Synopsis: Many people are wary of Gov. David Ige’s choice for chairman of the state Board of Land and Natural Resources.

Welina e nā makamaka puni heluhelu. ‘O ia po’o mana’o e kau a’ela i luna, he māhele ia o kekahi ‘ōlelo mai loko mai o ka ha’i ‘ōlelo a J. Kahinu i ka lā ‘umikumamākahi o ka mahina ‘o Mei. Penei ka ‘ōlelo piha, “a eena aku hoi me he Oo hulu melemele la no ka uka lipolipo i ka waokele, i pili mua i ke kepau a ke keiki kia-manu o ka uka i Olaa.” A ‘o ka mana’o paha o Kahinu, e ‘e’ena a e ‘ano maka’u paha ka manu i ho’opa’a ‘ē ‘ia ma mua no ka ‘ako ‘ia ‘ana o kona hulu. ‘A’ole ia manu e hele wale aku. A pēia nō paha nā kānaka e kū’ē nei i ke koho ‘ana a ke Kia’āina David Ige iā Carleton Ching i luna ho’omalu no ke Ke’ena ‘Āina a Waiwai Pili ‘Āina.

I ka Pō’akolu nei i ho’omaka ai ka hālāwai kūkākūkā o ke Kōmike Wai A ‘Āina o ka ‘Aha Kenekoa no ka ‘āpono a me ka ‘āpono ‘ole paha iā Ching no ka hele ‘ana i mua o ka ‘Aha Kenekoa piha. A he nui nō nā kānaka i hō’ike aku i ko lākou mana’o kū’ē i ka lilo ‘ana aku o Ching, ‘o ia ka luna ho’omalu o ke Ke’ena ‘Āina a Waiwai Pili ‘Āina. He mau kumu ko lākou no ke kū’ē ‘ana, a ‘o kekahi mea nui paha, ‘o ia ka hana ‘ana o ua moho lā ma lalo o nā hui kūkulu ‘āina. A he lālā nō ho’i ‘o ia ala ma mua no ka papa o kekahi mau hui kāko’o ‘oihana kūkulu, ‘o ia ho’i nā papa o ka ‘Ahahui ‘Oihana Kūkulu a me ke Kahua Noi’i Kūkulu ‘Āina. ‘O ke Kahua Noi’i Kūkulu ‘Āina ka hui i paipai aku i nā luna kau kānāwai, ‘a’ole e mālama pono ‘ia nā wahi pana a me nā ‘āina o nā holoholona ‘ane nalowale. Inā lilo ia kūlana hana iā Ching, nāna nō e ho’okele i ka mālama ‘ana i nā ‘eka ‘āina he 1.3 miliona o ke aupuni moku’āina a me nā wahi like ‘ole nō ho’i. A ‘o ia paha ka mea i ‘e’ena ai kekahi po’e kānaka.

‘O kekahi mea maika’i a Ching i hana ai, ‘o ia kāna hana ma ke kūkākūkā ‘ana me nā kānaka e noho ana ma ke awāwa ‘o Waiāhole no ka ho’olimalima ‘ana i ka ‘āina. Ua mana’o ka mea nona ka ‘āina e kipaku aku i nā mea e noho ana ma laila, akā, ua kū’ai ‘ia ka ‘āina e ke aupuni, a laila, ua komo akula ‘o Ching i ka Mana Wahi Noho Hawai’i, a hana akula i mea e holo pono ai a ‘aelike nā ‘ao’ao a pau.

I ka Pō’alua nei, ma hope o ke kūkākūkā hou ‘ana ma ka hālāwai o ke Kōmike Wai A ‘Āina o ka ‘Aha Kenekoa, ua koho akula nā lālā o ia kōmike, a he 5-2, ‘a’ole e ‘āpono ‘ia ke koho ‘ia ‘ana o Ching. Akā, ‘a’ole nō i pau, i kēia manawa, e hele ana nō i mua o ka ‘Aha Kenekoa piha no ke kūkākūkā ‘ana a me ke koho hope loa ‘ana. Pehea lā ke koho ‘ana? Wahi a ka lohe, he nui nā luna kau kānāwai kāko’o i ke kia’āina a e kāko’o paha i kāna kanaka i koho ai.

Pehea, hiki paha i kahi kanaka i hana a nui ma lalo o nā hui kūkulu like ‘ole, ke hana ma ke ‘ano he luna ho’omalu no ke Ke’ena ‘Āina A Waiwai Pili ‘Āina no ka pono o ka ‘āina a me nā kānaka? Hiki paha ke no’ono’o ‘ia nā keiki a me nā mo’opuna a kākou, a pēlā pū me nā pua e hiki mai ana. Akā, ‘o kahi pilikia, ke ‘ōlelo kahi kanaka, “E hana ana au no ka pono o ka’u mo’opuna.” ‘Oko’a paha kona mana’o, a ‘oko’a ho’i paha ka mana’o o kekahi. Inā lilo ‘o Ching ‘o ia ka luna ho’omalu o ia ke’ena, mai nō a hopohopo, e hilina’i paha kākou iā ia me ka maka’ala pū ‘ana a’e i nā hana o ia ke’ena.

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