Synopsis: A new issue has arisen regarding the mining of metals from the ocean floor. Despite the fact that Hawaii is not considered to be an independent nation with its own seat at the table, fortunately, we have a representative, Sol Kahoohalahala from Lanai, who is able to present the Hawaiian perspective as laid out in the Kumulipo.
Aloha mai kākou e nā makamaka heluhelu. Ua heluhelu paha ‘oukou i nā ‘atikala i loko o Ka Wai Ola o OHA, i kākau ‘ia e Puanani Ferdandez-Akamine, e pili ana i ka ‘eli‘eli ‘ana i ka papakū o ka moana me ka ‘ohi ‘ana i kauwahi ‘ano metala waiwai. Ua kākau ‘o ia e pili ana no ke kū‘ē‘ē ‘ana a Solomon Kahoohalahala, he kupa no Lāna‘i, i ia hana kohu ‘ole. He hana kapu nō paha ia ‘eli‘eli ‘ana i kona mana‘o, ‘a‘ohe wahi noa i laila. ‘Eā e ka makamaka, ‘a‘ole nō au e hō‘ike hou i nā mana‘o a pau i hō‘ike ‘ia maila i loko o Ka Wai Ola. Hiki nō paha iā ‘oukou ke heluhelu i ia nūpepa no ‘oukou iho. ‘O ka‘u na‘e e hāpai ai ma ‘ane‘i, ‘o ia nō ka mau ‘ana o ia mea he ho‘okolonaio, a me ka ‘apakau ‘ana mai i ko kākou mau mea kapu. He hana kālā wale nō ia me ka hulikua mai ho‘i i ka pono!
Aia kekahi mana‘o i pa‘a pono i loko o ka mo‘olelo o ko kākou mau kūpuna, a e pa‘a mau nei ho‘i i loko o ko kākou ho‘omana‘o ‘ana, ‘o ia nō ka ‘ōlelo no‘eau: “He ali‘i ka ‘āina; he kauwā ke kanaka.” (Pukui, M.K., 1983) No‘u iho, ‘a‘ole i kaupalena ‘ia ua mana‘o nei ma nā ‘āina e ‘oi‘oi mai ana ma luna i ka ‘ili o ke kai. He ‘āina ho‘i ka papakū o ka moana kekahi. ‘O ka nānā wale aku nō iā Lō‘ihi a ‘ikea ka ulu mau ‘ana o ka ‘āina mai lalo mai o ka moana. A no laila, ua kapu pū nō ka papakū o ka moana, ‘a‘ole e ‘eli‘eli wale ‘ia e nā moku‘āina a me nā hui kāloa‘a e alaka‘i ‘ia nei e ko lākou ‘ano puni kālā. Kuhikuhi akula ‘o Kahoohalahala i kahi mana‘o i pa‘a i loko o ke Kumulipo, ‘o ia ho‘i, no ka papakū mai o ka moana ke ola o ka honua nei a puni. Ma laila i ho‘okumu ‘ia ai ka uku ko‘ako‘a a i ho‘omaka ai ka mo‘okū‘auhau o kākou kānaka.
Wahi a nā hui e paipai nei i ka ‘eli‘eli ‘ana i nā minelala o loko o ka papakū o ka moana, ‘a‘ole ia papakū he mahele no kekahi kaumoku‘āina. He wahi noa ia no nā kānaka e hana ai e like me ko lākou makemake. ‘A‘ole ia he ‘āina no kekahi kaumoku‘āina. Ua noa. He ‘āina kanaka ‘ole ho‘i. ‘Eā, e ka makamaka, pēlā ka mana‘o o ka po‘e o ‘Eulopa, a me ‘Amelika, i ko lākou ‘apakau ‘ana mai i ka ‘āina o ka po‘e ‘ōiwi. Me he mea lā, ‘a‘ole ia po‘e ‘ōiwi he kanaka. He mea ‘āhiu na‘e e like me ka holoholona. Pēlā nō paha ka mana‘o o Kāpena Kuke mā i ko lākou hō‘ea mai i Hawai‘i nei. Ua ‘apakau ‘ia maila kākou e ‘Amelika a lilo i kelikoli, a i moku‘āina ma ia hope mai, i loko nō o ke kū‘ē ‘ana o ia hana i nā kānāwai o ‘Amelika pono‘ī iho nō! A eia nō kekahi po‘e hui a kaumoku‘āina ho‘i, ke mana‘o nei, he terra nullius a he mare nullius paha.
Mahalo iā Kahoohalahala i kona paipai ‘ana i ka mālama ‘āina, a me ka mālama kai. Ua kono ‘ia aku nei ‘o ia ala e hele i kauwahi hālāwai a ka ISA (International Seabed Authority), ka hui nāna i ‘ae ‘ē aku i kekahi mau laikini he 16 no ka ‘eli‘eli ‘ana i ka papakū, a ua hō‘ike akula ‘o ia i ka mana‘o ‘ōiwi no ke ola o ka papakū. ‘O ka mea ‘āpiki, ‘a‘ole ‘o ia i kono ‘ia ma ke ‘ano he ‘elele no kekahi kaumoku‘āina, no ka mea, ua mau nō ke kūlana o Hawai‘i nei he moku‘āina wale nō no ‘Amelika. Aloha nō. Eia nō kahi o ia ‘eli‘eli ‘ana he 500 wale nō mile i ka hikina hema o ko kākou pae ‘āina nei, a ‘a‘ole kākou he kaumoku‘āina pono‘ī iho nō! E aho ka loli ‘ana o ia kūlana, no ka mea, ua ola kākou i nā ‘ono o ke kai. A no kākou a pau ia kuleana ‘o ka mālama ‘ana i ka papakū o ka moana.
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.
