Synopsis: The I Ulu I Ke Kumu Awards will honor Kanaka Maoli leaders in education this year: Dr. Benjamin Young, Dee Jay Mailer, Māpuana de Silva and the Protect Kaho’olawe ‘Ohana.

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Welina e nā hoa makamaka, e ho’ohanohano ‘ia ana kekahi mau Hawai’i Alaka’i ma ka ho’ona’auao ‘ana e ke Kula ‘Ike Hawai’i ‘o Hawai’inuiākea i ka lā 22 o Malaki ma Kamakakūokalani. E lilo ana ka Makana I Ulu I Ke Kumu iā lākou.

‘O ka Makana I Ulu I Ke Kumu, he makana ia e lilo aku i ke kanaka a i ka hui paha e ‘oi kelakela ana ma ka ho’ona’auao ‘ana no ka pono o ke Kanaka Maoli o Hawai’i. ‘O ka makahiki ‘elima kēia o ka hā’awi ‘ia ‘ana aku o kēia makana.

Eia nā mea e kau ana i ka hano hāweo i kēia makahiki:

‘O Kauka Benjamin B. C. Young, ‘o ia kekahi o nā kumu koa ma ka mo’olelo lā’au lapa’au a ola kino ho’i o Hawai’i nei. Ua puka ‘o ia mai ke Kula Lapa’au o ke Kulanui ‘o Howard. A ua a’o mai ‘o ia i ka lapa’au ‘ana i ka ma’i o ka no’ono’o, a me ka pilikia o ka na’au ma ke Kulanui o Hawai’i. A ‘o ia ka luna o ke ke’ena ma’i no’ono’o ma ke Kikowaena Lapa’au ‘o Kākela ma mua. A ma hope mai, ‘o ia ka luna mālama haumāna a me ka luna ho’okō o ke Kikowaena Kūlia I Ka Nu’u no ke Kanaka Maoli ma ke Kula Lapa’au ‘o John A. Burns a hiki i kona ho’omaha ‘ana.

‘O Dee Jay Mailer, ‘o ka luna ho’okō ‘o ia o nā Kula ‘o Kamehameha mai ka makahiki 2004. Ma mua o kona lilo ‘ana ‘o ia ka luna ho’okō o nā Kula ‘o Kamehameha, ua noho akula ‘o ia ma Geneva, Kuikilana i luna lawelawe ma ka hui ‘o Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria. A he kōkua a he kāko’o nō ho’i ‘o ia ma ka ‘oihana mālama ola kino ma nā kūlana like ‘ole, mai ke kahu ho’ohānau keiki ma ke Kikowaena Lapa’au ‘o Kapi’olani a ke kūlana luna ho’okō o ka hui ‘o Kaiser Permanente Hawai’i.

‘O Māpuana a me Kīhei de Silva, ‘o kēia mau kōko’olua, ua hana pū lāua ma ke alaka’i ‘ana i ka Hālau Mōhala ‘Ilima. ‘O Māpuana ke kumu hula, a ‘o Kīhei ke kākau mo’olelo o ka wā kahiko. A ‘o ka pahuhopu o ka Hālau Mōhala ‘Ilima, ‘o ia ka ho’ona’auao ‘ana i kona mau lālā ma ka hula ‘ana a me nā ‘ike e pili ana. ‘O ka Hālau Mōhala ‘Ilima, he alaka’i ia no kona mau ‘ōlapa a me ko lākou mau kaiāulu a me ka lāhui Hawai’i. Ua nui nā haumāna a Māpuana i ‘ūniki ma kona hālau, he 26 kumu hula, he 3 ho’opa’a, a he 50 ‘ōlapa a emi iki iho.

‘O ka hui ‘o Protect Kaho’olawe ‘Ohana, ua ho’okumu ‘ia i ka makahiki 1976. A na kēia hui i alaka’i i ka hana ma ke kūpa’a ‘ana ma hope o Kanaloa, a ‘o ka hopena, ua pau ihola ka ho’opahū ‘ia ‘ana o ia ‘āina aloha i ka makahiki 1990. ‘O kekahi mea nui i kēia hui, ‘o ia ka ho’omau hou ‘ana i ka Makahiki a me kekahi mau hana ho’omana ‘ē a’e. No nā makahiki he 38, ua nui loa nō nā kānaka i a’o mai i ka mālama ‘āina a me ke aloha ‘āina ma ke kipa ‘ana aku iā Kanaloa a me ka hana ‘ana i nā mea e ola hou ai ‘o Kaho’olawe.

Mahalo a nui i kēia mau ipu kukui pio ‘ole i ke Kaua’ula.

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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:

>> kwong@hawaii.edu

>> rsolis@hawaii.edu

a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:

>> 956-2627 (Laiana)

>> 956-2627 (Kekeha)

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