Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 36, Number 11, 1 November 2019 — A life of service... A life of aloha [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A life of service... A life of aloha

Aloha kakou! As we continue our focus on Hawai'i Island kanaka who have helped our community, we turn our attention this month to a keiki o ka 'āina no Hilo. Please join in celebrating the aeeomplishments and service of this kanaka to our lāhui...especially our 'ōpio. On September 14, 1970, Emerson Kihei Nahale-a was born. He

was raised on the 'āina ho'opulapula of Keaukaha and Pana'ewa. He attended the Kamehameha Schools and later went on to UHHilo where he received his BA in Hawaiian Language. Although unexpected, education, specifically Hawai'i cultural-based education, has been a part of his professional career. He has taught at every level from pre-school to the university system as well as after-school and community-based

education programs for almost 30 years. Some years ago, Kihei, his wife, Noheahiwahiwa and their two keiki, Wahinepoaimoku and Nahiku. moved from Moku o Keawe to O'ahualua to the moku of Ko'olauloa. He is the director of the Huliāmahi Education Allianee in He'eia, dedicated to providing more access to Aloha 'āina based education to youth in and around the ahupua'a of He'eia. Kihei is one of the steering committee members for Ko'olau 'Āina Aloha, a network of Aloha ' 'Āina education programs throughout the Ko'olau area. Furthermore, he is one of the founding members of Project KULEANA, a Hawaiian wellbeing project whieh explores the concept of Kuleana through music. He is an active supporter of Hui O Hau 'ula as well as Maunawila Heiau. He is a strong advocate, supporter and practitioner of traditional lifecycle practices like the ones taught by the Hawaiian birth practitioner program Ka Lāhui O Ka Pō at Ho'oulu 'āina in Kalihi. He also believes in

the proper treatment and return of our iwi and mea kupuna as taught to him by his mentor and friend, Halealoha Ayau of Hui Mālama I Nā Kupuna O Hawai'i Nei. Kihei is proud to have contributed to the work of returning iwi kupuna to the poli of Haumea in order to return mana back to our 'āina and our people. This kanaka exemplifies Mālama Lāhui. While being able to raise their two keiki as first language speakers of 'ōlelo Hawai'i

has brought he and Nohea great joy, other milestones of kanaka importance exist. One of these is the fact that 'ohana now have the legal right without prejudice to take their child's 'iewe, the placenta, home to practice māwaewae. Kihei feels he has been blessed to work with community and 'ōpio in building their sense of Ha'aheo and Aloha 'Āina through his work with Ko'olau 'Āina Aloha,

the Huliāmahi Education Allianee and KEY Project. He is also supporting others through music performance and productions like Project KULEANA and Keao Costa's CD entitled "Aloha O'ahu." Kihei shared, "To be able to be a part of other people's growth and well-being honors the values and morals of my parents Albert and Connie Nahale-a." Kihei shared this inspiring mana'o. "My hope for the future of our Hawaiian eommunity is for our current generation of leaders to eonhnue to "Au'a 'Ia' (hold tight) as our kupuna have, no matter what the cost. From Kuamo'o to Hale Ali'i '0 'Iolani, from Kaho'olawe to Mauna Kea, we must continue to be na'au ali'i as our great ali'i were. We must continue to praise our Akua, Ali'i, 'Āina and Mea Hanohano through Hawaiian traditions such as mo'olelo and mele. I truly believe that if we eonhnue to educate our 'ōpio in this way we will eventually eome to see Hawai'i as a prosperous and healthy Lāhui that actually looks and feels Hawaiian." ■

Robert K. Lindsey, Jr. TrustEE, Hawai'i

Kihei, Alapaki and Ron Nahale-a. - Photo: Courtesy 1