Synopsis: Why are non-residents of Ni’ihau fishing on and around Ni’ihauā
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Welina e nā makamaka heluhelu mai Hawai’i moku o Keawe a i Ni’ihau a Kahelelani. ‘O ia ‘ōlelo e kau a’ela i luna, “Ni’ihau i ke kīkū,” he ‘ōlelo ia no loko mai o ka puke ‘ōlelo no’eau a Mary Kawena Pukui. A ‘o ka mana’o i hō’ike ‘ia ma loko o ia puke, he kū’oko’a ko Ni’ihau, ‘a’ole e kālele i kekahi mokupuni. Mai kahiko mai paha nei ‘ōlelo, a ma hope mai paha o ke kū’ai ‘ia ‘ana o Ni’ihau, ‘a’ole i maopopo i ko ‘oukou mea kākau. Akā, ‘o ka mea i maopopo, pēlā nō ka noho ‘ana o ko laila mau ‘ohana. I ka wā e kūkala ‘ia ai ka pāhola ‘ana a’e o kahi makani pāhili a me ka hiki ‘ana mai o ke kai ho’ē’e paha i ko kākou mokupuni e noho nei, he aha kā kākou hanaā ‘O ka hele koke aku nō i ka hale kū’ai no ke kū’ai ‘ana mai i nā pono like ‘ole, ‘o ke kukui pa’a lima, ‘o ka iho uila, ka mea ‘ai nō ho’i a pēlā aku. ‘O nā mea like ‘ole e pono ai ka ‘ohana. Akā, pehea nā ‘ohana e noho nei ma Ni’ihauā He aha kā lākou hanaā Eia nō ko ‘oukou mea kākau ke ha’i aku nei iā ‘oukou, “’A’ole maopopo ia’u.” Akā, ‘o ka mea i maopopo, ‘a’ole hiki iā lākou ke hele wale aku i ka hale kū’ai i mea e kū’ai ai i nā pono like ‘ole. A ma hope o ka pāluku ‘ana mai o kahi makani pāhili a mea ‘ino ‘ē a’e paha i ia ‘āina aloha, ‘a’ole hiki i ko laila po’e ke hele wale aku i ka hale kū’ai no ke kū’ai ‘ana i mea ‘ai. A ‘o ia ihola ka mea e kau a’ela ia po’o mana’o i luna, Ni’ihau i ke kīkū. A no laila, ke paipai aku nei ko ‘oukou mea kākau iā ‘oukou, ‘a’ole e hele aku i Ni’ihau no ka lawai’a ‘ana. E waiho aku, na ko Ni’ihau ka lawai’a ‘ana i laila. E waiho aku, na ko Ni’ihau ka ‘ai ‘ana i ka i’a o laila.

Ua pū’iwa ka no’ono’o o ko ‘oukou mea kākau i ka lohe ‘ana, he hele aku nō kekahi po’e a kokoke loa i Ni’ihau no ka lawai’a ‘ana, a ‘o kekahi, kau a’e nō i kapakai o Ni’ihau no ke ku’i ‘opihi ‘ana. He ‘ohi hāpuku ho’i. E no’ono’o wale ana nō ia po’e maha ‘oi no ko lākou pono. ‘A’ohe o lākou no’ono’o iki no ka pono o ko Ni’ihau.

‘O ka mea i ‘ike ‘ia e ko Ni’ihau, ua emi mai nō ka i’a a puni ‘o laila ma nā makahiki he 25 i hala. A ‘o ka mea maika’i paha, ua ‘ike maka ‘ia kekahi e ku’i ‘opihi ana. A no laila, eia nō kekahi mau luna kau kānāwai ke hana nei no ka pono o ka po’e Ni’ihau. Ke kūkākūkā nei lākou no kahi kānāwai e pāpā ana, ‘a’ole e hele wale kekahi e lawai’a a puni ‘o Ni’ihau. ‘O ka po’e o Ni’ihau wale nō ke lawai’a i laila. He maika’i loa ia. Akā, he wā nō a pa’a ka pila a kū i kānāwai. No laila, no ka manawa, inā ‘a’ole ‘oe no Ni’ihau, ‘a’ole e lawai’a ma laila. A inā ‘ike ‘oe i kekahi hoa a ‘ohana paha e hele ana i laila e lawai’a ai, e ha’i aku, ‘a’ole e hana pēlā. ‘Oko’a ‘o Ni’ihau, ‘oko’a nā mokupuni ‘ē a’e o kēia pae ‘āina, nā mokupuni ho’i i piha i nā hale kū’ai a me nā mākeke like ‘ole. ‘A’ole pēlā ‘o Ni’ihau.

Minamina ka pau o nā i’a ma nā mokupuni ‘ē a’e, a pēlā pū me ka pau o ka ‘opihi, akā, ‘a’ole e “’ohi hāpuku ka makapehu o Kaunu.”

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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.