Native Hawaiian artisans seek own trademark

By Sean Hao
Advertiser Staff Writer

A co-op for Native Hawaiian artists, craft makers and food producers wants to create a trademark to distinguish their products from other Hawai'i-labeled products.

"The general population, the tourists — they don't know it's different," said Nanette Napoleon, coordinator for an upcoming Native Hawaiian Producer Conference.

The event, scheduled for July 25-26 at the Kamakakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa, also will touch on Web site development, marketing and other business issues.

Much of the emphasis, however, will be on how to develop a trademark that could be licensed for use by Native Hawaiian entrepreneurs, Napoleon said. That effort could cost thousands of dollars, even excluding money that eventually would be needed to market a Native Hawaiian brand.

The Hale Ku'ai Cooperative, which is helping to put on the conference, will seek help from state agencies, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and others as part of the effort, Napoleon said.

Organizers hope the trademark will provide needed support for Native Hawaiian producers, who must compete for shelf space at local retail outlets with goods made by non-Hawaiians or imported from overseas.

"We're about trying to keep Native Hawaiian traditions alive by Native Hawaiians," Napoleon said. "It's a benefit to the entire community because it helps preserve our culture."

It may be too early to say if retailers would support a trademark for Native Hawaiian-made items. However, Maile Meyer, owner of Na Mea Hawai'i, which sells locally made products in downtown Honolulu, said it's clear that some buyers are interested in Hawaiian cultural products that are made by Native Hawaiians.

"Some people want to know if it was produced by a Hawaiian or not," she said. But with some items "it's hard to tell who's producing them."

A system of standards to determine who makes some products would help address the problem, Meyer said.