Synopsis: In our small archipelago, many of us thrive in the ocean that surrounds us. However, many others have grown up here without a necessary understanding of the power of the ocean. On an island, such deprivation can lead to tragedy. What can be done?
Eō e nā lawai‘a, nā hoe wa‘a, a me ka po‘e he‘e nalu ho‘i! He leo ho‘omaopopo kēia no ‘oukou, e nā kānaka mākaukau ma ke kai a me nā kānaka ma‘a ‘ole ho‘i. Eia nō kākou ke noho nei ma kēia pae ‘āina e lana nei ma waenakonu o ka Pākīpika, akā na‘e, aia nō he mau keiki nele i ka ‘ike ‘ole no ia mea e ka‘apuni nei iā kākou, ‘o ia ho‘i ke kai. No laila, he leo kono pū ho‘i kēia iā ‘oukou e ka po‘e i hānai ‘ia a alahula ke kai, e no‘ono‘o iho i mau ala e kōkua aku ai i kēia mau keiki ‘ilihune i ka ‘ike ‘ole i ka waiwai o ke kai.
Mana‘o nā luna o ka ‘oihana kia‘i ola, ua ho‘ēmi ‘ia ka nui ‘i‘o o ka helu o ka po‘e i pīholo i mea e nā ai ka maka‘u o ka po‘e malihini e kipa mai ana. Ho‘opuka ‘ia mai nō paha kekahi mau helu, a hūnā ‘ia kekahi. Kainō, ‘o ka malihini wale nō ka luaahi e pau ana i ka pīholo ma ke kai. Eia kā na‘e, he ‘ano nui nā Hawai‘i e pīholo ana kekahi. Pehea lā, ‘a‘ole paha e a‘o pono ‘ia nei ka ‘au‘au ‘ana ma ke kai? Pēlā nō paha. ‘O nā mākua ho‘i, ‘a‘ole nō paha i pa‘a pono iā lākou ka ‘ike pili i ke kia‘i maika‘i ‘ana i kā lākou mau keiki oi kipa aku ka ‘ohana i nā kai o ko kākou mau mokupuni. Ma ka hopena o kēia ‘atikala, waiho ‘ia he mau loina ma‘amau no nā mākua e heluhelu mai nei. Ua ha‘alele paha nā keiki o kēia au i ke kai, a huli akula i nā mea pā‘ani haole, e la‘a ka pōpeku, ke kelepona, ka paikikala, a pēlā wale aku? Pēlā nō paha kekahi. Akā, ‘o kekahi kumu nui, ‘o ia ho‘i ka nele o nā papahana Hawai‘i ‘ole nāna e a‘o i ha‘awina pili i ke kai.
He mau papahana na‘e e kū nei no ka mālama palekana ma ke kai. ‘O Nā Kama Kai kekahi. Na ka ‘ohana Desoto ia i ho‘okumu ma ke ‘ano he hālau a‘oa‘o no nā keiki o Hawai‘i nei nona nā mākua i hiki ‘ole ke lawelawe i ia hana, ‘o ia ho‘i ka ho‘oili aku i ia ‘ano ‘ike ma luna o lākou. ‘O Ke Kula ho‘āmana ‘o Mālama Honua ma Waimānalo kekahi. He kula ia nāna e ho‘okomo ka ‘ike kupuna i loko o ka papa me ka mana‘o, e ili mai ana nā loina waiwai o ko Hawai‘i po‘e kūpuna i luna o ka hanauna o kēia au nei. Aia nō kekahi papahana, ‘o Jr. Lifeguards ho‘i. A‘o ‘ia nā keiki i nā ‘ano hana o nā Kia‘i Ola o Hawai‘i nona ke kuleana ‘o ka ho‘opalekana ‘ana i nā po‘e a pau ma ke kai. Mana‘olana ‘ia, e mālama mai ana nā keiki i ka ‘ike a nā kumu e hō mai ai ma o ka ho‘omau ‘ana i nā ‘ano hana ko‘iko‘i i pa‘a iā lākou.
Eō e nā mākua, e kauleo au iā ‘oukou, e ‘olu‘olu, e heluhelu pono a e nalu pono i kēia mau mana‘o nui. Ke hele kahakai ka ‘ohana, ‘o ka palekana ke kuleana helu ‘ekahi. Inā he mau keiki kāu, inā ho‘i, ‘o ke kuleana helu ‘ekahi ia nou e mālama ai. Aia nō paha nā Kia‘i Ola ma kahakai kekahi, akā na‘e, ‘a‘ole loa lākou he mau kahu hānai no kā ‘oukou mau keiki. No laila, inā ‘a‘ole ikaika lākou keiki ma ke kai, e hele pū nā mākua. Ke kipa malihini aku i kekahi kahakai, e launa pū me nā Kia‘i Ola o laila, a nīele aku no ka ‘ike e pili ana i ke ‘ano o ia kahakai. ‘Oko‘a kēlā kai, ‘oko‘a kēia kai, a he mau loli ko kēlā me kēia hola. Eia hou, e nā mākua, e ho‘okomo aku i nā keiki i loko o ka papahana Jr. Lifeguards, i hiki ai iā lākou ke a‘o mai e pili ana i ka palekana kai. Pēlā pū nō ho‘i me nā kānaka o‘o. Inā ‘a‘ole ma‘a i ke kai, mai hilahila, e ‘imi i kōkua a mālama pono. Mai poina, ‘eā! ‘O ‘oe ka luaahi o kou moloā iho, a me kou mālama ‘ole ‘ana i ke kuleana helu ‘ekahi.
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:
>> 808-956-2627 (Laiana)
>> 808-956-2627 (Kekeha)
This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
