Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 3, 1 March 2014 — ENGLISH SUMMARY [ARTICLE]

ENGLISH SUMMARY

Aloha 'āina has deep roots in the life ways and beliefs of our Kanaka ancestors. We know this from the genealogies, mele and stories. The Kumulipo tells us that we are of the same family as the earth and the sky, plants and animals, because they precede us in the same genealogy. Aloha 'āina is evident as well in the many plaee names that our kūpuna bestowed upon the land, and how they drew upon those plaee names and elements of nature whenever they reached for a metaphor in song or poetry. Plaee names also form the basis of thousands of 'ōlelo no'eau. In the 20th century, Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel Elbert defined aloha 'āina as patriotism and pointed out that it was a very ancient Hawaiian concept. In the 1970s, George Helm reignited the idea of aloha 'āina in the fight to reclaim and rescue Kaho'olawe from destruction by the U.S. military. Many mele aloha 'āina were composed at that time. In the 1980s and '90s, Iz and others composed and sang more mele aloha 'āina. Our kūpuna who called themselves po'e aloha 'āina protested with all their might against annexation to the U.S., and lost. Since then we have seen innumerable lands lost to foreigners, the sea and fresh waters polluted, lands destroyed by bombs and guns, and many Kānaka having to leave our beloved homeland because it is too expensive to live here. It is not right to agree to handing over control over our 'āina to others through instruments like the Akaka bill (may it rest in peaee). We must activate the kuleana that comes with our aloha for the 'āina, i.e., work to regain our lands and control over our homeland. Aloha 'āina means mālama 'āina - to care for the 'āina and to retain it. ■ Ho'oponopono 'ia e Laiana Wong. Laiana Wong edi.ted this pieee.