Synopsis: Kaua‘i is about to dim the lights on night-time high school football games in order to protect the Newell’s shearwater.

Aloha mai kākou e nā hoa heluhelu. Eia nō ke kau pōpeku ua hiki hou mai e like me ka mea ma’a mau i kēlā me kēia makahiki. I kēia ahiahi nō (8/2) e mālama ‘ia ai ka peku ‘ulele mua o ke kau pōpeku 2010 o ke Kulanui o Hawai’i ma Mānoa. E lē’ī nō paha ke kahua ha’uki ‘o Aloha i ka nuku nā kānaka e ake ana e māka’ika’i hou aku i ka pōpeku ma hope o ka wā ho’omaha lō’ihi.

Ma Kaua’i ho’i, ua ho’omaka ke kau pōpeku o nā kula ki’eki’e, ‘a’ole na’e e mālama ‘ia ana nā peku ‘ulele i ka pō, no ka mea, ‘a’ole paha e ‘ā ana nā kukui o nā kahua pā’ani. A he aha ka mea e ‘ā ‘ole ai? Ua waiho ‘ia kekahi palapala i mua o nā luna o ke Kalana ‘o Kaua’i e koikoi ana i ke Kalana e ho’ēmi aku i ka mālamalama ‘ana o nā kukui o nā hale a me nā kahua o ke aupuni i ka pō. Ua lilo ia mau kukui i mea e pilikia ai ka nohona o ka ‘a’o. He manu ‘ōiwi no ka pae’āina ‘o Hawai’i, a ‘o Kaua’i na’e kona alahula.

‘O ka pilikia ho’i, ke make nui nei ka ‘a’o ma muli o nā kukui. ‘O ia ho’i, i ke kiko ‘ana mai o nā pūnua, lele aku nō i kai i ka pō. ‘O ka pā kōnane a ka mahina ka mea e ‘ike ai i ko lākou wahi o ka lele ‘ana. I mālamalama nui mai nā kukui o nā hale a me nā kahua, hele a huikau ka ‘a’o a hā’ule mai nō i ka honua no ka mālo’elo’e o nā ‘ēheu a no ka ho’oku’i aku paha i kekahi pū’o’a a uea paha e kau mai ana i luna. I ka hā’ule ‘ana i lalo, ‘a’ole hiki ke lele hou a pau nui nā ‘a’o i ka ‘ai ‘ia e kekahi mau holoholona a i ka holo ‘ia paha e nā ka’a. Ua ‘ike ‘ia ke emi loa o ka ‘a’o ma Kaua’i a ua hāpai ‘ia kēia mana’o i mea e māhuahua hou ai kēia manu ‘ōiwi.

Mai ka wā mai i hō’ea mai ai nā kānaka i nēia pae mokupuni aloha o kākou, ua ho’omaka ke emi ‘ana o ka ‘a’o. Ua pau kekahi i ka ‘ai ‘ia e nā kānaka a ua pau kekahi i nā holoholona i lawe ‘ia mai. ‘O ka ‘iole, ka manakuke, ka pua’a a me ka pōpoki i hele a ‘ōhukahuka kekahi i kela ka ‘ono i ka ‘a’o. Pa’akikī ka pale aku i kēlā mau holoholona. Wahi a kahiko, “He ‘a’o ka manu noho i ka lua, ‘a’ohe loa’a i ka lima ke nao aku”, no ka mea, aia kona pūnana ma nā lua o nā pali kū ki’eki’e. Kāka’ikahi ka lima e hiki aku ma laila. ‘O ia mau holoholona na’e he mea ‘ole ka pi’ina i ia wahi.

‘O ka mea ‘āpiki, ho’okahi wale nō hua a ka ‘a’o, a no laila, i ka make ‘ana o ho’okahi pūnua, ‘o ka hapa ‘ana mai nō ia o ka nui o nā ‘a’o o ka honua nei. I kēia manawa, ‘a’ole nui nā ‘a’o e ‘ai ‘ia nei e nā kānaka, eia na’e, ua hiki ke kōkua ma o ka ho’opio a pale ‘ana paha i nā kukui o ke kahua pōpeku. E namunamu ana paha kekahi po’e māka’ika’i pōpeku no ka mālama ‘ia o nā pā’ani pōpeku i ke ao. No ka pa’ahana o kekahi po’e, ‘a’ole hiki ke hele i ke ao, a no ka ‘olu’olu o ka pō, ‘a’ole hoihoi kekahi po’e i ka ho’omanawanui ‘ana i ka wela o ka lā. A no nā keiki pōpeku, ‘oi aku paha ka hiala’ai o ka pā’ani ‘ana i ka pō ma lalo o ka mālamalama o nā kukui. He mea minamina ‘i’o nō kēlā. No ka ‘a’o na’e, he nīnau no ke ola a me ka make.

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.