Excellence in Audio Storytelling, News Feature
Heidi Chang, “Edith Kanaka'ole is the first Hawaiian woman to grace a U.S. quarter,” NPR
ABOUT THE WORK: The author writes: “Through my work, NPR told the story of Edith Kanakaʻole, a Hawaiian cultural icon, teacher and composer, for the first time on ‘Morning Edition.’ It reached a large audience because it aired on the most listened-to news radio program in the country.”
The Edith Kanakaʻole Quarter is the seventh coin in the American Women Quarters Program, honoring pioneering women who've helped shape our nation's history and pave the way for others. This marked the first time the U.S. Mint featured a Native Hawaiian woman on a quarter.
Fondly known as ‘Aunty Edith,’ Kanaka’ole was born in 1913, on the Island of Hawai'i. During the Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance of the 1970s, Kanaka'ole was a dynamic force in reviving the Hawaiian language, hula and chant.
Those practices were almost lost after a group of American and European businessmen, backed by the United States, overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy in the 1890s. The Hawaiian language was soon banned in government offices and public schools. Over the decades, other traditions were suppressed.
“Some of our people felt sorrow, maybe even shame for that loss,” says Jon Osorio, a Native Hawaiian musician and historian. “I knew I grew up thinking that Hawaiian was completely gone from all households, because it was gone in ours. But it wasn't.”
“Through hula and chanting, Edith Kanakaʻole preserved the history, knowledge and heritage of the Native Hawaiian people,” said Kristie McNally, U.S. Mint deputy director. “Her tireless efforts teaching environmental conservation to future generations ... has made her a role model for all Americans.”
Photographer Franco Salmoiraghi made the image of Aunty Edith that an artist used for the coin. His favorite photo shows Aunty Edith chanting in a koa forest. “Because it's not just the photograph, it's her. And it's all the energy that came from her, and all the people that she has taught over many years,” he said.
Kanaka’ole died in 1979, at the age of 65.
Heidi Chang is an independent multimedia journalist who produces stories about Hawaii and the Pacific Rim for audio, video, digital media and print. Her work has aired on many networks and shows including NPR, VOA, PBS, ABC, AP, CBC, “The World," "Living on Earth," "Marketplace," “Here & Now,” “Weekend America,” “Latino USA,” and KQED’s “Pacific Time.”
She’s also written for the Los Angeles Times, NBC News and other outlets. Heidi began her journalism career as a TV reporter. She also worked as a news anchor and reporter at Hawaii Public Radio. Heidi is based in Honolulu where she got her start on the airwaves hosting popular radio shows featuring jazz, rock, and Hawaiian music. She also worked as a DJ in San Francisco at KBLX "The Quiet Storm" and KCSM Jazz 91.
Judges’ comments: “The judges appreciated the care Heidi took in her storytelling about an important subject and the layered way she weaved multiple voices and other audio. We were moved by the story of Edith Kanaka'ole, who proved to be inspirational in many ways. Overall, listening to this piece was a thoroughly enjoyable audio experience.”
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