Synopsis: Can the state Department of Land and Natural Resources really use job security and golf courses as a justification for East Maui Irrigation’s continued diversion of water from East Maui?

‘Auhea ‘oukou e nā hoa makamaka o Kauakūkalahale, nā mamo ho’i a Hāloa. Eia hou mai kahi leo ‘ōiwi ke noke aku nei i ka hō’eu’eu ‘ana iā kākou Hawai’i e alu like a e huliāmahi i ka paio mau ‘ana no ka pono o ko kākou lāhui aloha. Kainō i mea ka wai e ola ai kākou iā Hāloanakalaukapalili ko kākou kupuna i kanu ‘ia i ka lepo, e hānai ai ho’i iā kākou. Eia kā, i ke kā’ili ‘ia ‘ana o ka wai e East Maui Irrigation (EMI) ma lalo o ka malu o Alexander and Baldwin (A&B), ua pilikia nō nā lo’i kalo he nui hewahewa ma ka ‘ao’ao ko’olau i ka wī. Ua nele ho’i ka ‘āina i ka wai ‘ole. Inā pau kēia po’e lo’i kalo i ka malo’o, pau pū nā i’a nona kēia wai ola, ‘o ka hīhīwai ‘oe, ‘o ka ‘ōpae ‘oe, ka ‘o’opu, a me ia mea aku, ia mea aku.

I loko nō o ke au kūpiliki’i, pau nui akula nā maha’ai i ka ha’alele i ke one hānau i mea e huli ai lākou i mau hana ‘ē a’e e ola ai ka ‘ohana. Pehea lā? Ua hiki anei iā kākou nei ke ‘ae wale aku i kēia ‘ano hana ‘āpiki a Lima’apā? No ke Kumukānāwai Hawai’i pono’ī nō, ka ‘ōlelo no ke aupuni Hawai’i, ke kuleana e mālama ai i nā pono ‘ōiwi, ‘o ia ho’i, nā hana kuluma a pau e pili ana i kēia lāhui kanaka aloha e noho nei ma nā ahupua’a mai ‘ō a ‘ō. A ‘o ka mahi’ai kalo, a ‘o ka lawai’a kekahi o ia mau hana i mālama ‘ia e ua Kumukānāwai lā. Akā nō na’e, ke mālama ‘ia nei nā pono o nā ‘oihana ‘ālunu ma mua o nā mahi’ai kalo.

Na ka DLNR ka hulikua i ke Kumukānāwai Moku’āina o Hawai’i i ka ‘ae ‘ana aku i nā kālani wai he 450 miliona iā A&B ma o EMI, a ‘o ke kumu kū’ai ho’i, he keu a ke emi, he ho’okahi keneka wale nō no ho’okahi mano kālani wai. A ke ho’ohālike aku, ke kāki ‘ia nei ka ‘Auwai ‘o Waiāhole $1.56 no ia nui ho’okahi nō o ka wai. He ‘āpono paha kēia i ka hana hewa a ka ‘aihue?

I ka makahiki 2001, kū’ē’ē akula ‘o Nā Moku ‘o Ko’olau Hui i ke Ke’ena Kumuwaiwai ‘āina i kā lākou ‘ae wale aku nō i kēia hana lalau wai a EMI. ‘A’ole na’e i ho’iho’i ‘ia. A i loko o kēia hihia, hele nō nā akeakamai e ‘imi noi’i i ka hana e ho’onā ai i ka pilikia, a ma ka ha’i ‘ana aku i ko lākou mana’o, ‘o ia ho’i ka ho’iho’i ‘ia ‘ana o ka wai i ka hikina, ‘o ke kipaku ‘ia akula nō ia. Auē nō ho’i!

No laila, ‘eā, inā i loko nō o ke ea ‘Amelika ka mana e ‘a’e aku ai i kā lākou po’e kānāwai iho nō, no ke aha lā kākou, e ka Hawai’i, e mālama ai i ko Maleka? Ua ahuwale ke kuko kālā o ke aupuni. I ha’awina ho’okamani aha ia a nā mamo e na’auao ai? Akā, e ku’u lāhui aloha, ‘a’ole e poina ka ‘ike a nā kūpuna.

E ui aku ana au iā ‘oe,
Aia i hea ka wai a Kāne?
Aia i ke kuahiwi, i ke kualono,
I ke awāwa, i ke kahawai.
Aia i laila ka wai a Kāne.

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.