Synopsis: Turn out to vote “No” on the issue of whether members of the state Board of Education should be appointed instead of elected.

‘Auhea ‘oukou e nā hoamakamaka o ka ‘ōlelo kanaka. He mana‘o nui ko‘u i nā mākua a me nā po‘e make‘e keiki a pau o Hawai‘i nei. He leo kēia e koikoi a‘e nei e huliāmahi kākou i ka lā 2 o ka mahina ‘o Nowemapa a e koho ma ka nīnau ko‘iko‘i nona ka mana‘o nui penei:

(1) ‘AE: E lilo ka mana o ka ho‘okohu ‘ana i nā lālā o ka Papa Ho‘ona‘auao i ka lima o ke Kia‘āina o Hawai‘i nei, a i ‘ole ia

(2) ‘A‘OLE: E mau ke koho ‘ana a ka lehulehu (‘o kākou ho‘i) i nā lālā he 13 o ka Papa Ho‘ona‘auao e like me ia i hana ‘ia no nā makahiki he nui.

A he keu aku kēia a ka nīnau ko‘iko‘i no ka mea ke ho‘ā‘o nei ke Kia‘āina kakā ‘o‘opa e kā‘ili i ka mana li‘ili‘i i loa‘a i ka po‘e lehulehu. Me he mea lā, e ‘ōlelo ana ke kia‘āina, ua ‘oi aku kona ‘ike no ia mea he ho‘ona‘auao i ko kākou.

Ua pololei anei kēia? ‘A‘ole kā! He kekelē lae‘ula (Ph.D.) paha kona ma ka Ho‘ona‘auao? ‘A‘ole lā! ‘O ia pō‘ele‘ele nō o kona na‘au e like me ko kākou. A ‘o ka ‘oia‘i‘o, ‘a‘ohe aloha a nānā o ke kia‘āina i ka pono o nā keiki. Nānā wale nō ‘o ia i nā hana kālai‘āina me ke kālā. Na wai i ‘oki nā kālā nui o nā kula i fūlō ‘ia ai nā kumu kula he 17 lā? Na ke kia‘āina nō. Ua pono anei nā keiki i ke emi loa mai o nā lā a‘o?

Ho‘okahi nō mea e pono ai ke kanaka koho i nā lālā o ka Papa Ho‘ona‘auao. A pēlā nō ka po‘e noho ma ka Papa Ho‘ona‘auao. ‘A‘ole ia ‘o ke kekelē lae‘ula, ‘a‘ole ia ‘o ka waiwai, a ‘a‘ole ho‘i ia ‘o ka ‘ike i nā hana kālai‘āina ma mua. ‘O ka mea nui, ‘o ke aloha i nā keiki i ho‘ā‘o ia kanaka e koho i ka po‘e e kāko‘o ana i nā hana a me nā po‘e e na‘auao ai nā keiki.

‘O wai ke kanaka nui loa o ke aloha pēlā? ‘A‘ole loa ia ‘o ke kia‘āina. ‘O ka lehulehu nō o nā mākua me nā ‘ohana aloha keiki. E waiho ‘ia na lākou ke koho i ka Papa Ho‘ona‘auao.

‘A‘ole i pau ku‘u mahalo i ka Papa Ho‘ona‘auao i ka wā i ho‘okumu ‘ia ai nā Kula Kaiapuni Hawai‘i i ka MH 1987 a ma ia hope mai. ‘O ia ho‘i ‘o Darrow ‘Aiona, Margaret Apo, Francis McMillen, Mayer Ueoka me nā lālā ‘ē a‘e ho‘i. Na ka po‘e lehulehu lākou i koho, a e ‘ole lākou, ola ai ka leo kanaka i nā keiki!

He mea maopopo, inā nō ia he Papa i ho‘okohu ‘ia, ‘a‘ole nō i ola mai nā Kula Kaiapuni. No ka mea, he ho‘olohe ka Papa Ho‘ona‘auao i ka lehulehu ‘oiai, koho ‘ia lākou e ka lehulehu. He ho‘olohe ka po‘e ho‘okohu ‘ia i ka leo ho‘okahi o ka mea nāna lākou i ho‘okohu mai.

Mai poina, na ka lehulehu i koho iā Charles Toguchi a me Pat Hamamoto i Luna Nui Ke‘ena Ho‘ona‘auao. Na Toguchi i kāko‘o i nā Kula Kaiapuni i kinohi, a pēlā ‘o Hamamoto, ka heke o nā Luna.

A ‘o ke Kia‘āina? Nāna i kū‘ē‘ē nā hana a Hamamoto, a i ‘oki nā lā kula. A ua makemake nō e kū‘ai lilo aku i nā ‘āina lei ali‘i! Mai puni i nā ho‘olaha kīwī me ka po‘e ho‘opili mea‘ai na ke kia‘āina.

E ala e ka ‘, ka Mahi, ka Palena! E hilina‘i kākou iā kākou iho a ma ka lā 2 o Nowemapa, penei e koho ai:

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.