Synopsis: A beautiful remembrance of Jean Ileialoha Keale Beniamina.

E nā Luna Ho‘oponopono hanohano ē, eia ke ‘imi nei i kauwahi ōpū ka‘awale e komo ai nei pū‘olo na ka waimaka no ka Wahine hele loa ma ke ala ka‘i ho‘okahi e kūmākena nei kānaka i hope nei; no ka mea ‘imi ola o ka mauli Hawai‘i e hā‘awe like nei kānaka i nā lu‘ulu‘u walania o ke kaumaha i hope nei; ia pua ‘a‘ala ho‘i o ke aumoe, o ke awakea e pō mai nei ke ‘ala ho‘omana‘o ō mau, no Jean Ileialoha Keale Beniamina kēia aloha.

‘O ‘oe kā e pane mai i kēia nui aloha …

‘Oiai ‘o ua Ileialoha nei, he kama o ke one a‘ia‘i o nā kapa kahakai o Ni‘ihau, kahi ho‘i e ‘ula we‘awe‘a ai ē ke kauna lani; ia ‘āina ho‘i nona mai kona pua mae ‘ole, he pūpū pae pū me ona ‘ili‘ili; ia home aloha ho‘i nona mai ka lālani mele, “Pūpū o Ni‘ihau, ‘auhea ‘oe …”;

Lehu a lehu ka mana‘o o kēia nui aloha …

A ‘oiai ‘o ua Ileialoha nei, he mamo ho‘i na ka welo ‘ohana ‘imi na‘auao i loko o nā paia ‘ehā o Ni‘ihau Kula, i loko ho‘i o ke apo pumehana o Nā Kula ‘O Kamehameha, a i loko ho‘i o nā kēkelē holomua o ka Ho‘ona‘auao (laepua) a me ka ‘Ōlelo me ka Mo‘okalaleo Hawai‘i (laeo‘o) o ke Kulanui o Hawai‘i ma Hilo;

‘Ōlino ha‘a mai ana i kēia nui aloha …

A ‘oiai ‘o ua Ileialoha nei, he lālā ho‘okumu o ka Papa Alaka‘i, ‘Aha Pūnana Leo, o ka MH 1983 e ‘imi pū ana i ka ho‘okumu he ala e ho‘ona‘auao ‘ia ai nā pua ‘i‘ini o Hawai‘i nei i loko pono mau nō o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i, ‘o ia nō ho‘i ‘oe ‘o ka ilāmuku e hou makawalu ana i ka laumeki a kū ia apona o ka make ‘o‘oi ho‘i o kona mai‘u‘u; he limahana pū ‘o ia o ka ‘Oihana Ho‘ona‘auao a me ke Kulanui Kaiāulu o Kaua‘i; he ho‘omano pū ‘o ia ma ka ‘imi a kumu ku‘ikahi mai Ke Kula Ni‘ihau O Kekaha i ka MH 1993; a he alaka‘i noho pū mai ‘o ia ma nā papa ho‘okele like ‘ole, e la‘a me ke Komikina Moku‘āina no ke Ea Hawai‘i, ke Ke‘ena Kuleana Hawai‘i, ke Ke‘ena ‘Āina Ho‘opulapula, Alulike, me ke Ke‘ena Ho‘oilina Kamali‘i a Lili‘uokalani;

E kō nō ka ‘i‘ini i kēia nui aloha …

A ‘oiai ‘o ua Ileialoha nei, ua ho‘ohanohano ‘ia i ka MH 2005 he Living Treasure of the Year and of Kaua‘i, a pēia i ka MH 2007, he Kumu Ho‘ona‘auo o ka Makahiki na ka Native Hawaiian Education Association; a ‘o kekahi ‘ao‘ao hanohano aku, ua welo maila nō he Hōkū Hanohano ma ka haku mele, iā Ho‘oulu Lāhui Hawai‘i me Pua ‘Ala Aumoe kekahi;

No laila, ua ho‘oholo ‘ia: ‘O mākou pū kekahi, nā ‘ohana o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i o ka ‘Aha Pūnana Leo, e upai pū aku nei a ‘auamo pono ‘ia ia lu‘ulu‘u nui i ka pio o ia leo ‘ale‘a, i ka nalo o ia mino, a i ka lilo o ia leo heahea Hawai‘i i pumehana ai ka manawa o loko.

Ua ho‘oholo hou ‘ia: ‘O mākou pū kekahi e ukū pū aku nei me ka ‘ohana pono‘ī a me ke anaina haipule o Kaua‘i o ka Po‘aono, 17.Iulai.2010, e ho‘ohiki aku ana i nei Wahine aloha i loko o ka hālāwai ‘ana o ka Mana Kahikolu o ka lani, a hāla‘i mau i loko o ka pālama o ia home lani mau ma ‘ō.

Aloha ho‘i ‘oe, e Iubile, ‘a‘ole e lohe hou ‘ia kou leo; aloha ho‘i ‘oe, e Kamoamoa, ‘a‘ole e ‘ike hou ‘ia kou nalu pae; aloha ho‘i ‘oe, e Waipalō, ‘a‘ole e ‘ohi hou ‘ia kou momi uliuli; aloha wale ‘oe, e Pu‘uwai, ‘a‘ole e noho hou ‘ia kou pumehana. E ho‘i wale aku nō ke aloha i Ni‘ihau!

Me ke aloha ho‘omau,

na ko ka ‘Aha Pūnana Leo

E ho‘ouna ‘ia mai nā 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)
» 956-2624 (Kekeha)

This column is coordinated by the Hawaiian Language Department at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, supported by the Initiative for Achieving Native Hawaiian Academic Excellence.