Synopsis: One of our leaders, Soli Niheu, has passed away. His funeral services begin at noon today at ‘Iolani Palace.
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Aloha mai kākou e nā hoa makamaka.
I kēia lā, e kau ana ka hali’a aloha iā Soli Niheu. He Hawai’i Alaka’i ‘o ia i kūpa’a ma hope o ka ‘āina a me ke kanaka. Ua hala ‘o Soli ma ka lā 30 o Nowemapa o ka makahiki 2012 ma Honolulu. No Ni’ihau mai ka ‘ohana o Soli, a e noho ana ‘o ia i Waimea, Hawai’i.
He koa kūpa’a ua Soli nei no ka lāhui, a he leo nui kona no ke kū’oko’a o ke aupuni o Hawai’i. A he alaka’i ‘o ia ma ka ‘imi ‘ana i ke ea o ka ‘āina a me ke kanaka no nā makahiki he nui. ‘O ia kekahi o nā koa mua i ho’oulu aku i nā kānaka e kū’ē a e ‘imi i ke kū’oko’a. A he mea ma’a mau iā Soli ka ho’omana’o ‘ana iā kākou e kū’ē mau loa, ‘o kāna mākia ia.
Nui kona mau manawa i hopu ‘ia ai e ka māka’i, he 40 a emi iho paha, akā, i hopu ‘ia ‘o ia no kona kūpa’a ‘ana no ka pono o nā Hawai’i. He kanaka ‘onipa’a ‘o Soli, ‘a’ole ‘o ia i maka’u i ke kūpa’a ‘ana no kona mana’o.
Nui nā manawa o ke aupuni haole i ho’ā’o ai e ho’opio i ke ahi a Soli, akā nō na’e, ua lapalapa loa kāna ahi mai kahi palena a i kahi palena o ka pae’āina nei a me ka ‘āina ‘ē kekahi.
Ma muli o kāna hana maika’i wale no ka pono o kākou, e mau ana ka ‘i’ini o ka lāhui nei no ka ho’i ‘ana mai o ke ea o ka ‘āina. Ua pio ke kukui o Soli Niheu, ‘a’ole na’e i pio ka makemake o ka lāhui i ka pono a me ke kū’oko’a nō ho’i. Ua ‘ōlelo mau ‘o Soli iā kākou, “E kū’ē kākou a mau loa … mai poina ka makemake o nā kūpuna. Aia nō a maopopo iā kākou ka makemake o nā kūpuna, ‘o ia ho’i ke kū’oko’a, a laila, e holo mua kākou, ‘o ia ho’i ka lāhui Hawai’i.” Mai poina kākou i nā mana’o akamai o Soli Niheu, he kanaka ‘o ia i kū maoli i ke aloha ‘āina ‘oia’i’o.
Ua ha’alele mai ‘o Soli i hope nei, i kāna mau keiki, ‘o Kala’iokamalino, ‘o Kalamaoka’āina, ‘o Aloha’āina Harawira, ‘o Kekahikoa a ‘o Keali’ikauila; i kāna mau mo’opuna, ‘o Iakona Welokīheiakea’eloa, ‘o Kapunaheleokapu’uwai, ‘o Welokīheiakea’eloa a ‘o Keaolani; kona mau palala, ‘o David Niheu a me Luther “Hoppy” Niheu; a me kona tita, ‘o Karen Games.
Aia kona ho’olewa ma ka hola ‘umikumamālua o kēia lā, ka lā ‘elima o Ianuali, ma ka ‘ahu o ka Hale Ali’i ‘o ‘Iolani. E hui pū kākou i laila no ka ho’ohiwahiwa ‘ana aku i kekahi o nā Hawai’i Alaka’i, Soli Niheu.
(Mahalo a nui, e ‘Analū, no ke kākau ‘ana mai i ka mo’olelo i luna a’e nei no Soli Niheu ma ka ‘ōlelo a ko kākou mau kūpuna. Ke hā’awi aku nei māua, nā luna ho’oponopono, i ko māua aloha i ka ‘ohana i waiho ‘ia ma ka honua nei. He Hawai’i Alaka’i ‘oia’i’o nō ‘o ia. Ua ‘ike ‘ē paha ‘oukou e nā makamaka heluhelu i ka nui o kāna mau hana no ka pono o kona mau hoa kanaka. L.H.)
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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.
