Synopsis: A person is recognized as being of a certain race based on genealogical connections. It is not something that one can aspire to be.

Aloha e nā hoa heluhelu o Kauakūkalahale. Eia nō ke ho’opuka ‘ia aku nei ke kolu o ke kolamu pili i ke kūlana a me ke kuleana o ke kanaka e kapa ‘ia nei he Hawai’i a he kanaka maoli paha. He nīnau kēia no ke kuleana, ‘a’ole no ke aloha.

He nui nā ‘ano kanaka o ka honua nei a ua ‘oko’a kekahi a ‘oko’a ho’i kekahi. ‘O kekahi kumu e ‘oko’a ai, ‘o ia nō ka mo’okū’auhau, a ‘o ia ihola ka mea e ‘ike ‘ia ai kona pilina i kona mau mākua, ko lāua pilina i ko lāua mau mākua, ko lākou pilina i ko lākou mau mākua, a pēlā wale aku nō. A ‘o ka hui pū ‘ana o ia mau kānaka me ka noho pū i nā makahiki he nui, ua kapa ‘ia he lāhui. Ua kapa ‘ia kēia mau lāhui ma ko lākou inoa pono’ī, a ‘o Hawai’i ka inoa o ka lāhui kanaka i hiki ke ho’omeheu ‘ia ko lākou mo’okū’auhau a ka wā ma mua o ka hō’ea ‘ana mai o Kāpena Kuke. A no ke kā’ili ‘ia o ua inoa nei e kekahi po’e i hiki ‘ole ke ho’omeheu aku i ko lākou mo’okū’auhau a hiki i ia wā, a no ka ho’oka’awale ‘ana i nā kānaka maoli mai nā Kānaka Maoli aku ma o ia mea he pākēneka, e like ho’i me ka mea i wehewehe ‘ia i loko o kēlā mau kolamu ‘elua i hala aku nei, a ‘oiai ho’i he ho’okahi wale nō mokupuni i ho’ohanohano ‘ia ma ia ‘ano hea inoa ‘ana, hele a huikau ‘i’o nō ka mana’o o ia inoa lāhui. A ‘o ia nō kekahi kumu i hea ‘ia ai nā ‘ano kanaka like ‘ole a me nā mea like ‘ole he nui i ka Hawai’i.

Ua ‘ano hoihoi ke kapa ‘ia ‘ana o kekahi mau kānaka he mau kānaka maoli. Ma muli o kekahi pilina o ka mana’o o “maoli” i ia mea he ‘oia’i’o, kohu mea lā, ‘a’ole he mea ‘oia’i’o nā kānaka ‘ē a’e. He aha lā ho’i ke ‘ano o ia mea he kanaka maoli ‘ole? He mea ho’opunipuni paha? He ho’omeamea paha? He huikau mai ho’i kau! No ka manawa, e ho’ohana au i ka inoa “Hawai’i” no ke kuhi aku i nā kānaka a pau i hiki ke ho’omeheu aku i ko lākou mo’okū’auhau i ka wā ma mua o ka hō’ea mai o Kuke.

Inā he nui ke aloha o kekahi kanaka i nēia pae’āina, i nā kānaka ho’i, nā hana, nā mele, nā mea’ai, ia mea aku ia mea aku, e ‘eha nō paha kona na’au ke hō’ole ‘ia kona kūlana he Hawai’i.

E mana’o paha ‘o ia ua ho’okae ‘ia ‘o ia ma muli o kona lāhui. ‘O ka ‘oia’i’o, aia nō paha kekahi mau kānaka (he Hawai’i paha kekahi a ‘a’ole paha kekahi he Hawai’i) nona ia ‘ano ho’okae. I ko’u mana’o na’e, ‘o ka hapanui o nā kānaka, ‘a’ohe o lākou mana’o ho’okae lāhui. Ua ‘ike na’e lākou i ka ‘oko’a o ke kuleana o kekahi kanaka a ‘oko’a ho’i ke kuleana o kekahi. A no laila, ‘a’ole kēia he nīnau no ke aloha. He nīnau nō na’e ia no ke kuleana. A i loko nō o ka mana nui e loa’a ana ma loko o ia mea he aloha, ‘a’ole nō e lawa e ho’ololi ai i ke kuleana o ke kanaka. A i loko nō o ka ‘i’ini nui o ke kanaka, ‘a’ole hiki iā ia ke koho i kona lāhui. I ‘ike ‘ia nō kekahi kanaka no kekahi lāhui ma muli o kona mo’okū’auhau.

E ho’ouna ‘ia mai n leka i mua, ‘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 Manoa.