Festival to Honor Local Doctor

Molokai Canoe Festivals Committee News Release

This year’s theme for the Kulaia festival on Sept. 22 is “Ha`awe ma ke kua, laulau ma ke alo” meaning “Carrying a load on the back, while carrying a baby at the front.” This phrase honors both our island resources and community leaders for upholding our social, political, and economic well being, which include our island traditions, cultural heritage, and most importantly the physical, mental and spiritual health of our `ohana.

This year we honor Dr. Noa Emmett Aluli, who has contributed to the health and well being of the statewide Hawaii community all the while caring and providing for our beloved Molokai `ohana.  He has done this through 40 years of his involvement, hard work, and dedication to the Hui Ala Loa efforts on Molokai, the Protect Kaho`olawe `Ohana movement on Kaho`olawe, the Molokai General Hospital leadership and renovation, the Molokai Family Health Clinic, and other health related programs here on Molokai.

His belief is that the health of our people is rooted in the health of our land and health of our Hawaiian nation. Dr. Aluli has been an advocate of Aloha `Aina. With George Helm and Molokai kua`aina who were part of Hui Ala Loa, he has worked to protect access to and the health of subsistence fishing and hunting resources on Molokai and to stop the bombing and heal the island of Kanaloa, Kaho`olawe.

He has also provided acute and skilled nursing care for his patients at the Molokai General Hospital which is part of The Queen’s Health system. Together with a team of Molokai General Hospital employees, they were able to raise $17M to design, build and renovate MGH to provide state-of-the-art care for the people of Molokai and her visitors. Furthermore, Dr. Aluli initiated the first Native Hawaiian heart study, Na Pu`uwai, the Molokai Diet study, and Ho`oke `Ai.

“Well-being speaks to our mental state of mind, our social relationships with family and community, our cultural/spiritual and intellectual knowledge as Hawaiians in Hawaii, and the long-term ecological health of our environment,” says Dr. Aluli.

Mahalo to Dr. Noa Emmett Aluli for contributing to the well-being of our statewide community while also caring and providing for our Molokaʻi families. Mahalo a nui ia `oe! May your work and dedication forever be remembered and may it set an example for the many aspiring leaders and medical practitioners of today and tomorrow. E ola ko Molokai! E ola ka Hawaii! E ola kou ho`oilina e Dr. Aluli!