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Culture & Art

Honoring the Past

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

Honoring the Past

By Melissa Kelsey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the annual festival to honor the beloved Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, Aunty Ku`ulei, Aunty Dora, and DJ Pelekai of the music group Ohana Hoaloha performed in front of his portrait at Kiowea Park last Saturday. The event, sponsored by Ahupua`a O Molokai, was a rich celebration of Hawaiian cultural traditions. Attendees feasted on ono grinds, including lau lau plates and fresh lemonade.

Prince Kuhio is important to the people of Molokai because of his sacrificial act of giving up his Hawaiian citizenship so that he could legally become a delegate to Congress, according to Louise Bush, President of Ahupua`a O Molokai. In this government role, Prince Kuhio advocated for the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. As a result of his influence, Congress passed the act in 1920, providing homesteads for native Hawaiians.

“It is important for us to gather to honor this great man who did so much for Molokai,” said event attendee and Hawaiian homesteader Opu`ulani Albino. “We take care of our traditions and history, our kupuna.”

Officially, Prince Kuhio Day was last Thursday, March 26, two days before the festival. Many businesses throughout Molokai were closed in observation of the holiday.

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Perfect Timing

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

New growers market exceeds organizers’ expectations.
By Sean Aronson


With the possible change in the Young Brothers delivery service, the need for fresh, local produce is more important than ever.  And an upstart growers market could be just the thing to make that produce available to fellow Molokai residents.

The Aina Momona Grower’s Market began last week and looks to establish itself as a weekday compliment to the Saturday Farmer’s Market.  It is held Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 3:30 to 6pm of each week.  The market occurs in the parking lot of Molokai Community Service Council, across the street from Molokai Burger.

Organizer P.J. White said their first day was a resounding success with a steady stream of people buying products from plants to corn to wood.  

The event was so successful that everything was sold in less than an hour.  And the Tuesday market was canceled because there was nothing else to sell.  At least 25 people were turned away on Tuesday because everything had sold the day before.

White said they need lots more contributors, and it seems there is clearly a market for a variety of products.  And if the first week was any indication, vendors will have no trouble selling everything they bring.

The Growers Market is also expanding to include fish and shrimp, according to White.

As of now, the market has 12 local growers, selling a variety of produce and herbs.  The growers include medium sized farms like Beach Boy and Kumu as well as individuals such as Mana`e resident Mike Kelly, who sold keawe wood.

“We have a good selection of items,” said White.  “We just need more of everything.”

White said with the proposed barge schedule changes limiting the amount of perishable food that will come from Maui, buying and selling Molokai-grown produce is a great idea.  She hopes it will put an even greater emphasis on getting local food from the tree to the dinner table.

“People like to have to fresh stuff and what better way of getting in than from your neighbor,” said White.

If you would like to sell your extra produce, please contact P.J. White at 567-6713.

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Front and Center

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

Molokai’s reef remains in focus for many residents and scientists.
By Sean Aronson

Molokai’s southern coral reef has been here for millions of years, and while local residents have known of its value for generations, many are again waking up to its importance thanks to a United States Geological Survey report.

The recent publication of the USGS report has spurred interest, and scientists and residents alike are hoping to capitalize on this to get financial support for the reef’s preservation.  

“Molokai has reefs that are dead – they just don’t know it yet,” said Robert Richmond, marine biologist from Kewalo Marine Laboratory at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  Richmond spoke to the Molokai Governor’s Advisory Council last week.
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Surviving the Rains

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

Paka`a, Part VII of a continuing series.

Here are the remains of a section of Paka`a’s trail which ran from the sea to the uplands where the sweet potato fields were. Keawenuiaumi’s men were sent up this trail to gather food for their army.

By Catherine Aki

The weather has forced Keawenuiaumi and his companions to remain on Molokai for the duration of the rainy season, about four months. They are running out of food quickly because most of their cargo was lost when they were swamped in the storm. Some of the ali`i’s retainers go to Paka`a’s son, Kuapaka`a, asking for food.  In one version of the story, the boy tells them that the sweet potatoes in the uplands only produce tubers when people themselves are productive. The same for the sugar cane, it grows lushly only when people increase in numbers.  The keiki, Kuapaka`a, says this because so many of the chief’s men were lazy.   He meant that only if the tubers were dug would there be an abundance. 

Only a few made the trip from the ocean to Maunaloa’s mountain top.  They followed a stone paved trail. 

It took me an entire year to find the length of the trail ending at the edge of the old pineapple fields close to the cemetery.  What surprised me was how pristine some segments still remained. They were straight and the sandstone markers on the side were easy to find. However in other areas erosion and human activity had deleted parts of the trail entirely.  The trail at the beach was wide but steep.  As it rose along the ridge, it became narrower about four to six feet wide, enough for one man to travel comfortably, but not two side by side.  The pavement is made of large flat stones supported by smaller stones.  It would be easy to trot up or down the trail as a result of its construction.  What amazed me was how smooth and well put together. 

However, I have been at the beach looking up the trail, and honestly speaking, I have never walked up the trail, only down.  So I can understand why the ali`i’s people lacked enthusiasm when faced with the trip to the potato fields. Those who went up with Kuapaka`a were amazed at the bounty. It is said that the eyes could go blind before seeing all the sweet potato and that the men could lie down and disappear in the sugar cane.

The keiki tells them to take all the potato, big and small.  They are to cook the big ones and dry the small ones.  Although the men are skeptical, the boy explains that the dried potatoes will be used during times when no fresh food is available.  This is the beginning of the revenge plot because Kuapaka`a will use these later as part of the implementation.  This is the beginning of the revenge plot because Kuapaka`a will use these later as part of the implementation.  His father has planned out the details way in advance. 

In our next episode, Keawenuiaumi gets ready to leave Molokai.

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The wind gourd of La`amaomao

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Paka`a - Part VI of a continuing series.

Though it belongs to the Bishop Museum, the wind gourd of La`amaomao, is currently hidden away at the Iolani Palace.

Keawenuiaumi fails to listen to Kuapaka`a’s warning that there is a storm in the channel between Oahu and Molokai.    Although the keiki repeatedly called out to the chief to come ashore, the two enemies continued to exert influence over the ali’i.  They argued that there are no clouds in the sky, so how can there be a storm.  As they continue to travel along the south coast of Molokai, past Haleolono, towards Laau point, Paka`a tells the boy to chant.

The keiki opens the wind gourd of La`amaomao.  Depending on who is telling the story, the bones of Paka`a’s mother or grandmother are in the gourd.  References have been made to the famous La`amaomao who traveled with Moikeha from Tahiti and settled in Haleolono.  He also had a wind calabash to control the winds.  Later he becomes one of the wind deities.  In some versions, it is an actual gourd and in others, it is a calabash which controls the winds.  Regardless of the discussion of its origins and contents, it was powerful.

When Kuapaka`a opens the cover and begins to chant, the calabash releases its forces.  The winds begin to come from Kauai and Oahu.  Then they come from Maui and the Big Island.  The boy chants their names and the places in a litany of descriptions.  For example the wind at Kawela is a cold nose wind.  As he chants the clouds grow dark and the seas swirl.  The entire flotilla is caught in the squall.  The small canoes capsize, the big canoes are swamped and as Keawenuiaumi goes to help, his doubled hull canoe is overpowered by the waves.  The two enemies tell him to pull back into the shelter of land to save himself.  But he answers that he will not let it be said that he abandoned his people.

On a personal note, I have seen one of these violent rains come off the ocean and hit a west end beach. The force lifted grown men holding down easy-up tarps and twisted metal.  It was the wind before the rain which caused all the damage.  The rains lasted less than half an hour before clearing up. 

As Paka`a watches the plight of his ali’i from afar, he tells Kuapaka`a to put the lid back on the calabash otherwise Keawenuiaumi and his entourage will drown.  Slowly the small canoes are righted and the big ones bailed out.  The fleet “limps” back into the shadow of La`au point.  In the distance the ali`i sees the boy and his father still fishing.  He directs the two enemies to head the canoes towards them.  They begin to argue again, but he cuts them off saying because he listened to them in the first place he is wet and cold.  He has finally had enough of their words which only served to manipulate him.

To disguise Paka`a, from Keawenuiaumi, the boy tells the chief that the canoes need to follow Kuapaka`a through the reef into shore.  If they had landed when he had advised them too, the tide would have been high, but now the low tide meant the coral would damage their canoes.   This will allow Paka`a to arrive first and hide. 

Next the father and son begin to plot their revenge.

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Keawenuiaumi comes to Molokai

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

Paka’a, part V of a continuing series

This rock out-cropping at the old Kolo wharf is a likely vantage point that Paka`a, and son Kuapaka’a, would have used to view Keawenuiaumi’s fleet as it approached Molokai.

In our last episode, Paka`a takes his son, Kuapaka`a, to the uplands located along the backbone of the mountain of Maunaloa. It is there that they begin to plant sweet potato in preparation for Keawenuiaumi’s arrival. Their field is a mile long and half a mile wide. The field is divided so that each of the district chiefs has a portion allotted to him. The shape of the fields is said to have been representative of those districts with markers sectioning them off.

In the meantime, Keawenuiaumi’s canoes and entourage are finally ready to set sail - so begins the search for Paka’a. He travels to Maui, lingering for a while before moving onto Molokai.

From his house, Paka`a can see the flotilla in the distant channel between Lanai and Maui. He devises a plan between himself and his son. They will pretend that Paka`a is an old deaf man fishing for uhu. In those days, the fisherman would always be bending over the water looking down with a line and hook to catch that kind of fish. With some salt encrusted in his hair, Paka`a looked the part when the two paddled their canoe out to intersect the ali`i’s fleet.

Kuapaka`a gets excited as the canoes approach. He keeps looking for Keawenuiaumi, but his father Paka`a informs him that the ali`i will be at the rear of the flotilla. However, as each district chief passes by, Paka`a whispers to his son to chant an insult directed at each leader. It is interesting that in the Moses Manu version of this account, the insults are part of a narrative and the responses are chanted. But in the Fornander account, the insults are chanted and the responses are narrated.

The scorn that Kuapaka`a heaps on each of the six district chiefs is basically that they are frauds. In other words they hold their high status based upon their appointment by Keawenuiaumi after he has conquered the Big Island, uniting it under one rule. They do not hold their position based their bloodlines and connection to the land but instead their ranks are rewards for their support. So to each he shouts, “you are not a real chief but instead an imposter”. And to make matters worse, he calls them eel catchers and shrimp scoopers belittling them all the more.

Finally, Keawenuiaumi arrives, and Paka`a’s half brother tells the ali`i to draw nearer to listen better to the keiki, Kuapaka`a. The keiki tries to entice the chief to land implying that perhaps he will find Paka`a. When that hint does not work, Kuapaka`a gives warning that there is a storm brewing the channel. He tells the ali’i to come ashore and avoid the storm. But Paka`a’s two enemies are also on board the chief’s canoe and they argue against landing. They taunt the boy back claiming there are no clouds in the sky.

Paka`a’s half-brother begins to recognize the boy’s chanting style as something familiar, realizing that only he and Paka`a know some of the chants. So he advises the chief that perhaps they should listen to the boy as someone from the island who might know more. However, the two enemies insist that the group continue on their journey.

Next time, Keawenuiaumi learns why he should have listened to the “keiki `o ka `aina”.

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The View from Outside

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

You can’t be critical of Molokai without knowing its people.

I recently had a discussion with a colleague about the social situation on Moloka‘i. Actually, that’s just one way to characterize it. Another would be that I had a heated exchange with a guy who showed his ignorance by expressing some deeply-held prejudices about Moloka‘i and its people. It wasn’t pretty.

I’ll be the first to admit that Moloka‘i isn’t perfect; none of us would claim that it is. There could be more jobs and less crime. The economy could be stronger. We could have more doctors and fewer residents who rely on drugs and alcohol to get through the day. Food and gas could be cheaper. There could be more ways for young people to use their time.

Yet we all know that we could say the same thing about every community in our state, and probably our nation. Yes, Moloka‘i has been hit hard. Everybody has.

The danger comes when people outside Moloka‘i try to take the acknowledged challenges and extend them into a criticism of the entire community and all of its residents.

You can’t know Moloka‘i until you have spent real time in the community, met the real people who choose to make it their home, seen how they live and work and play. Moloka‘i isn’t about high gas prices and closing businesses any more than Honolulu is about traffic and high rise condominiums. Every community is a reflection of complex personal interactions and common choices. And every part of our state—whatever the average income or style of the homes—reflects in varying degrees a willingness to share the sorrows as well as the joys that form the backdrop of our lives.

I have met many people on Moloka‘i who have the warmest hearts and most generous souls you will find anywhere. Almost everyone I have encountered there has made a commitment to making the island and our state a better place to raise children and support our families. And every person on Moloka‘i has earned the respect and support of our community and our government. No amount of pontificating can rob the island and its residents of their right to guide their own destiny.

In fairness, we should remember that the blade cuts both ways. Some of us find ourselves accusing O‘ahu residents of being Honolulu-centric, of not caring for the different values and lifestyles of those who choose to live on other islands. While I am sure that those views sometimes hold true, I have found in most cases that most individuals who truly care for Hawai‘i—including my colleagues in the legislature—make a sincere effort to consider the varied experiences and choices of our state’s residents.

Maybe my opinionated friend was having an unfortunate mental hiccup. It is possible that under other circumstances he would have chosen his words more wisely and expressed himself less provocatively. It is probably fairest for all of us to look beyond this single episode and forgive his unfounded blanket-condemnation of Moloka‘i.

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Memorializing The Past

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

Bill would provide federal authorization for Kalaupapa Memorial.
By Sean Aronson

It’s been a long time coming, but Kalaupapa could soon have an official memorial to commemorate the more than 8000 people who lived on the peninsula over the more than one hundred years that Hansen’s disease patients were exiled there.

The U.S. House of Representatives was expected to approve the bill as part of an omnibus public lands package this week.  The bill does not include any money for the planned memorial, but it does give the legal authority for construction.

The idea for the memorial is to display the names of all patients sent to Kalaupapa, and originally Kalawao, from 1866-1969.  There were an estimated 8000 Hansen’s disease patients through the years.  Today, there are 24 living in Hawaii, with only 14 still residing in Kalaupapa.
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Rockin’ The 70’s

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Molokai Ohana Surf Club hosts the second annual 70’s Surf Meet
By Molokai Dispatch Staff

Signature T-shirts were available for sale, and those who bought one enjoyed the bonus of sponsoring a youth to enter the contest at the same time. All proceeds from entry fees and T-shirts sales go toward the continuation of the annual meet. Organizers hope that someday the club will provide kids with an afterschool ride to the beach that includes surf practice, ocean safety classes, and a series of surf contests that span the winter surf season.

“The day brought everyone together, and it’s not all about competition,” says event organizer Clint Labrador. “It’s about style and getting together on the beach – back to what the 70’s was all about.”

Molokai Ohana Surf Club would like to thank its community sponsors: Ka Honua Momona, The Molokai Dispatch, Molokai Surf, Rawlins chevron, Kamoi Snack-N-Go.

Special thanks to friends of Molokai Ohana Surf Club for all of your kokua: Howard Selnick, Steve & Donna Morgan, Dan Bennett, Perry Buchalter, Butch Tabanao, Kolo Place, Freddy Reyes, Sheri Yamashita, Mervin Dudoit, Sasha Spiller-Reiff, Harmonee Williams, and Josh Pastrana.

Results:
Boy’s Bodyboard 1. Isaiah Alavazo, 2. Beau-Henry Paleka-Borden, 3. Josiah, 4. Moku Lindsey. Boy’s Longboard 1. Hoarai Pou. Girl’s 70’s shortboard 1. Julie Ann Bicoy. Women’s Bodyboard 1.Summer Napoleon. Men’s Bodyboard 1. Perry Buchalter, 2. Camilo Dela Cruz, 3. Kawehi Soares. Women’s Open 70’s shortboard 1. Kabbie Bicoy, 2. Danielle Bicoy, 3. Naomi Bicoy. Men’s open 70’s shortboard 1. Dart Bicoy, 2. Kuhio Kaholoaa, 3. Wayne Kaauwai, 4. James Pua`a-Spencer. Longboard Open 1. Sashamon, 2. Clint Labrador, 3. Fats Kahoalii, 4. Kabbie Bicoy. Masters Longboard 1. Alan Apostol, 2.Perry Buchalter.

If you are interested in supporting Molokai Ohana Surf Club’s efforts or would like to receive email updates about future MOSC events, email molokaisurf@gmail.com.

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Protecting the ‘aina is a priority for Maui Representative

Sunday, February 22nd, 2009

When the Hawai‘i Supreme Court ordered that there be an injunction to prevent the State from selling “ceded lands” from the public land trust last year, the Justices correctly acknowledged the State’s fiduciary duty to preserve those lands until the unrelinquished claims of Native Hawaiians have been resolved.

The Hawai‘i Supreme Court, citing the 1993 Apology Resolution by Congress as well as State legislation, said that given the crucial importance of the ‘aina to the Native Hawaiian people and their culture, their religion, their economic self-sufficiency, and their sense of personal and community well-being, any further diminishment of the “ceded lands” from the public lands trust will negatively impact the contemplated reconciliation and settlement efforts between native Hawaiians and the State.

It is imperative not just for native Hawaiians, but all of Hawai‘i’s people that a moratorium on the selling of “ceded lands” remain in place to preserve this process of reconciliation.

As Chairwoman of the House Hawaiian Affairs Committee and Chairwoman of the Legislative Hawaiian Caucus, which consists of six State Senators and 22 State Representatives, I have kept an open and transparent discussion to educate lawmakers on the cultural, emotional, and inherent significance of these “ceded lands” to the Hawaiian people.

In late January 2009, the Caucus supported a full moratorium on the selling of “ceded lands” and introduced a bill that became the Caucus’ priority as part of a legislative package.

I have also provided an ongoing forum through the Caucus “Kukakuka” meetings as well as heard and passed out measures to address the moratorium issue, which involved the public in the discourse and allowed lawmakers to hear arguments from different sides of the “ceded lands” debate.

With the start of the 2009 Legislative Session, I’ve had discussions with Gov. Linda Lingle, Attorney General Mark Bennett, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands Chair Micah Kane, Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustees Haunani Apoliana, Walter Heen, Oswald Ostender, Collette Machado, and Robert Lindsey, OHA’s Administrator Clyde Namu‘o as well as OHA’s attorney Bill Maheula, regarding the appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court on “ceded lands.”

Other members of the Hawaiian community who I had discussions with about the moratorium are the Royal Order of Kamehameha Ali‘i Nui Clifford Hashimoto and members, Hawai‘i attorney Sherry Broder, The Reinstated Hawaiian Government Prime Minister Henry Noa, Aha Kiole Representatives, Association of Hawaiian Civics Clubs President Leimomi Kahn, Hula Kumu Vicky Takamine-Holt of Iliuokalani and many, many others.

The legislative fight for a moratorium is one that has united kupuna, native Hawaiians, lawmakers, communities, and activists from across the state. The resounding support to bar the selling of “ceded lands” until the reconciliation process can take place is not simply there to institute a legal measure. The powerful emotions and voices that have emerged from our Kukakuka with Hawai‘i’s community reflect the willingness of Hawai‘i’s people to continue to move forward with this healing process and to protect the lands for future generations.

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