Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 1, Number 9, 1 Nowemapa 1984 — He Mau Nianu Ola [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

He Mau Nianu Ola

Some Health Questions by Kekuni Blaisdell, M.D.

This month's eolumn eontinues with pane (answers) to he mau ninau submitted in August, for whieh mahalo ia 'oukou, e po'e heluhelu (to you readers). Q: Why were our people of old, before the haole eame, so healthy, whereas now we Hawaiians have more sickness,

in spite of haole medicine? Maybe we should go back to Hawaiian medicine. Pehea la? A:ln previous articles we learned that ka po'e kahiko (pre-haole Hawaiians) were healthier than the foreigners who eame, beginning with Capt. Cook's crew in 1778. The newcomers brought not only eontagious epidemics that contributed to the rapid decline of the native Hawaiian population, but also "western diseases of civilization" that continue to account for our modern po'e Hawai'i having the shortest life expectancy, and the highest rates of the leading causes of death and illness, compared to the other lahui (races) in our islands.

While many of us po'e Hawai'i have failed to adjust to the dominant haole systems in our homeland, most of us have too fervently kilipue (embraced) harmful western lifestyle habits, such as, overeating fat and cholesterol, puhi paka (cigarette-smoking), inu i ka aleohol, drug-abuse, laek of physical fitness, urban stress, crowding, and waste and destruction of our natural resources. Thus, at least in part by our own personal choices, we have acquired the worst heahh profile in our Hawai'i nei. ls going "back to Hawaiian medicine" the answer? Your views will be appreciated on the fol!owing outline of answers incorporating some aspects of Hawaiian medicine of old that may be workable in our current setting:

1 . Promote public awareness in the Hawaiian eommunity of the health blight of us po'e Hawai'i, and foster input by all Hawaiians in planning and implementing corrective measures for ourselves. 2. Family health education for all — from hapai mothers, infants, pre-school and school 'opio (youngsters), to na kanaka makua (adults) and na kupuna (elders). 3. Emphasis on reverence for nature, groupsharing, individual se!f-responsibility and illness-prevention through: a. Prudent mea 'ai'ono (nutrition) with more fibre-starch, low fat, low sugar, and no added pa'akai (salt).

b. Daily vigorous, yet enjoyable, physical activity in work and leisure. e. Avoid puhi paka, aleohol, and other toxic substances. d. Wholesome belief systems and coping with stress. e. Conservation of land, water and other precious natural resources. 4. Optimal use of valid health-care methods, while avoiding faddism and commercialism. 5. Incorporate appropriate pono (true) Hawaiian values and practices into the dominant haole health-care system. a. Education of more culturally-sensitive po'e Hawai'i heahh professionals. b. Selection of such personnel by underserved Hawaiian communities. 6. Coordination of specific heahh programs with related agencies and integration with other programs for land and population control, political self-determination and eeonomie sufficiency.

The foregoing six proposals were among recommendations in the Native Hawaiians Study Commission report to the U.S. Congress in 1983, and to our OHA trustees. Recently, the Hawaiian Health lssues Subcommittee of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, chaired by Claire Hughes-Ho, has begun toseekfunds for short-term, pilot heahh programs. More on this in future columns. Meanwhile, we as individual po'e Hawai'i need not wait for programs to deve!op. We ean and should begin on our own — pono'i — with our 'ohana, to adopt wellness lifestyle habits in the tradition of our noble Polynesian ancestors. E ola mau no ka po'e Hawai'i.