Synopsis: Indigenous peoples meet in Montana to “make medicine” for us to heal. And a part of a poem by Jennifer Greene sums up that experience beautifully. (The poem was translated into Hawaiian.)

Welina e nā makamaka heluhelu. Ua pōmaika’i ko ‘oukou mau mea kākau i ka hele ‘ana aku nei i Monakana i kēlā pule aku nei me kekahi mau hoa hana no ka launa pū ‘ana me kekahi mau Kānaka ‘Ōiwi o ‘Ailana Honu e alu like nei ma ka hana ‘ana i “lā’au” e ola ai kākou a me nā pua a kākou o kēia hope aku. He keu ia hālāwai ‘ana a ka maika’i. A ua mōakāka nō ka ‘i’ini o nā mea a pau ma laila e ola , e holomua, e pono nā Kānaka ‘Ōiwi o ka Mokupuni Honu a me nā Kānaka Maoli o Hawai’i a me nā kānaka a pau paha.

‘O kekahi mea i mōakāka, ‘o ia ka ‘ike like ‘ana o ke Kanaka ‘Ōiwi o ka Mokupuni Honu a me ke Kanaka Maoli o Hawai’i i ka pilikia i ka ho’okolonaio ‘ia ‘ana mai. A pēlā pū nō me nā lāhui ‘ōiwi he nui.

Akā, ke hui pū kākou me ko kākou lāhui pono’ī a ke lohe ‘ia ko kākou mau leo a me nā mo’olelo, a pēlā pū me nā lāhui ‘ōiwi o nā ‘āina like ‘ole, ‘o ia ho’i ke kūkākūkā ‘ana me nā hoa ‘alo ‘īnea, e like me ka hana ma ia ‘ākoakoa ‘ana o mākou ma Monakana, he lā’au ia e ola ai kākou, e pono ai kākou a me nā pua e mohala nei a e mohala ana ma kēia hope aku.

‘A’ole lawa kahi o kēia kolamu nei e hō’ike i ka maika’i o ka hana ma Monakana, a no laila, ua huki ‘ia maila kekahi mele poema a kekahi o nā wāhine Salish (Kēlika) ma ia hui ‘ana i haku ai. ‘O Jennifer Greene kona inoa. He keu ua mele nei a ka nani, a he ‘oia’i’o nō ho’i. Mahalo a nui e Jennifer. ‘A’ole nō i like ka nani o ua mele nei me kona nani ma ka ‘ōlelo i haku ‘ia ai, akā, ma muli o ka pā ‘ana o ka na’au i ka lohe ‘ana a i ka heluhelu ‘ana i ia mele poema, komo ihola ka makemake i loko o māua nei, e pa’i ‘ia ma nei kolamu nūpepa. He hapa wale nō kēia o ke mele poema a Jennifer a penei ia.

TOGETHER

‘O kākou ke hui pū, he u’i me ka ikaika.

‘O nā hōkū like ka malu a me ke alaka’i.

Pehea lā kākou i kānalua ai i ko kākou u’i i ka nānā aku i ko kākou mau kuahiwi, a i ka ‘au’au paha i ko kākou wai?

Pehea lā kākou i kānalua ai i ko kākou ikaika, ‘oiai, ua ‘oi aku ka ikaika o ka hau a me ke au o ke kai ma mua o ke kanaka aloha ‘ole iā kākou?

Ke lohe kākou i ka leo honehone o ka makani ma nā kumu lā’au

pehea lā i poina ai iā kākou ka pono o ko kākou ola ‘ana ma ka honua nei?

‘O kākou kēia wai. ‘O kākou kēia ‘āina. He oia mau nō kākou. Ua hui pū. Ma nā hōkū o ka lani kākou i pili pū ai. A ma ke aloha kākou i pili pū ai.

Ua nui ka mahalo o mākou, nā Kānaka Maoli o Hawai’i i launa pū me ia mau Kānaka ‘Ōiwi o ka Mokupuni Honua. Mahalo iā ‘oe, e Julie Cajune, no ka ho’okele ‘ana i ka wa’a, ‘oiai kākou ma laila, a mahalo ho’i i nā Kānaka nona nā lima e lauhoe ana i ke kā, i ka hoe, i ka hoe, i ke kā, a pae aku i ka ‘āina.

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This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.