Synopsis: A bill to allow the sale of hand pounded poi meets resistance at the Legislature.

Aloha mai kākou e nā hoa heluhelu. He nīnau hou i kupu maila ma loko o ka ‘aha’ōlelo e pili ana i ke kū’ai ‘ana i ka pa’i’ai i ku’i lima ‘ia. Eia nō i kēia mau lā e ne’e nei he mau kānaka e ku’i nei i ka ‘ai e like nō me ka hana a ko lākou mau kūpuna o ka wā kahiko, ‘o ia ho’i, me ka pōhaku a me ka papa ku’i ‘ai. A he ‘oia’i’o nō ka ‘ono o ka pa’i’ai, ‘a’ohe wahi ‘ano like me ka pa’i’ai e kū’ai ‘ia nei i loko o nā mākeke. ‘O ia ‘ano poi, na ka mīkini no e “ku’i” ma o ka wili ‘ana. ‘Eā, ‘a’ole kēia he mana’o hō’āhewa i ka mīkini, ‘o ka wali loa ka pilikia no ka po’e e ‘ono nei i ka pa’i’ai. A ua maopopo, he nui ka po’e e kū’ai nei i ka poi, pehea lā kona ‘ano wali, a i kekahi manawa, ‘o ka ‘ūlōlohi o ka hō’ea i ka halekū’ai, ua pau kēlā poi wali i ke kū’ai lilo ‘ia.

Pehea ka pa’i’ai i ku’i lima ‘ia? ‘O ka mea ‘āpiki, he kānāwai e pāpā ana i ke kū’ai aku i kēia ‘ano poi i ku’i lima ‘ia e like me ka hana o ke au kahiko, a ‘o ia ihola ke kumu i hāpai ‘ia ai kēia pila, ‘o ka H.B. 1344 H.D. 2, i mua o nā luna maka’āinana o ka ‘aha’ōlelo a ke lohe ‘ia nei e kekahi kōmike i noho luna ‘ia e Robert Herkes (D) no Ka’ū. Na kēia pila e ‘ae i ka po’e ku’i ‘ai e kū’ai i kā lākou pa’i’ai ma waena o ka lehulehu. ‘O ua luna maka’āinana nei na’e, eia nō ke hōkai nei i ka holo pono ‘ana o ka pila ma o ka hō’ole ‘ana e mālama i kahi lohe ‘ana. ‘O ke kumu nui a ua Herkes nei o ka hō’ole ‘ana, wahi āna ‘a’ole hiki ke ho’okō ‘ia ke lilo i kānāwai. Eia na’e, wahi a ka Papa Ola, ‘a’ole ho’onui ‘ia kā lākou hana ma muli o kēia pila me ia e kākau ‘ia nei, a ‘a’ole ia he mea ho’oluhi iā lākou. ‘O ka ‘oia’i’o, he mea ia e emi ai ka nui o kā lākou hana, no ka mea, ‘a’ole lākou pono e nānā i ka loa’a a me ka ‘ole o ka palapala ‘ae a kēlā me kēia kanaka kū’ai i ka pa’i’ai i ku’i lima ‘ia. Inā paha e kupu mai kekahi kumu e namunamu ai ka po’e kū’ai, a he pono ka ho’oponopono ‘ana a ka Papa Ola, ‘a’ole nō e ho’onui ‘ia kā lākou hana. A no laila, he hana kā ka luna maka’āinana Herkes? Kohu mea lā, ke hopohopo nei e hopohopo ai.

Ho’omana’o a’ela au i kekahi hihia i kupu mai he iwakālua makahiki aku nei, i ka wā ho’i i ho’okumu ‘ia ai he polokalamu ‘aina awakea no nā keiki o ka Pūnana Leo. Ua mana’o ‘ia he mea maika’i ka hānai aku iā lākou i ka poi. Eia na’e, wahi a ka Papa Ola o ia au, ‘a’ole hiki ke hānai ‘ia nā keiki i ka poi me ka loa’a ‘ole o kekahi pāpaa palaoa, a no ka mea, ‘a’ole i ‘āpono ‘ia ka poi ma ke ‘ano he lālā no nā hui mea’ai nui ‘ehā. ‘O ka mea ‘āpiki, ‘a’ohe hopena pāheu (allergic reaction) ke ‘ai aku nā keiki loa’a wale i ia ‘ano ma’i. Kohu mea lā, ‘a’ohe ‘ano loli o ka mana’o i loko o kēlā mau makahiki he 20. He aha lā ke kumu e kū’ē ‘ia ai ka pa’i’ai?

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.