I just took a look this morning at some recent news about Hawaii as seen by folks outside of the state. Here’s a sample….

Language Magazine: Hawaiian Activist Refuses to Speak English in Court

A group of activists blocked the construction of a large telescope on a mountain that many Native Hawaiians hold sacred. Kahookahi Kanuha, one of three activists arrested, refused to speak English in court. “I’m trying to show that the language is alive,” Kanuha told NPR. “And it’s about time that Hawaiian be truly recognized, at the very least, as an equal language to English. And so one way to do that, I think, is to prove, in the courts, that I do not need to ask for an interpreter. And that’s why the case has been postponed. It is the judge who cannot communicate in my preferred language, which just so happens to be an official language of the state of Hawaii.”

Variety: NBC Developing Johnny Knoxville Comedy Based on ‘Hawaiian Dick’ Comic Series

Billed as a one-hour comedic actioner, the project centers on a Stateside cop named Byrd who is exiled to Hawaii and finds himself immersed in a dark and dangerous paradise. Tropical noir mixes with procedural elements, resulting in both humor and the supernatural.

Washingtonian: Look Inside Washington’s First Hawaiian Restaurant: Hula Girl

“When Brennan launched her mobile business in 2011, she brought one of the first tastes of Hawaiian cuisine to Washington. Though the van is no longer running, many of her popular street eats make an appearance on the new menu—think tender Kalua pork roasted in banana leaves, macaroni salad, and of course, Spam musubi. The sushi-like rolls—a convenience store staple in Hawaii—feature grilled slices of Spam (yes, the canned original) wrapped with rice and seaweed. Brennan eventually plans to add a deep-fried, crunchy version.”

Oregonian: ‘Real deal’ Hawaiian chef wants everyone to eat like a local

As Kevin Yamada knows all too well, being an ocean away from home can be hard for Hawaii locals living on the mainland. Getting back can be expensive, but his new Hawaiian comfort food restaurant, Kama’aina, aims to bring islanders and mainlanders to Hawaii’s shores for a fraction of the price of a plane ticket.

“It’s nice to be able to go back without having to go back,” Yamada said. “My vision is to really make [the restaurant] like it is back home.”

He’s even named his operation at 1910 Main St. in Forest Grove for the Hawaiian phrase longtime locals use to describe themselves. In Hawaiian, Kama’aina (pronounced “comma-eye-nuh”) means “child of the land.”

Christian Science Monitor: Epic journey: Around the world in a Hawaiian canoe

The crew said they were struck by the sound of Hawaiian and African drums together as they entered the safe marina in Cape Town after the latest leg of their journey. The welcome ceremony featured Hawaiian and Zulu dancers, who took turns sharing their native dances, the Associated Press reported.

UPI: Scientists discover 74 new beetle species on Hawaiian volcano

“Haleakala volcano is a large pie with different sets of beetle species living in the different slices,” Liebherr said in a press release. “Actually the different pie slices are just like the original Hawaiian land divisions called ahu pua’a, showing that the Hawaiian people had a keen sense for how their island home was organized.”

Portland Business Journal: Eat It Up: Gourdet fits to a Tea, Nicky USA goes Hawaiian and a pioneering eatery closes

Oh deer: Portland’s Nicky USA has an ambitious new partnership.
The group will work with Hawaii’s Maui Nui Venison to bring Wild Hawaiian Venison to Oregon and beyond. Maui Nui Venison is a sustainable operation that “harvests wild Axis Deer on the islands of Maui and Moloka’i to keep the invasive species populations under control, and through partners like Nicky USA, provides this truly wild protein to consumers,” the companies said in a release.

KQED: Luxurious Hawaiian Featherwork Makes its Mainland Debut

Royal Hawaiian Featherwork: N? Hulu Ali’i, on view at the de Young museum and on loan from the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum in Honolulu, is a gorgeous collection of 18th to early 20th century objects made for Hawaiian rulers. The approximately 75 pieces, including ‘ahu ‘ula (long cloaks and short capes), k?hili (royal staffs of feathers), lei hulu manu (feathered lei) and mahiole (helmets) once provided spiritual protection and indications of status. Today they give glimpses into the lives of royals during a turbulent era.

Medscape.com: Diabetes Prevalence High in Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders and Asians

After age adjustment, the prevalence of diabetes among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders combined in California, Hawaii, New York, Utah, Washington, and Guam ranged from a low of 13.4% in New York to a high of 19.1% in California.

Overall diabetes prevalence in these states was 14.3% for Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders compared with 8% among whites (P < .001). And age-adjusted diabetes prevalence, rates of overweight or obesity, and likelihood of educational status below high school completion were all greater for Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders than Asians in these states. Full adjustment for diabetes risk factors, however, made the difference in diabetes prevalence no longer significant between Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders and Asians, suggesting that the risk factors of overweight/obesity and lack of high school completion might account for the differing rates of diabetes, the authors write.