Synopsis: What we do to the environment affects our way of life.

Ke ‘ike nei ko Hawai’i po’e i ka loli o ka noho ‘ana ‘o ia lā aku ‘o ia lā aku. Ma ka ho’ohālike aku me ‘umi mau makahiki aku nei, ua loli maila kekahi mau hana ma’amau a kākou, ‘o ia ka waewae ‘ana i ka ‘ōpala, ‘o ke kini ‘oe, ka ‘ōmole ‘oe, ka pepa ‘oe, ‘o nā mīkini pū nō ho’i. ‘Oi aku ka nui o nā hana o kēia ‘ano i paipai ‘ia ma nā ‘āina like ‘ole, e like me Nukilani, ma ka ho’ēmi ‘ōpala ‘ana, e like me ka waewae ‘ana o ko kēlā me kēia hale i ka pepa a me ka ‘ea. He kanu māla ‘ai nō ho’i kēlā me kēia ‘ohana e hānai ai i ka ‘ohana. ‘A’ole nō pēlā ma Hawai’i nei, akā, pono nō.

Kanakolu mau makahiki aku nei, ‘a’ole i no’ono’o ‘ia ka waewae ‘ia ‘ana o ka ‘ōpala ma Hawai’i nei. He pono kiola nō ka hana i luna o ka pu’u ‘ōpala a waiho na ke kakapila e kanu ma ka honua. Pau ka ‘ike ‘ia, pau pū ka no’ono’o ‘ia. Ma kekahi mau wahi, e like me Mānā ma Kaua’i, ‘o ka pu’u ‘ōpala ka pu’u ki’eki’e loa o ia ‘āina kula pālahalaha a ua lilo he kilohana e nānā aku ai ā lō’ihi ma kēlā me kēia ‘ao’ao.

I ka holo ‘ana o nā makahiki, ea mai nā mana’o nāna e kōkua i ka pono o ka ‘āina i ‘ole e pau loa i ka ho’ohaumia ‘ia e kānaka. ‘O ka maka’u, ‘o ia ka haumia pū o ka ‘āina ā hiki ‘ole ke noho ‘ia e kānaka.

Ke ho’ohālike aku me nā ‘āina ā puni ke ao, ‘o ke kumu kū’ai o ke kakalina ma Hawai’i nei kekahi o ke kumu kū’ai emi loa. Ma Nukilani, he $6.15 ke kumu kū’ai o ke kakalina o ke kālani i kēia manawa. Ma kekahi mau ‘āina hou a’e, ‘oi aku ka pipi’i. Ma Honolulu, he $3.70 o ke kālani i kēia wā. No laila, ‘o wai ke pono ke namunamu?

Ma muli nō o ka pi’i o ke kumu kū’ai o ke kakalina o kēia mau makahiki hope nei i loli ai ka mana’o o kekahi hapa o ka lehulehu e kū’ai i nā ka’a emi o ke kino a makauli’i o ke kālā. ‘O kekahi hopena i ‘ike ‘ia ma ia hope mai, ua pau kekahi mau hui kū’ai ka’a o Honolulu nei. Maika’i kekahi mau loli ‘ana a ‘a’ole paha maika’i kekahi.

Pehea kekahi loli ‘ana? Huli ka no’ono’o o kekahi mau hui mahi kō kahiko e ho’oulu i kekahi mau ‘ano lā’au e ho’olilo ‘ia ai he ‘aila nāna e ho’oholo i ka uila o nā kūlanakauhale a no nā ka’a pū, e like me ka hui ho’oulu kūlina hō’e’epa ‘ia a me ka lā’au albizia ma Kaua’i.

‘O kekahi hopena e maka’ala ai ma ia hana, ‘o ia ho’i, he lā’au malihini a hana ‘ino ka albizia i ka ululā’au. He laha hikiwawe, he ulu wawe he 20 kapua’i o ka makahiki ho’okahi. He 120 kapua’i ka palena lō’ihi e ulu ai. He ho’omalumalu i ka nāhelehele a make nā lā’au ‘ōiwi he nui e like me ka ‘ōhi’a. Pouli pū nā ‘eka he 3,000 a ‘oi ma Kaua’i i ka ulu albizia i kanu ‘ia. He mau kaukani hou aku nā ‘eka i uhi ‘ia e ka albizia i laha na ka makani. ‘Akahi nō ka ‘ike ‘ia o ka puehu o ia lā’au i luna nō o ka piko o Kawaikini he 5,000 kapua’i i luna o ka lani. Puhi ‘ia kona ‘ano’ano na ka makani a me nā manu ā laulā loa.

I kekahi lā, ke pau kēia mau hui ho’oulu lā’au, he aha ana ka hopena? E wehewehe ‘ia ana kēia mau lā’au e ko ia mau hui i ‘ole e ulu hou? ‘A’ole nō paha.

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.