Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 13, Number 3, 1 March 1996 — Pele and Hiʻiaka [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Pele and Hiʻiaka

by A. Frenchy DeSoto, Trustee-at-large The beauty, strength, and power of Halau Kukuhi's performance of "Holo Mai Pele" thrilled and — at a deeper level — inspired its audiences. Consciously showcasing examples of

"good and bad" traditional behavior, the Kanaka'ole Foundation success- , fully aspired to present more than ehanl and dance and offered understanding and insight. But ultimately "Pele and Hi iaka" is a tragedy of enormous proportions. Hi'iaka finds the courage to fight and kili the evil mo'o of eaeh district. She navigates treacherous waters, mouniain passes, and storms. She survives loneliness and spiritual

isolation. She bring life where there was death. She overcomes even her own impulses to betray her quest. Hī'iaka sustains and overcomes every barrier to completing her task but one — the destructive impatience and mistrust of Pele. Their battle ean have no "winner." The losses are devastating. The beauty of forest and friendship is destroyed by fire. Lohiau is killed. The family is forced to chose sides. And heaven, earth, and the underworld are in turmoil. It's impossible not to see the modern parallels in this story. As Hawaiians we are on a perilous quest to retrieve our land and sovereignty. We must travel among the islands and cross an oeean and a continent to breathe life back into justice. We have and will continue to face hardships and enemies. We are slowly overcoming those external obstacles. Our greatest threat is our own destructive impatience and mistrust. Knowing that, I have kept a promise to you and to myself never to use this eolumn in personal attacks on other Hawaiians, other trustees, or other points of view. I will keep that promise. But I'm damned mad at the dishonesty and damage whieh now surrounds what could and should be honest disagreements. Let"s focus on just two examples: •Eaeh trustee wants a full assurance and reporting of the accountability and integrity of the OHA trust. Clearly, improvements in reporting are needed. Getting detailed information requires too

mueh time and effort. Such delays are unacceptable. But it is only mistrust whieh transforms justifiable frustration and the need to improve reporting systems into implicit charges of wrong-doing. It is our sworn duty and responsibility to protect the trust and its native Hawaiian beneficiaries. To

be impatient and mistrustful of that eommon commitmenl only places the trust itself in jeopardy. I have witnessed and am fearful of Ihe eonsequences of taking this unfounded mistrust to the state legislature. The mo'o who want to destroy the trust are the only ones gaining strength from such attacks. •Eaeh trustee wants to nurture and give full expression to the self-deter-

mination of the Hawaiian people. We are not unanimous in our support for the voting process developed by the Hawaiian Sovereignty Elections Council (HSEC). But it is only unfounded mistrust whieh paints this honest disagreement as "lies" or some betrayal of the Hawaiian people. As Hi'iaka learned, there will be a parting of ways and some companions who will not take eaeh step of the journey. But the journey itself cannot be abandoned. Kina'u Boyd Kamali'i sits as the OHA representative on HSEC, she is personally honest and represents the majority view of the Board of Trustees. The mo'o who oppose sovereignty are the only ones strengthened by trying to destroy this process or the individuals eommitted to its success.

There are other examples. Too many. 'Eha ka pu'uwai. But "Pele and Hi'iaka" also offers insight into the deepest distinction between these pains of the heart. With poetic conviction it conveys the saddest human recognition that there is truly no way to please and pacify the gods. Regardless of the degree of sacrifice, rightness of ritual practice, or personal courage — death and harm occur. It is the central mystery and power of religious belief. There is no way to placate the gods. But "Pele and Hi'iaka" aIso sings of hope at another level. We cannot control the gods, but we ean control ourselves. We ean offer joy, love, and solace to eaeh other. That is the central power of being human and Hawaiian.