create a strong rope, and the many different leaders that come together to form a council.

 

As a paddler, and the ‘aha reminded me of how we rig a boat. On a canoe, ‘aha is used to rig the ama to the  ‘iakos, and the ‘iakos to the wa‘a. Without that connection, the boat would be unstable. In houses, it’s used to secure beams to secure the roof. I created passes focusing on the lashing used on a canoe, on an adze, and in a home.