Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 38, Number 5, 1 May 2021 — Aloha mai kākou, [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Aloha mai kākou,

J ŌLELO A KA POUHANA V ^ MESSAGE FROM THE CEO r

MAIKA'I KAUA'I Kaiāulu (n. 1. Community, neighborhood, village.)

The first time I visited the island of Kaua'i I was in high school. You may recall that last December I wrote about my experience with Future Farmers of America (FFA) as a student at Kohala High School. Among the many opportunities afforded to me as a club member was the ehanee to travel off-island. Throughout the year we raised funds for our annual trip to the FFA state conference and for one additional interisland trip - a special trip just for junior and senior club members who had demonstrated strong FFA leadership, regular attendance, and consistent work project contributions throughout the year. Our club advisor, David Fuertes, is originally from Kaua'i, so the year we traveled there was especially memorable. On that trip we were immersed in Kaua'i culture and saw the island through the eyes of Mr. Fuertes, his 'ohana, and his friends. We stayed with Mr. Fuertes' sister, Aunty Nancy, in Po'ipū - all of us students sleeping outside on her patio for the duration of our visit. Aunty Nancy took us up to Kōke'e to piek maile and mokihana, and then taught us how to make lei - her speciality till today. We traveled to the home of Mr. Fuertes' brother, Unele Basilio (who has since passed), in Kekaha Hawaiian Homestead where he taught us to make kūlolo the way their family always made it. I remember going to Hanalei and marveling at the breadth and beauty of the valley and its patchwork bounty of farms and lo'i, seeing a Kīlauea papaya farm, and visiting the Kaneshiro pig farm in 'Ōma'o, Kōloa. What struck me then was the powerful sense of community and connection that I experienced on Kaua'i. The island and its people took us in and embraced us with aloha. I saw how seamlessly the Kaua'i community integrated 'ohana, mo'omeheu and 'āina. Maika'i nō Kaua'i.

In this issue of Ka Wai Ola , we discover the story behind the new statue of King Kaumuali'i at Pā'ula'ula in Waimea, Kaua'i. This community-led initiative included hundreds of individuals and organizations from Kaua'i who gave of their "time, talent and treasure" to honor the last sovereign king of Kaua'i and Ni'ihau, and to perpetuate their community's collective memory of the king who relinquished his sovereignty to Kamehameha I rather than subject his people to the grief, violence and death that even a victorious war would bring to their island. Also in this issue, we go into greater depth about OHA' s new Mana i Mauli Ola strategic plan, focusing on our first strategic direction - Educational Pathways; learn how the Bishop Museum has repurposed a discredited 100-year-old research project into a genealogical treasure and created a fascinating exhibit on eugenics and

racism; hear how a young Kanaka Maoli doctor from Kapi'olan Medical Center is using TikTok to encourage people to get vaccinated; and follow the journey of a kumu hula who will

present her hālau at the Merrie Monarch Festival for the first time this coming June when the festival resumes. "Maika 'i Kaua 'i, hemolele i ka mālie; Beautiful Kaua 'i.

peaceful in the ealm, " - 'Olelo No'eau I

Sylvia M. Hussey, Ed.D. Ka Pouhana/Chief Executive Officer