Synopsis: A response to people who feel the human services programs, especially programs for Native Hawaiians, are a waste of money.

Aloha mai e nā makamaka mai ka puka ‘ana a ka lā i Ha’eha’e a i kona welo ‘ana aku i ka mole ‘olu o Lehua. ‘Oiai, ua nui ka hauwala’au no kahi mo’olelo o kēlā pule aku nei, nona ke po’omana’o ‘o Kūpihipihi loa kahi koena ‘opihi, eia nō ko ‘oukou mea kākau ke pane aku nei iā lākou.

‘O kekahi mea i ‘ōlelo ‘ia, he mau polokalamu lapuwale nō ia mau polokalamu mālama kanaka, a he ho’opau kālā ho’i. Me ka mana’o nō paha, aia ka pono ‘o ka pepehi ‘ia aku o ia mau polokalamu. Kainō he mau hoa kanaka kākou, eia kā, ‘a’ole nā kānaka ma’i a ‘ilihune paha he hoa kanaka. Aia wale nō a like ke kūlana ikaika a waiwai paha, a laila paha, e lilo i hoa kanaka? A pehea i maopopo ai i ua mau kānaka lā nāna ia ‘ōlelo “he mau polokalamu lapuwale ia”? ‘Eā, ua nui nō nā kānaka i pōmaika’i i ia mau polokalamu. A nui nō ho’i nā kānaka e kōkua ‘ia nei. ‘A’ohe hewa o ia. No ke aha i mana’o ‘ia ai he mau polokalamu lapuwale ia?

A ‘o kekahi mau kānaka, e kuhikuhi ana nō, he mau polokalamu ho’okae ‘ili wale nō ka mea e lawelawe ‘ia a’e nei. Eia kā, he nui nō nā polokalamu e mālama ‘ia nei nā lāhui like ‘ole o Hawai’i nei, ‘o ka Pākē ‘oe, ka Hawai’i ‘oe, ka haole ‘oe, a me ia lāhui aku, ia lāhui aku. ‘O ka polokalamu QUEST kekahi, a me nā polokalamu ho’i e mālama ana i nā ‘ohana o Hawai’i nei, nā ‘elemākule, nā keiki, ka po’e kīnā, a pēlā aku. E kū ana paha i kahi kānāwai a ka Mō’ī Kamehameha, “E hele ka ‘elemakule, ka luahine, a me nā kamali’i a moe i ke ala, ‘a’ohe mea nāna e ho’opilikia.” ‘A’ole wale nō ‘o ka Hawai’i ke mālama ‘ia nei ma ia mau polokalamu.

A inā he nui nā polokalamu e pono ai nā Kānaka Hawai’i, ‘a’ohe hewa o ia. ‘Eā, ‘a’ole i kana mai nā pōmaika’i o ke aupuni moku’āina o Hawai’i i nā ‘āina i kā’ili ‘ia mai ke Aupuni Mō’ī, ‘a’ole nō e pau i ka helu ‘ia.

Na ‘Amelika nō ‘o ia i ho’opilikia, a no laila paha ka pilikia. Inā i kāko’o ‘ole ‘o ‘Amelika iā Kākina mā i ka lā 17 o Ianuali MH 1893, inā ‘a’ole pono ia mau polokalamu. A i ‘ole ia, inā i hahai ‘o Makinalē i ka hana a kona mua, a ka Mea Hanohano Kalivilana, ‘o ia ho’i, ke kauoha ‘ana e ho’iho’i ‘ia ke aupuni i ka Mō’īwahine Lili’uokalani, inā ua ‘oko’a ka mo’olelo o ka Hawai’i. ‘A’ole ho’i e hihi, ua kāko’o nō ‘o ‘Amelika iā Kākina mā i ka ho’okahuli aupuni, a ua holo ka mana’o o Makinalē e kāpae aku i ka mana’o o Kalivilana kūpono a e “ho’ohui ‘āina kū’ai hewa.” A no laila paha ka pilikia.

No laila, mai nō a hopohopo i ka nui o nā polokalamu e mālama nei i nā Kānaka Hawai’i. Ua kū nō i ka pono.

A ‘o ia ihola kahi mana’o i lohe ‘oukou. Ke ho’i akula ko Mānoa keiki ua ahiahi.

(‘Auhea ‘oukou e nā makamaka heluhelu, he kono kēia iā ‘oukou e ke kanaka nui me ke kanaka iki, ke kanaka ulakolako o ka noho ‘ana a me ke kanaka ‘ilihune o ka noho ‘ana, inā he mana’o kou e kākau i mo’olelo no Kauakūkalahale nei, e ho’ouna mai nō iā māua nei ‘o Laiana ma kekahi o nā leka uila ma lalo nei.)

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 Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, supported by the Initiative for Achieving Native Hawaiian Academic Excellence.