Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 4, Number 7, 1 July 1987 — He Mau Ninau Ola [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

He Mau Ninau Ola

MBBBMHMBBBMBBBBBMBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBMBMBBBBBBBBBBBBBBWMBBBBB^^ Some Health Questions by Kekuni Blaisdell, M.D.

Ninau: E ke Kauka, why do you write that we ka po'e Hawai'i are "an endangered species," when you also point out that our numbers are increasing? Pane: Your ninau maika'i illustrates a curious paradox that might be called: "increasing numbers of less Hawaiians." lt refers to the disappear-

anee of us ka po'e Hawai'i as a lahui (race) with a distinct culture, language, religion, land base and self-govern-ment as we become increasingly non-Hawaiians in a predominantly haole world. It is an issue as grave as when our King, Kamehameha IV in 1854, cited it as"the most pressing problem. . .all others fade into insignificance." Recent computer projections about us kanaka Hawai'i into the 21st Century (whieh is only 13 years henee) indicate: • Ka po'e piha Hawai'i (pure Hawaiians), now num-

bering less than 8,000, will be virtually unknown by the year 2024, as shown in Figure 1. • Fifty percent and greater "blood" quanta po'e Hawai'i will decline from the current 40 percent, to 8 percent of the native Hawaiian population by the year 2044 (Fig. 1). • While the total number of ka po'e Hawai'i in 2044 will rise to 591,000 from the present figure of 207,000, more than 200,000 (34 percent) will be less than 1/8 Hawaiian (Fig. 2), and thus less likely to be identified as "Hawaiian" (Fig. 1). These Apnl 1987 projections by Dr. Lawrence Miike of the U.S. Congress Office ofTechnology Assessment, assume: continuation of the current ka po'e Hawai'i outmarriage rate of 60 percent (the highest among major ethnic groups in Hawai'i); continuation of the present Hawaiian fertility rate of 2.54 children per woman (also high); and equal Hawaiian in-vs. out-migration (although out-migration currently exceedsin-migration). The progressive emi 'ana (decrease) in the quantum biological or racial Hawaiianess of our people, with projected extinction of pure Hawaiians; the further eultural Westernization-deHawaiianization of ka po'e Hawai'i, with loss of our 'olelo makuahine (language), suppression of our ho'omana (religion), taking of our lands and destruction of our other natural resources, and obstruction of our self-determination, are the major and alarming reasons for referring to ourselves as "an endangered species." The above observations suggest that two main subsets of "Hawaiians" are emerging: 1. A growing number who are less biologically Hawaiian, more assimilated into the dominant Amen-can-Western urban social, educational, eeonomie and political system, in the competitive pursuit of material affluence, and in alliances with the non-Hawaiian government, the military and multi-national corporations,

in exploitation of human and natural resources in Hawai'i nei, elsewhere in the Pacific and beyond. 2. A declining number of ka po'e Hawai'i who are more biologically Hawaiian, mainly rural and resistant to haole assimilation, who prefer to live close to the land and sea in extended 'ohana, sharing resources and expertise, in lokahi (harmony) with themselves and others, in a living, conscious and communicating cosmos, and thus with reverence for ka 'aina as the source of livelihood, recreation, spiritual inspiration and life's meaningfulness. If we modern ka po'e Hawai'i agree with Kamehameha IV that our present path toward extinction is our most pressing problem, and we also agree with the foregoing analysis, then there is urgency for our adopting the following corrective measures, lest we end up as non-Hawaiians: • Reverse our unwholesome health profile by kiloi 'ana (discarding) anti-Hawaiian lifestyles, and ho'i 'ana (returning) to the traditional health-promoting ways of our kupuna. • E ho'onui (increase) our biotogical Hawaiianess in future generations by mating with kekahi kanaka Hawai'i and maintaining our high ferfility rate. • Revitalize our culture, 'olelo makuahine, and ho'omana to restore faith and confidence in ourselves, while we also acquire those Western ways that are helpful to our people. • Assert our sovereignty with self-determination as the Hawaiian Nation that we may retain our land base for self-sufficiency, eeonomie opportunities for our po'e 'opio to prevent their out-migration, and thus assure for ourselves control of our lives, our health and our survival in our homeland. Details on these and other ninau ola will e ho'omau (eonhnue) in future columns. 'Oiai, e 'onipa'a kakou i ka ea a me ke ku'oko'a — a no Ka Lahui Hawai'i.