Synopsis: Nobody will deny that finding unexploded ordnance possibly saves lives. Perhaps the governor should have learned the ‘ōlelo no’eau, “I ali’i ke ali’i i ke kanaka.”

Aloha mai kākou e nā makamaka heluhelu mai Hawai’i moku o Keawe, a i ka moku kā’ili lā ‘o Ni’ihau. ‘O ia ‘ōlelo e kau a’ela i luna, he ‘ōlelo ia e lohelohe ‘ia nei a puni kēia pae’āina nei no ke Kia’āina Neil Abercrombie, ‘o ia ho’i, ua kauoha wale ‘ia me ka kūkala ‘ole aku i ka lehulehu ke kuahaua ulia pōpilikia, e ‘imi aku ka Pū’alikoa Wilikī i nā pōkā pahū i pahū ‘ole e waiho wale ana ma ka ‘āina a loa’a, e lawe ‘ia aku a ma kahi palekana e ho’opahū ‘ia ai. A ua hana ‘o ia pēlā me ka hō’ike ‘ole ‘ana a’e i ka lehulehu. Ma Iune ke kuahaua, a ‘akahi nō a lohe ‘ia ma ke kaona, a ma kua’āina nō ho’i.

‘Eā, he mea nui ka lawe ‘ia ‘ana aku o ia mau pōkā pahū ma kahi ‘ē i ‘ole ho’i e pō’ino ke ola o kahi kanaka a waiho iho i hope nei kona ‘ohana a me nā hoa aloha e uē pa’iāuma ana nona. A no laila, ua pololei nō ka ‘ōlelo a ke ke’ena o ke Kia’āina, ‘o ia ho’i, ua makepono ka hana a ke aupuni (ma ia kuahaua ‘ana). ‘A’ohe ‘ōlelo ‘ana, ua makehewa ka loa’a ‘ana mai o ia mau pōkā pahū a ho’opahū ‘ia ma kahi palekana. ‘O ka hana malū a ke Kia’āina, ‘o ia ka mea i ‘ano ‘ē ai ka na’au. Inā hana ‘o ia pēlā, he aha lā nā hana ‘ē a’e āna e hana malū ai.

‘O nā kānaka, ‘o ia nā mea e kū nei ‘o Abercrombie i ka moku, a eia kā ‘o ia ke hūnā aku nei i kāna mau hana, āna e mana’o nei, no ka pono ia o ka lehulehu o Hawai’i nei. Inā pēlā, e hō’ike ‘ia i mua o nā maka o nā kānaka. ‘A’ole na’e ‘o ia i hana pēlā, a no laila nō i ho’ohuoi ai ka nui manu me ke kanikani nō o ka nuku ‘o’oi.

‘A’ole paha i a’o kahi kia’āina o kākou i ka ‘ōlelo a kahiko, ‘o ia ho’i, “I ali’i nō ke ali’i i ke kanaka.” A ke ‘ōlelo nei ko ‘oukou mea kākau, ua like nō ia no ke kia’āina. I kia’āina nō ke kia’āina i ke kanaka. He kuleana no ko ke kia’āina, ‘a’ole maika’i ke hana’ino wale ‘ia nā kānaka. Ua ‘ike paha kākou a pau i ka mo’olelo o Hakau. ‘A’ole e like ka hopena o ke “ali’i” ho’oluhi i kēia mau lā, akā, he mea pono nō ka mālama ‘ana i ke kanaka, ‘a’ole e hana ‘ino wale ‘ia aku.

‘O ke a’o ‘ole paha i ia ‘ōlelo kahiko kāna kumu e hana’ino mai nei i nā kumu kula aupuni, nā kumu ho’i nāna e mālama a e a’o nei i kā kākou mau pua. A ua maopopo nō iā kākou a pau, ‘a’ole nō i mālama pono ‘ia nā kumu kula aupuni no nā makahiki he nui, a ua kuhi paha kākou, ‘o Abercrombie kā lākou mea e pakele ai i ‘ino. Launa aku nei nā kākou me ke Ali’i nui o O’ahu, me Kakuhihewa.

‘A’ole nō i hala ka Pu’ulena, e ke kia’āina. ‘O kāu hana, e nānā i nā ‘ōlelo akamai a nā kūpuna o kēia pae’āina nei. A pēlā pū me nā mo’olelo, o ‘ōlelo ‘ia ‘oe he hoa no nā ali’i ho’oluhi o Ka’ū. E hahai ‘oe i ia mau ‘ōlelo kahiko, a e kū hou paha ‘oe i ka moku, ke hiki hou mai ka wā koho pāloka. Inā ‘a’ole ‘oe e maka’ala i ia mau ‘ōlelo a me nā mo’olelo, ‘a’ole e ō kou inoa ma kēia hope aku.

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)
» 956-2627 (Kekeha)
This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.