Synopsis: Why is it that the University of Hawai‘i invariably looks for leadership from elsewhere? Are locals incapable of leading ourselves into the future? The selection of a new president for the university will yield another leader from elsewhere. Moreover, there are issues of veracity at play.
Aloha nō kākou e ko Hawai‘i. Ua ‘ike ‘oukou i ka sila o ke Kulanui o Hawai‘i ma Mānoa? ‘O kēlā kukui e kau ana ma luna o ka hua ‘ōlelo ‘o “MĀLAMALAMA,” ‘a‘ohe ona ho‘omālamalama mai iā kākou Hawai‘i, a i ka po‘e kūloko nō ho‘i o Hawai‘i. Mai ia wā mai i ho‘okumu ‘ia ai ke kulanui, i ka MH 1907, he kāka‘ikahi wale nō ka hai ‘ia o ka po‘e o Hawai‘i ma loko o nā kūlana like ‘ole, mai ke po‘o nō a ka hi‘u. A ma ke kūlana o nā luna ho‘okele a me nā polopeka o ua kulanui nei, ua oki loa. ‘O ka hapanui na‘e o nā haumāna, no Hawai‘i nei nō lākou. No laila, ke alaka‘i ‘ia nei ke a‘o ‘ana a ke ho‘oholo ‘ia nei nā kumuhana ko‘iko‘i e a‘o ai, e ka malihini. A eia ka mea ‘āpiki, ke ho‘oholo ‘ia nei ke ‘ano o ka ho‘olilo ‘ia o nā kālā o ka uku komo kula mai, a me nā kālā e loa‘a ana mai ke aupuni moku‘āina mai, ‘o kā kākou kālā ‘auhau ho‘i, e kahi po‘e malihini i ne‘e mai nei i ko kākou ‘āina.
Eia nō ke ho‘olaha pinepine ‘ia nei ka nūhou no ka ho‘omaha loa ‘ana o ka pelekikena e kū nei i ke kulanui, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o David Lassner, a ho‘olaha pū ho‘i me ka ‘imi ‘ana i pelekikena hou. Ma hea lā na‘e kahi i ‘imi ai? Ma Hawai‘i nei paha? Ma waena mai o ka po‘e kama‘āina i ke ‘ano o nā haumāna, a kama‘āina ho‘i i nā luna o ke aupuni nāna e ho‘olako mai i ke kulanui i nā kālā e lawelawe ai i nā hana e pono ai ka ‘oihana ho‘ona‘auao? ‘A‘ole lā! Eia nō kākou ke kali nei ‘o ke koho ‘ana a nā lālā o ka Papa Kahu Kulanui ma waena mai o ‘elua moho, a he mau moho ia no ka ‘āina ‘ē mai. ‘A‘ole paha i no‘ono‘o iki ‘ia kahi moho kūloko! Kohu mea lā, ua ‘oi aku ka mākaukau o ka po‘e kūwaho ma mua o ka po‘e kūloko. ‘O ka ‘oia‘i‘o, ‘a‘ohe o lāua ala wahi ‘ike lihi i ke ‘ano o nā haumāna kūloko. ‘A‘ole ho‘i he wahi pilina me nā luna o ka ‘aha‘ōlelo. Pehea lā e pono ai? A pehea lā ho‘i he kō ai ka ‘ōlelo kaena a ke kulanui, he “Hawaiian place of learning” ia?
Ma waho aku o ke kūlana malihini o ia mau moho lā a ‘elua, aia paha kekahi pilikia ko‘iko‘i loa. ‘O ia ho‘i, wahi a kekahi mo‘olelo i loko o Civil Beat (10/15/2024), ua ho‘āhewa ‘ia kekahi o ua mau moho lā a ‘elua, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Wendy Hensel, no ka ho‘okae ‘ili ‘ana i kahi polopeka pā‘ele e hana ana ma lalo ona, aia ma kahi o ‘elima makahiki aku nei. Ua ho‘āhewa pū ‘ia i ka ho‘opunipuni. I ka lā 14 a‘e nei o kēia mahina, ua ho‘opuka ‘o Hensel i kekahi ‘atikala i loko o ka Star-Adverstiser. He ‘ōlelo pale ia i kekahi mau ‘atikala i ho‘opuka ‘ia ma ka pūnaewele, he mau lā ma mua a‘ela, e pili ana i ia hana. Hō‘ole kū ‘o ia Hensen i ia mau ho‘āhewa ‘ana a pau. I ka lohe ‘ana na‘e o ua polopeka pā‘ele nei no kā Hensen hō‘ole ‘ana i kona hewa, ua noho ‘o ia me kahi ‘āha‘ilono o Civil Beat no ka hō‘ike ‘ana i kona ‘ao‘ao o ka mo‘olelo. Wahi āna, ‘a‘ohe wahi pololei o kā Hensel.
No‘u iho, he ‘oia‘i‘o paha, ‘a‘ole paha, ko ia ho‘āhewa ‘ana. Koe aku ia. ‘A‘ole paha au e ho‘ohalahala aku iā ia ma muli o kekahi mau ‘atikala. I kēia wā na‘e a kākou e kali nei ‘o ke koho ‘ia ‘ana o ka pelekikena hou, ua ahuwale ke ‘ano o ka malihini. ‘A‘ole lākou i ‘oi aku ma mua o kākou po‘e kūloko. He kanaka wale nō kākou a pau. Inā i koho ‘ia kauwahi moho no Hawai‘i nei, inā nō ua ‘ike ‘ē ‘ia ko lākou ‘ano ma loko o kā lākou mau hana ma mua. Ua kama‘āina ho‘i kākou iā lākou, a ua kama‘āina nō ho‘i lākou iā kākou. ‘A‘ole hiki ke pe‘e. Ua ahuwale kā lākou mau hana. Inā pēlā, hana nui ka ho‘opunipuni ‘ana.
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.
