Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 8, 1 August 1988 — Hoʻo Maka Hou [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hoʻo Maka Hou

By Moanikeala Akaka Trustee, Hawai'i

We Hawatians are known for being people of aloha. However, that is not always the situation. Although we may hate to admit it, spouse and family abuse is a problem in the Hawaiian community. It must be understood this is not only a Hawaiian pilikia but that it reaches out

to those of many ethnic backgrounds, among rich and poor alike. The stresses and frustrations of everyday modern life, eeonomie, job related, jealousy, a feeling of inadequacy, being strangers in our own homeland and other things may contribute to abusive situations that are harmful to ourselves and our ohana. Why take it out on those closest to us, spouse or kids? Abuse destroys the ohana and breeds pain, anguish, hatred, and a vicious cycle of anxieties, as well as another generation ofabusers. Spouse abuse centers statewide are filled with our families who seek refuge and safety. But that's only temporary and not enough — something has to be done about the abusive situations or it will continue to reoccur. This tragic cycle destroys any love that remains in a relationship. We must find ways to heal the ohana and break these pattems of family destruction. I encouraged the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in the past and we have funded several grants for programs to help spouse abusers. It is not enough to have spouse abuse centers in a community; we also need sensitive relevant programs that our

loeal men ean relate to in order to help heal the abusive situation. In the past, they have had haole women conducting these sessions using Western techniques. Loeal men would start the program and stop after a few sessions even though their attendance was court ordered. They could not relate to the manner of presentation. Kokua has finally arrived in the form of a handbook written by Mililani Allen, excellent kumu hula from Waianae, who also has a master's degree in education. This handbook resource material is to be utilized by those counselors working with abusers. This mueh needed document for the Hawaiian community utilizes some aspects of ho'oponopono and other positive Hawaiian cultural values and concepts in order to bring us back to the source of our people's mana so that we may begin to heal our ohana. Our families are crying out for kokua. Mililani Allen is to be congratulated for her efforts. Louie Pavao from Hilo works with Child & Family Service in Honolulu and is working with a group of men abusers in Nanakuli. He combines the regular approach from a loeal standpoint and Mililani's handbook. As Louie states, these Polynesian traditions that promote domestic tranquility were brought here by the first Hawaiians. He is supposed to be doing 20 sessions, but the men are very responsive and want more. Hawaiians are loving and caring people and it is these positive aspects of our being Hawaiian that are brought out in these sessions. The presentation is very suppx)rtive and points out that change ean be very positive, life-gjving and better. A workshop using this program was recently presented to the Nahonal Association of Social Workers at the Hale Koa Hotel. Hawaiians are loving, caring people and we want to bring out those positive traits. If

you know of anyone that ean benefit from this Ho'o Maka Hou Program, please contact Louie Pavao at 521-2377 at Child & Family Service. At this time, they are working with 150 men abusers as well as 150 women to whom they are giving mueh needed support services. Mililani, through our Programs Committee whieh I chair, requested $7,500 from OHA in order to print this mueh needed handbook for eounselors so that they may help heal our families. I brought this request to our June 25 Maui Board meeting. It was the end of the budget year and I was told OHA had no kala for this necessary healing tool for our people. Unele Tommy, Chubby Mahoe and myself, seeing the need, still voted for the printing of this handbook whieh eontributes to our people's psychological well-being. July was the start of a new budget year, and Programs Committee intends to resubmit the request for $7,500 to print this handbook. Such a small sum for such essential help for these affected ohana. Please eall OHA and support the need for funding of this Ho'o Maka Hou Handbook in our community. I think it's tragic that 2/3 of OHA's operating budget goes for staff salaries and office overhead and we were not able to fund this important handbook. This is why it is so important that you kokua us Trustees in getting a just and fair settlement relating to our ceded lands because important survival needs have to be addressed for our people as we and our aina become an endangered species. Let us not forget that the Hawaiian people are the main resource of the Hawaiian nation; it is imperative that this program be given top priority position for funding. Malama pono. Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono.