Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 29, Number 4, 1 April 2012 — Impressions from a new trustee; anticipating Merrie Monarch [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Impressions from a new trustee; anticipating Merrie Monarch

Aloha mai kākou. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve my fellow Hawaiians as a Maui member of

the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. My deepest mahalo to Govemor Abercrombie for having the faith and confidence to appoint me to represent Maui island as well as the whole State of Hawai'i in this capacity. I am grateful to be working with eight prestigious trustees who have varied backarounds;

some that have served our people for many, many years and men and women who love our beneficiaries as mueh as I do. For me, this is my mission. I am impressed with the intelligence, efficiency and talents of our OHA staff. I marvel at the weekly reports made by our employees at our weekly board meetings and feel confident that our next generation is prepared to take the leadership in preparing our people to govern a nation of our own. On Jan. 17, when I took the oath of office, I pledged to serve my Hawaiian beneficiaries and to make the critical decisions that relate not only to trust management, but program development and implementation, cultural and historic preservation and undertakings in many diverse areas. The health of Hawai'i's economy, our quality of life and ultimately our identity is founded on a vibrant Native Hawaiian culture, whieh in turn relies on a Native Hawaiian peoples that are well-grounded in Hawaiian culture and values, well educated, healthy, productively employed and adequately housed. Perpetuation of our culture includes safeguarding and maintaining the unique multiethnic mutually respectful inter-relationships, values and traditional practices whieh

support and spread the aloha spirit among all people of Hawai'i nei. As a youngster growing up in Waimea and Keaukaha on Hawai'i Island, our 'ohana was

raised steeped in Hawaiian culture, and I have striven in my lifetime to perpetuate our cultural values and to pass on to my children the priceless legacy and rich heritage of our Hawaiian language, music and performing arts. I have always been a Hawaiian cultural practitioner. My dauahters

are kumu hula of Hālau Nā Lei Kaumaka O Uka. The hālau is organized exclusively to ensure the perpetuation of the Hawaiian culture through the teaching of hula, language, protocol, chanting and other Hawaiian traditions; to teach the youth and members of our community how to be cultural practitioners in a modern society. This month we celebrate our eulture of hula and music at the Merrie Monarch hula festival on Hawai'i Island. Hālau Nā Lei Kaumaka O Uka is taking a rest from the festival this year; however, we look forward to returning next year. I asked my daughters, nā kumu, if they would share their mana'o on hula. KUMU NĀPUA MAKUA: "Collaboration and the sharing of knowledge are key to the preservation of hula in these times. There is so mueh more information readily available to us thanks to those who have dedicated countless hours to research and study. We have mele and the language newspapers online today. Thirty years ago, this was but a dream. Through the tireless work of Dr. Puakea Nogelmeier, the story of Hi'iakapoliopele is accessible to native speakers and those who do not speak our language. The collaboration between researcher, translator, kumu, cultural practitioner, hau-

mana, 'ōlapa and 'ohana is necessary for us to perpetuate our hula. I am thankful eaeh day to be living in these times when it is absolutely necessary for us to practice our eulture. I have chosen to do this through hula. I have leamed mueh through collaborative efforts over the years. I am in awe of the gifted practitioners that surround me. "As we celebrate our culture and ourselves as a people during this year's Merrie Monarch hula eompetition, let us enjoy the greatest hula we have to offer. Let us leave the critiquing to the judges - they are more than qualified for that kuleana. It is my hope that we rise above the urge to let our 'Western or American' ancestry take over and piek apart or belittle performances over Facebook, Twitter or any other social media as if we were Amenean Idol judges. But rather, I would like to enjoy the hard work of the hālau and appreciate witnessing the inspiration of the kumu hula. Anyone who goes through creative process understands that this process involves our kūpuna, 'aumākua and akua. I commend eaeh and every one of the participants of this year's competition - you make me proud to be Hawaiian." KUMU KAHULU MALUO: "To perpetuate our culture and the art of hula, we must continue to work together and share our knowledge. Numerous opportunities are afforded in our community to share knowledge and collaborate with others: kumu hula, 'ōlapa, kōkua, those who share the same or sometimes even different philosophies but the same passion - hula! Great learning opportunities like Ka 'Aha Hula 'O Hālauaola, whieh began in 2001 on Hawai'i Island, held in 2005 on Maui and in 2009 on O'ahu, is a great example of different schools of tradition and philosophy coming together in an effort to share knowledge and perpetuate hula. The brilliance of this event provided the setting for the sharing of a plethora

of cultural/hula topics and eollaboration amongst kumu hula, but especially provided the foundations of new relationships between kumu hula and hālau. At home on Maui, we are very pleased and fortunate that we have fellow kumu hula we ean always turn to, those we eonsider mentors and friends. Now because of opportunities to eollahorate, I ean also eall many statewide kumu hula our friends and mentors as well. Knowing that philosophies, style and genealogy may differ, it is a unified front amongst hālau and our knowledgeable resources that will maintain and continue to perpetuate hula long into the future. I will always consider myself fortunate to have been raised in a family that not only embraced being Hawaiian but encouraged and inspired us to be the best Hawaiians we could be. Due to the influences of our mother's music and the passionate and diligent kumu hula we

were blessed to learn from, music and hula are not only what we do, but it is also who we are. "As we celebrate the 49th annual Merrie Monarch Festival, let's all rejoice! Rejoice in the power, beauty and pride for not only hula and our Hawaiian music but in just being Hawaiian. Let us celebrate the work and efforts of eaeh hālau, not just for their efforts to participate in the festival but for their efforts to perfect their work and to bring their best presentations. Although it feels unusual to not be participating, I am so excited to be able to enjoy all the beautiful mele, the 'ōlapa, the imagery and colors, and of course the fragrances! A great mahalo to Aunty Luana and the multitude of kōkua that support her, and for their diligence and passion to perpetuate the work started by her mother, Aunty Dotty, and Unele George. I am extremely thankful." ■

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Carmen "Hulu" Lindsey Trustee, Maui