Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 3, 1 Malaki 1988 — Hoʻolokahi 1988 [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hoʻolokahi 1988

By Clarence F.T. Ching Trustee, O'ahu

On that day — January 23, 1988—1 greeted the dawn at Ulupo Heiau in Kailua. By the time I joined my feIlow Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustees on the floor of Aloha Stadium, my excitement had risen to fever pitch. After weeks of anticipation,

the hour had eome. As the opening procession began, we started our walk down the length of the stadium. We were helping to make history. I had arrived earlier, before noon, to feel the mana I knew would be there that day. Hawaiians were coming from all over the island and from all over the state. Hawaiians were even coming from the mainland. Henry K. Giugni, first part Hawaiian Sergeant-at-Arms of the U.S. Senate, was on his way from Washington, D.C. from the other side of the world. It was truly a "gathering together" of our people. Circling the stadium, I made a special point to watch the hundreds of volunteers, who, with eloek-like precision, put together thousands of Hawaiian-style "bento" lunches to be served later. I talked with old friends and made new ones. The faces I saw reflected the new-found pride of Hawaiians, and a feeling of ohana seemed to fill every conversation, every gesture. Whether tailgating or waiting to enter the stadium, the faces 1 saw were filled with hope. We were Hawaiians and there seemed to be a eommon purpose for our being there. The bonding that makes us one people could not be seen by the naked eye, but it was there. In fact, it was everywhere. And the expressions on the faces! They were expressions that I shall long remember. This was Ho'olokahi — Hawaiian Unity Day. Ho'olokahi wasn't only on the floor of the sta-

dium that day. It was in the stands. It was on radio and TV. Ho'olokahi echoed throughout the island, throughout the state, everywhere where there was at least one Hawaiian or a Hawaiian-at-heart. The celebration will continue as word from families or through the media reaches those who haven't heard yet, maybe even through this issue of Ka Wai Ola O OHA. The Ho'olokahi that we saw and shared was the tip of the iceberg. Ho'olokahi was a signal to the world that we Hawaiians are finding ourselves. Hear again the words spoken that day. A1 Harrington, who helped emeee the spectacular event, expressed the deep feelings of many: ". . . OHA was established within the system by the democratic process. It is very possible then for us to fulfill our ends in terms of attaining back the lands that we might have lost . . . We ean attain all of these things through the process of the system . . . the power of the vote . . . Let us use the system to bring back those things that we might have thought we have lost . . ." It was Moses Keale, Chairman of OHA's Board of Trustees who said: "Tonight has provided us the answer to everything that is Hawaiian. This is the answer and we'll keep finding answers as we feel good about ourselves." In closing Ho'olokahi, Governor John Waihee capped it all when he said: ". . . (All) of Hawaii is standing together. The impossible made possible because we have the audacity to dream and unite and to eome together as one people. The question for us tonight as we leave the stadium is, 'What about tomorrow? What happens tomorrow?' There we carry out and continue the dream that began today in this very historic event. There we unite to overcome whatever obstacles are in front of us. So that not just one or two of us, but all of us as a people ean take our rightful plaee in this, our land." "Ho'olako was a celebration, a celebration of the fact that, despite the changes that have wracked these islands in the last 200 years, we as a people have survived," declared Gov. Waihee. "Ho'olokahi is about a foundation, a foundation so that we as a people will be around for the next 100 years and for the next thousand. That is the historical significance of this event. We face the future, eaeh and every one of us, united, proud of who we are and of our precious islands." Ho'olokahi is an indication of how far we have eome and points to where we are going. It suggests to me and many, many others that it should not be a one time event. Maybe "Ho'olokahi — Hawaiian Unity Day" should be an annual Hawaiian holiday. It could be held some time in mid-January to coincide with the end of the Makahiki as this year's version did. Ho'olokahi could be the Hawaiian 01ympics where the final events of activities such as eanoe racing, surf riding, foot racing or other revived Hawaiian sports ean take plaee. Other non-sporting cultural activities like hula, language, singing, chanting, quilt making or story telling could reach the end of a year's work, a graduation of sorts. It could also be a time of spiritual recommitment. The possibilities are too numerous to mention. The celebration of an annual Hawaiian unity day is very intriguing. Our holidays of Kamehameha Day and Kuhio Day celebrate things of the past . We need a time to remind us of the future — a day when eaeh of us ean assess our progress and rededicate ourselves as Hawaiians. If you have strong thoughts about the future of Ho'olokahi, send your ideas to: Clarence F.T. Ching Trustee from O'ahu Office of Hawaiian Affairs 1600 Kapiolani Boulevard, Suite 1500 Honolulu, Hawaii 96814