Synopsis: As the same-sex marriage bill passes from the Senate to the House, the debate over its relative merit rages on. How does this debate relate to pre-contact views on interpersonal relationships?

______

Aloha hou mai nō kākou e nā hoa heluhelu nāna e maka’ala mau i nā nīnau e kupu mau mai ana no ke ‘ano o ka nohona o kākou kānaka, he pono a he pono ‘ole paha. Eia hou ua kupu mai ua nīnau kaulana no ka pono a me ka ‘ole o ka male ‘ana he kāne a he kāne a he wahine paha a he wahine. I loko nō o ka nui o ka leo kū’ē, ua holo ka pila ma ka ‘Aha Kenekoa e ‘āpono ana i ia ‘ano male ‘ana.

Nui ko’u mahalo i ka mana’o o Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu i ho’opuka ‘ia ma loko o ka StarAdvertiser i ka lā 30 nei. Hō’ike maila ‘o ia i ke ‘ano o ka nohona o ka po’e Hawai’i i ke au kahiko. ‘O ia ho’i, he mau ‘ano pilina kanaka i ‘ike ‘ia a i ho’okae ‘ole ‘ia, no ka mea, he mea ma’a mau ia e uluhua ‘ole ai nā hoa kanaka o ka noho pū ‘ana. He māhele ia no ka lāhui kanaka a he kuleana ho’i ma ka lawelawe ‘ana i nā hana e ulakolako ai ka nohona o ka lāhui kanaka i ka ‘āina.

I nalu iho na’e ka hana o nei mea kākau, ‘upu a’ela ka mana’o no ka pilina o ka nohona kahiko me kēia nīnau e ‘ā’ume’ume ‘ia nei i kēia mau lā a kākou e lohe nei. ‘A’ohe “male” ‘ana o ka wā kahiko (ma mua o ka hō’ea mai o Kāpena Kuke. ‘Eā, ‘a’ole like ka ho’āo me ka male). He hua’ōlelo ia i haku ‘ia ma ka ho’opilipili ‘ana i ke ‘ano o ka hua’ōlelo haole ‘o “marry”. Kāhāhā! He mea ia na ka po’e haole i lawe mai a i koikoi mai ho’i i ko kākou po’e kūpuna e mālama. ‘O ia ihola kekahi o nā mea he nui a lehulehu i lawe ‘ia mai e kēlā po’e a nāna i ho’ololi nui mai i ke ‘ano o ka nohona o ka po’e kahiko.

No laila, no ke aha kākou e uluhua nei i kēia mea he maleā Eia mai ko’u wahi mana’o ma laila. Mai ka wā ma mua loa mai, ka wā ho’i i lawe ‘ia mai ai ka male ‘ana i ‘ane’i, ua ‘ike ‘ia nā pōmaika’i he nui e ka po’e nāna ia i mālama. ‘A’oe hewa o ka mālama ‘ana i kēia ‘ano hana. Na kākou nō kākou e hana a’e. ‘O ka pilikia, aia nō i ka hā’awi ‘ana i kekahi po’e i nā pōmaika’i e hā’awi ‘ole ‘ia nei i kekahi po’e. ‘A’ohe wahi kaulike i laila! A he mea nui ke kaulike o nā pono sivila i ke aupuni a ka haole.

Aia nō paha kekahi mea e hana ai no ka ho’oponopono ‘ana i kēia hihia, ‘o ia ho’i, ‘o ka ho’ōki ‘ana i ia hana ‘o ka hā’awi aku i nā pōmaika’i i kekahi po’e wale nō a me ka ho’ohoka ‘ana i kekahi. E ho’opau ‘ia ua hana pa’ewa nei he ho’opōmaika’i i kekahi māhele o ka lehulehu. E waiho ‘ia ho’i ia koho na kēlā kanaka kēia kanaka. ‘O ka po’e nāna e makemake e mālama i ia hana he male, e mālama aku nō lākou me ka manuahi. A ‘o ka po’e hoihoi ‘ole i ka male, ‘o ia ha’awina ho’okahi nō ke loa’a mai. Pēlā nō e kaulike ai nā pono sivila o nā kānaka a pau o ka ‘āina. ‘A’ole e ‘ike ‘ia ka pōmaika’i o kahi ma mua o kahi. Hele nō a he ‘oia’i’o ia mana’o, ‘o ka nalo aku nō paha ia lā o kēia hihia.

———

E ho’ouna ‘ia mai na ā 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.