Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 12, 1 December 1992 — Two named Kūpuna Poʻokela [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Two named Kūpuna Poʻokela

by Pearl Leialoha Page Not one, but two kūpuna were ehosen by this year's 'aha as those who exemplify what being kūpuna is all about. They are Henry A. Auwae and Elizabeth Kauahipaula. Both were elected by their peers for having displayed a life experience of "keiki o ka 'āina" with dignity and beauty, having helped preserve and perpetuate Hawaiian culture and being noted in the area of language, education, hula, fine arts, music, medieine, government, farming or fishing. Kupuna Auwae is noted for his 75year practice of lā'au lapa'au, the appiieahon of Hawaiian herbal medieine. To Papa Auwae, as he is lovingly called, being kupuna means following in the footsteps of his own greatgrandmother who began teaching him the art of lā'au lapa'au when he was seven. Raised on the Big Island, Auwae was taught three important principles: never charge for your ser-

vices, don't publish what you know and think globally. "She told me that the medicine is from God to help all mankind, not just for the Hawaiians," he said. "I look at my great grandchildren, who are all nationalities, and I know she knew what she was talking about," he said. Auwae has never charged for his healing services, nor has he ever written down what he knows. '"Don't write anything in books, eome one day they'll twist the words,' she told me." However he has taught his daughter and granddaughter his healing traditions. This very busy kupuna finds great personal satisfaction from helping people recover their good health. Papa Auwae is 82 years young with 16 children and 742 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. He is a native speaker of the Hawaiian language and enjoys the same robust heahh that his greatgreat grandmother enjoyed, who

when she died at age 1 14, could still read a newspaper without glasses. Elizabeth Kauahipaula was especially encouraged by the 'aha when the kūpuna team compared the strength of the 'ohana to that of the niu (coconut). "The way they talked about strength and courage was gaid. It inspired me," she said. Kupuna Kauahipaula is a native speaker who was raised in Keaukaha, Hawai'i and is sharing her language skills with the Hawaiian immersion classes at Waiau Elementary. She also teaches adults at Waipahu High School. "It's our own kūpuna who are in the class. I try to have them leaim the conversational things — things they ean use everyday," she said. Last summer, she assisted at the Pūnana Leo school in Kalihi. It doesn't seem to matter what ages she's teaching, her welcoming and encouraging spirit is the moena (mat) upon whieh learning easily occurs.

Her attitude to taking up any task is, "1*11 try and see what comes out." That's how she responded to a newspaper article 15 years ago announcing the Hawaiian Studies kūpuna program. She was one of two kūpuna on the Wai'anae coast that first year. "We work together with the teachers but we put in our Hawaiian way of living, our values, foods and customs. We want to show the children what is a kupuna. One of the things a kupuna does is hand down cultural traditions and practices. "I enjoy seeing the children and when they see me they eall out, 'kupuna, kupuna.' It makes me feel good all over." Kupuna Kauahipaula is 78 years old, has five children and 48 grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. She is one of five children of David Kapu Brown and lived a subsistence lifestyle where she worked in the lo'i, pounded poi and helped weave and mend lauhala mats. Her oral history has been

recorded as part of a Kamehameha Schools f)roject. She is part of Ka Pa Hula O Kalani and she enjoys singing, playing 'ukulele and composing songs.

On being kupuna

Klizabeth Kauahipaula and Henry A. Auwae were twin winners of the Kupuna Po'okela award, chosen by their peers as extraodinary kūpuna.