Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 2, 1 February 2005 — We descend form a great people whose roots were deep and whose spirits reached high [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

We descend form a great people whose roots were deep and whose spirits reached high

Aloha all. The Akaka Bill seems to continue to provide an ongoing saga as the politieal winds and personalities, both in Congress and here in Hawaii, mix it up to provide edge of the seat action mostly missed by Hawaiians who are still not conversant with the impact upon us all if the bill fails. This is not a "Chicken Little" scenario because the sky will fall if the bill fails and we lose in court. Sure, we ean say Ok, without the Akaka Bill we ean follow a dream and now concentrate on getting the United Nations to give Hawai'i to us Hawaiians, but how realistic is that and whose dream is that? Suffice it to say that we need to work within the laws of our nation, and Hawaiians have to pay attention to the various points of view and their relative merits in order for our culture, our identity and our existence as a people to continue. If none of this is important to the majority of Hawaiians, then neither are federal

recognition nor independence. The Twigg-Smiths, Conklins and others will prevail, and we will fade into the framework of the constitution as interpreted by those who relentlessly pursue termination by the courts of any Native Hawaiian recognition. Do we want the overthrow to be recorded as merely a footnote in history whieh led us to heeome American, no longer Hawaiian, no longer a people with a homeland? And if that happens, who will we have to hlame? Mostly ourselves. As Hawaiians we face serious issues today whieh mandate us to pull together: our lands and water are threatened eaeh day with a number of cases being heard around the state. Our kūpuna, our youth, our kamali'i, our 'ohana are faced with the specter of further disintegration from drugs, aleohol, cigarettes, abuse, unemployment, poor education, homelessness, and loss of identity and pride as an indigenous people. From a highly civilized and

accomplished society we have, as with numerous other indigenous peoples, succumbed to invaders, immigrants, and opportunists and self-inflicted upon ourselves the wounds of a defeated society. Although many Hawaiians have prospered and succeeded, for the most part our people identify more with the culture of suck 'em up, smoke 'em up and buss 'em up. It seems we are identified more by our pidgin and foul language, our loud music and our junk cars than by our humility, our faith in Akua and our quest for excellence. I hear complaints that no more enough welfare money and free handouts. I have sent many to prison and told them all that they made the ehoiee to go by their actions and now must face the consequences. We all face the consequences of our bad choices. And so now is the time to choose to elean up, get up and head up. We ean stand together but let's not talk of helping our posterity to live a better life until we live who we actually

are: descendants of a great and highly civilized people whose roots reached deep and whose spirit touched the heavens. If we abuse physically or by our bad examples, our problems will eonlinue. You drink, they going drink. You smoke, them too. You into iee, likewise. You swear, they swear. You hit, they hit. You rotten, they rotten. You no care, they no care. But onee we choose to do the right, then we ean save our ship because we will have the values and spirit of our ancient forbearers and eome what may, we will prevail. So we start with introspection and look at ourselves in the mirror. Then we decide whieh path to take: the high or the low. With help from the feds and state many have been able to move up. We need to continue to help all Hawaiians to move up. We need Akua. We need the courage to choose the right. ■

Boyd P. Mossman Trustee, Maui