Synopsis: The move to pass the recent shark-finning bill was driven by ecological and humanitarian reasons. Hawaiian cultural values were not vigorously invoked during the process. The Hawaiian voice was noticeably silent on this one.

Aloha ‘āina kākou. I kēlā pule aku nei i hala, ua hapai ‘ia kekahi mau mana’o no ia mea he ‘aumakua me ka ho’omaopopo pū ‘ana iho i ka nalo ‘ana o ia ‘ike i loko o kēia au e kū nei ka mana’o haole i ka moku. Ua kāpae ‘ia nā ‘ike pili i ka ho’omana kahiko me ka mana’o ē ‘o ia ka mea e pono ai ko kākou noho ‘ana i ke au mālamalama. I mea ho’omālamalama aha na’e ka nalo ‘ana o kekahi o nā ‘ike he manomano a lehulehu i ho’oili ‘ia mai e ko kākou mau kūpuna? Pehea ho’i e pono ai ka nohona? ‘O ka nalo ‘ana o ia mau ‘ike ka mea i huikau ai ko kākou mau mana’o no ka ‘aumakua a ‘ike ‘ole ai ho’i i ka mea e hana ai no ka pono o ka manō.

He mau ‘ao’ao ko ka nīnau no ka pepehi manō, a ma ka ‘ao’ao kū’ē, he mau ‘ao’ao hou aku nō. ‘O ia ho’i ke kū’ē ho’omāinoino, ka ho’oikaika i ka mālama ‘āina, a me ka mahalo ‘ana i ka loina Hawai’i pili i ka ho’omana ‘aumakua. Wahi a ke Kenekoa Clayton Hee, ka mea nāna i hāpai i ka pila e pāpā ana i ka pepehi manō no kona mau lā wale nō, ma ka paio ‘ana no ka pono o kāna pila, ‘a’ole ‘o ia i hāpai i nā kumu like ‘ole a pau. ‘O ka loina Hawai’i a me ka mana’o ‘ana he ‘aumakua kekahi mau manō, ua waiho wale ‘ia a pau nā kumu ‘ē a’e i ka hāpai ‘ia. I ka mana’o o ke Kenekoa, he helu wale ‘ia nā kenekoa a me nā luna maka’āinana o ka ‘aha’ōlelo nāna e kāko’o i nā mea Hawai’i a ‘o ka hapanui na’e, ‘a’ohe wahi nānā iki i ka pono o kākou Hawai’i. A no laila, ‘a’ole i kālele ‘ia ka ‘ao’ao Hawai’i. Ua kālele ‘ia na’e nā kumu ‘ē a’e, ‘o ia ho’i, no ka hana ho’omāinoino ‘ia o nā mea ola o ka honua e kākou kānaka a me ka mālama ‘ana i ka pono o ka ‘āina a me ke kai.

Wahi a ke Kenekoa Hee, ma loko o ka nui hewahewa o ka po’e a puni ka honua nāna i kāhea mai i kona ke’ena me ka hō’ike mai i kahi mana’o no ka pila, ho’okahi wale nō kanaka i hāpai i ka mana’o no ka mālama ‘aumakua. ‘O ka nui aku o ka po’e e paipai ana iā ia e paio no ka pono o ka manō, he po’e haole nō e kū’ē ana i ka hana ho’omāinoino a me ka hana ‘ino ho’i i ka ‘āina a me ke kai. Mea ‘ole ka mana’o o ka po’e ho’omana kahiko.

‘O ka pono, na kākou Hawai’i nō ia e koikoi i ke Kenekoa e hāpai mai i kahi pila ho’opakele manō i loko o ke kau ‘aha’ōlelo. ‘A’ole na’e pēlā ka hana. ‘A’ohe wahi leo i lohe ‘ia! ‘O Vicky Cayetano, ka wahine a ke Kia’āina kahiko, kai hele aku i o ke Kenekoa lā me ke noi i kōkua. He aloha holoholona a he menemene manō paha kona mea i noi ai, ‘a’ole ona nānā i ka ho’omana Hawai’i. Ua aha ‘ia ka leo o kākou nā kānaka ‘ōiwi? Mali’a, no ke emi loa o ko kākou ‘ike i ko kākou mau ‘aumākua, ‘o ia ka mea i ‘ekemu ‘ole ai. E ala kākou o nalo loa auane’i nā loina a pau a nalo pū nō ho’i me ko kākou ‘ano he Hawai’i!

E ho’ouna ‘ia mai nā 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)
>> 956-2624 (Kekeha)
This column is coordinated by the Hawaiian Language Department at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, supported by the Initiative for Achieving Native Hawaiian Academic Excellence.