Letters

With Apologies to Kala’e

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023

Disappeared.

Gone.

Turned to poo-brown

by clowns with “authority.”*

These blues and greens,

such vibrant life,

such beauty

they refuse to see.

Always trying so hard

to erase

so they desecrate

and they deface,

replacing history,

never wanting to leave

so much as a trace

of Kanaka Maoli

for occupying eyes

to see

as they use stolen keys

to uproot rainbow trees

and they paint over paradise

making something so nice 

a dull brown

making you forget the Queen’s crown

making you forget the U.S. Marines

helped tear the Queen’s flag down

making you forget that this ain’t

America as they paint

and they paint

and they paint over laughter

and life

and love

and they shove their greedy paws

and their white

man made laws

and their codes

and their rules

all over this stolen land

where Hawaiian tongues

were long banned

and now there are cops

in schools

putting Hawaiian children 

in handcuffs

and I agree with Aunty Scarlett

that enough is enough

when, instead of getting tough

on corrupt police

and on chemical companies

and on the military

polluting the aquifer,

the land

and the sea

they are using

the taxes on our tea

to deny Hawaiians like Kala’e

the right to just be

free

and to be freely creating beauty

for all eyes to see

while not hurting a flea

much less a tree

the air

the water

or the soil…

If you look at history

honestly

you will see

that since 1893

crimes like these 

are truly

human rights violation

and it should make your blood boil.…

‘Olelo Hawaii ‘Oe? Campaign

Wednesday, July 12th, 2023

Kanaeokana, the Kula Hawaii Network, would like to mahalo the organizers, vendors and community for participating in Molokai’s first ʻOlelo Hawaii ʻOe? campaign that was held on Saturday, June 3 at the Kamehameha Day Hoʻolauleʻa at Molokai Community Health Center. The purpose of the campaign was to engage all sectors of the community in using ‘olelo Hawaii for day to day tasks, such as shopping and browsing for food and merchandise at community events. 

Keiki to kupuna who came to the Hoʻolauleʻa to honor Kamehameha Day were encouraged to ‘olelo Hawaii to their best ability with each other and the many vendors at the Hoʻolauleʻa.…

Tree Butchering

Wednesday, July 5th, 2023

God did not prepare me for what I saw as I walked to my once beautiful country road in Ho’olehua this morning. All the Koa trees cut down, strewn across the road like dead soldiers lined up in a trench. 

I had agreed, against my will, to let them trim the roads because they felt in case of emergency, some of the overhanging branches might be low. But what constitutes what they considered trimming? Butchering is a better word for what the county did. I am in shock and will be in shock till I die having to drive on my road, every day, 365 days a year and remember what the county left me. …

Vandalism at Kamakou

Wednesday, June 28th, 2023

E malama i ka lako honua no na hanauna a pau. Take care of the resources for future generations. 

I was disappointed to hear that a fence in the Kamakou Preserve was cut and vandalized two weeks ago.  The fences of Kamakou Preserve protect some of the last and best native forests on Molokai and are home to species found nowhere else on the planet.  The native forest of Kamakou collects the water that is used by residents across the island, which includes Hawaiian Homes, county, private and other folks.  

We only have 13 percent of the native forest this island once had, pushed back miles inland by fire and hooved animals, now mostly at the tops of the mountains, such that many people now never see what a healthy forest looks like. …

Art of Life

Wednesday, May 10th, 2023

Art of life is everyday of our life. Art of love, kindness, compassion, care, respect. Art of our everyday imagination, creativity, have a happy fun day, do good, beautiful things with our life, for the good of all life. Art of all human race to recognize our purpose, responsibility, mission for life, for the good of all life. Art is whatever we created with our own everyday life, that’s valuable to us, that makes us happy with a wonderful, beautiful smile of our new day, that doesn’t need anybody to approve or disapprove. We are all artists of life everyday. Enjoy the conversation. …