Synopsis: Some of Hawaii’s legislators are finally thinking outside of the box, but, with a strange twist.

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Welina e nā makamaka heluhelu. ‘O ia ‘ōlelo e kau a’ela i luna i po’o mana’o, “He mūhe’e ka i’a hololua,” he ‘ōlelo ia no ke kanaka paha e ho’omalimali ana iā ‘oe ‘oiai ‘o ia i mua o kou alo, akā, ke ha’alele ‘oe, a laila, e kūamuamu ana ‘o ia i kou inoa maika’i. A ‘o kekahi mana’o paha o ia po’o mana’o e kau a’ela i luna, ‘o ia ka pāpā ‘ana i kāu keiki ‘a’ole e hana i kekahi hana, akā, hana nō ‘oe i ia hana ho’okahi nō.

‘O ke kumu i lilo ai ia ‘ōlelo no’eau i po’o mana’o no kēia lā, ‘o ia ka pila hou i hāpai ‘ia a’e nei e ka Lunamaka’āinana Rida Cabanilla. Ua lohe iho nei paha ‘oukou e nā makamaka heluhelu, ‘o ia pila hou, no ka ho’okumu ‘ana i ka panela nāna e ‘imi i wahi e holo pono ai ka ho’olilo ‘ana aku i ka pakalōlō i ko nā ‘āina ‘ē, nā ‘āina ho’i i ‘ae ‘ia ka puhi pakalōlō ma ke kānāwai. Wahi a Cabanilla, ke ‘ae ‘ia ka ho’ouna ‘ia ‘ana o ka pakalōlō ma ‘Amelika Hui Pū ‘Ia nō ho’i, he mau biliona kālā ke lilo mai iā Hawai’i. A ‘o kekahi kumu āna i hāpai ai i kēia pila, ‘o ka pakalōlō o Hawai’i ka ‘oi ma ka honua a puni, ‘a’ole na’e ‘o ia i puhi iki ma mua. (Ua pā wale nō paha ma ka lehelehe, ‘a’ole na’e ‘o ia i hanu i loko, e like me kekahi pelekikena ma mua.)

‘A’ole i lohe ko ‘oukou mea kākau no ka Lunamaka’āinana Cabanilla ma mua, akā, ‘o ia ke ‘ano luna kau kānāwai e pono ai ‘o Hawai’i. He ‘umeke kā’eo nō.

‘O kahi pilikia wale nō, a ‘o ke kumu ia e kau a’ela ia po’o mana’o i luna, ‘o ia ka ‘ōlelo ‘ana o Cabanilla, ‘a’ohe ona mana’o, e ‘ae ‘ia ka puhi pakalōlō ma ke kānāwai ma Hawai’i nei.

Ua nui paha nā ki’i ‘oni’oni āna i nānā ai ma mua e pili ana i ka lā’au ‘ona. A ‘ike ‘o ia, inā he kanaka kū’ai lā’au ‘ona ‘oe, ‘a’ole maika’i ka ‘ai ‘ana i ka lā’au ‘ona no ka mea, e emi auane’i ka loa’a. He ‘oia’i’o paha ia, ‘a’ole paha. ‘A’ole i kū’ai lā’au ‘ona ko ‘oukou mea kākau ma mua. ‘Eā, inā e ‘ae ‘ia ka pakalōlō ma ke kānāwai, e nui ana nō nā kānaka e makemake ana e hana ma nā hui mahi pakalōlō, a na ia mau hui e pāpā aku i nā limahana, ‘a’ole e puhi pakalōlō, inā pēlā ka makemake. Akā, ‘o nā maka’āinana ‘ē a’e o Hawai’i nei, e ‘ae ‘ia ko lākou puhi pakalōlō ma ke kānāwai.

‘Ae ‘ia ka puhi kikaliki, a me ka inu wai ‘ona. Ho’ohui ‘ia ia mau mea a ‘elua, a loa’a mai ka pakalōlō. ‘Eā, ‘a’ole pēlā, akā, he mea ka pakalōlō e puhi ‘ia, a ‘ona mai ke kanaka ke puhi aku. ‘O ka ‘ona na’e, ‘a’ole like me ka ‘ona i ka wai lohi o Maleka. A ‘a’ole paha ‘ino loa ka pakalōlō e like me ke kikaliki.

Eia mai kahi ‘ōlelo hoihoi o ka pila, “Ua ho’olako ke Akuawahine Pele iā Hawai’i i ka lepo momona ‘oi loa no ka ho’oulu pakalōlō ma ‘Amelika Hui Pū ‘Ia, a e ho’ohana ‘ia no ka pono o kona mau kānaka.” Ua lohe ‘ia, ‘ono ‘o Pele i ke kini, akā, ‘ono nō ho’i paha i ka pakalōlō?

‘Eā, he ho’omaka maika’i kēia pila, akā, e ka Lunamaka’āinana Cabanilla, mai lilo ‘oe i mūhe’e hololua.

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E ho’ouna ‘ia mai na ā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho’i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:

This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.