Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 10, 1 October 2003 — Hānai vs. ancestry [ARTICLE]

Hānai vs. ancestry

OK! So Hawaiians always hānai'd other children not of their race. It was a practice of long ago, but does it mean that it entitled them to elaim another family lineage? No, I don't think so! Just because this family that is of nonHawaiian ancestry is taken care of by a Hawaiian family does not give them the right to elaim that person's lineage and bloodline (koko). When you are legally adopted, courts say you cannot elaim anything to your biological parents' rights, such as land, etc. However, when you elaim lineage, it's by your

birth parents, not that of your hānai or adopted parents, unless you were adopted by your biological grandparents. Knowing your genealogy is part of our culture and being Hawaiian. It's knowing who you are and being proud of it. Marbeth Aquino Waimānalo