Synopsis: Some dangerous hiking trails should be closed and violators should be fined and required to pay for any rescue costs.

‘O kekahi hana punahele a ka lehulehu i kēia mau lā ka pi’i mauna ‘ana. I kēlā me kēia lā, nui nā kānaka ma ke ala pi’i mauna. Malia paha, ‘o ke kumu o ka pi’i mauna ‘ana, ‘o ia nā ki’i nani a nā kānaka pi’i mauna o ka pa’i ‘ana. Nui ho’i nā ki’i e hō’ike ana i nā kānaka i ka pi’i mauna ‘ana. Aia nō ma Facebook mā lāua ‘o Instagram. Ua nīnau aku au i ko’u mau hoaaloha, “Maka’u loa ke ala pi’i mauna a ‘oukou e pi’i ai?” A pane maila lākou, “’Ae, inā hā’ule, e make ana paha.” Ua pū’iwa au i ka lohe aku. Inā pēlā, he aha maila kā lākou o ka ‘a’a ‘ana i ka pi’i?! Ua kapu kekahi mau ala ‘a’ole e pi’i ‘ia e ka lehulehu, e la’a ‘o Sacred Falls, Stairway to Heaven, a me Deadman’s Catwalk akā na’e, nui nā kānaka ho’okuli i ia ‘ōlelo a’oa’o a e noke aku nō i ka pi’i ma ia mau ala. ‘O ka nui o nā kānaka e hō’a’ano nei i ka pi’i mauna i kēia mau lā, ua hele ho’i a nui ka hana a ka ‘oihana kīnai ahi i ka ho’opakele mau ‘ana i nā mea kūpiliki’i.

I lawa nō a laha mai ka nūhou ma ke kīwī e pili ana i kekahi kanaka i hele a pilikia loa i ka pi’i mauna ‘ana i ka pō, ulupuni ihola ko’u no’ono’o i ka hoka. I ko’u mana’o, aia ka pono o ka pi’i mauna ‘ana a hana ‘ia i ka lā ‘oko’a. He nui na’e ka po’e nāna e pi’i i ka pō, a ‘o ko lākou ho’opakele ‘ia ka hopena. I kekahi manawa, aia ia kanaka kūpiliki’i ma kahi kūnihi loa o ke kuahiwi, a ke hō’ea aku ka po’e kīnai ahi ma laila, ‘o lākou pū ke komo i ia kūlana like. A i ka wā e ho’opakele ‘ia ai kēlā mea pi’i mauna, hapa mai ka nui o nā kānaka kīnai ahi e koe nei no ka mālama ‘ana i nā ulia ‘ē a’e ke kupu mai. Mali’a o pilikia kekahi kanaka pi’i mauna i ia wā like e pilikia ai kekahi kanaka i ka ma’i kauhola. Ua kaupalena ‘ia ka nui o nā hui kānaka kīnai ahi a me nā kalaka e pono ai. Ke pa’ahana kekahi hui, e kali ana paha kekahi o ia mau mea pilikia a ka’awale ia hui, a i ‘ole ia, e kali ana a ka’awale kekahi hui kānaka kīnai ahi ‘oko’a. Eia na’e ka mea ‘āpiki, he mea ‘ē ka pipi’i o ho’okahi ho’ouna ‘ana i nā kalaka a me nā limahana. Oki loa ho’i ke kumukū’ai o ke kakalina e pono ai ka holo ‘ana o nā kalaka a me ka lele ‘ana paha o ka helikopa.

No laila, i aha auane’i ka hana a ke aupuni e pau ai kēia ‘ano hihia? Aia i hea ka pono o ka uku ‘ana no ka ho’opakele aku i kekahi kanaka palaleha o ka hana? I ko’u mana’o, inā aia kekahi kanaka ua komo hewa ma ke ala i pāpā ‘ia kona hele ‘ia, na ia kanaka nō e uku i nā kāki a pau e pili ana i kona ho’opakele ‘ia ‘ana. ‘O ia paha ka mea e emi ai ka ‘a’a nui ‘ana o nā kānaka i ka pi’i mauna ma kahi kūpono ‘ole, ma kahi ho’i e pilikia ai a e pono ai kona ho’opakele ‘ia ‘ana. Eia a’e ke kauwela ke hiki mai nei, a hiki pū mai ma ka po’e pi’i mauna. Maika’i ke kau koke ‘ia ‘ana o kekahi kānāwai e ho’opa’i ana i nā kānaka pi’i hewa i nā alahele kapu. ‘A’ole e hihi, e mau ana ka hana a ka po’e kīnai ahi.

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