Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 12, 1 December 1988 — Lessons To Learn From Our Traditions [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Lessons To Learn From Our Traditions

Native Hawaiian Health Conference Lays Base For Revitalized Hawaiian Wellness

By Deborah Lee Ward Editor Despite having the worst health statistics of any ethnic group in Hawai'i, the health outlook for Native Hawaiians ean and will change in coming years through the concerted efforts of all Hawaiians. This was the strong, positive message of "E Ola Kino," the first-ever Native Hawaiian Health Conference, sponsored November 21-22 by the State Department of Health, Native Hawaiian Health Task Force. The conference at the Sheraton-Waikiki Hotel was attended by over 600 Hawaiian employees of the state health department, representingschools, hospitals, clinics and staff from Kaua'i to Hawai'i. lts purpose was "to empower and motivate Department of Health (DOH) Native Hawaiian employees towards understanding and integrating Lokahi into their dai!y lives. "Lokahi" translates as the harmony of mind, body and spirit. The two-day conference, whieh combined informative sessions on western medical and traditional Hawaiian approaches to healing, was intended as a means of educating the department's Hawaiian employees about how to improve their personal and family health, and to seek their mana'o on how DOH services ean be made more culturally responsive to Hawaiian health needs. Governor John David Waihee in his welcoming address said that improving Hawaiian health is an important issue to his administration. He urged everyone "to take responsibility for bettering our health and that of our families." He told the state workers they will lay the foundation for future programs as advocates in the community with a message of what ean be done. He also pointed to creation soon of an Office of Hawaiian Health within the Department of Health to keep the momentum of the conference going. In the morning of the first day, two presentations explored the causes of poor physical and psychological health among many Hawaiians, and pointed to reasons for hope if Hawaiians will assume the responsibility for creating "e ola hou," the new life. University of Hawai'i at Manoa Hawaiian studies professor Dr. Lilikala Kame'eleihiwa gave a short, yet powerful synopsis of Hawaiian society in traditional times, showing how they maintained "pono," a universe in harmony for thousands of years. Yet within the first 50 years following Western contact, she said, the Hawaiian population was physically decimated by foreign disease. In decades to eome, it was further weakened spiritually by loss of the traditional religious system, loss of cultural structure and values, and most important, loss of the land and the political power of self-determination it represented. The fact that Hawaiians have survived and now number 200,000 in Hawai'i, about 150,000 in California alone, and thousands more scattered throughout the globe, gives us hope for the future of the race and culture, she affirms. "So what if we are not all pure Hawaiian," she said. "Our ancestors would be happy we are still here." She said the challenge for all Hawaiians is not to dwell on the sad past, but to "leam from those mistakes, to throw out the seed of self-doubt, and to know ourselves and take control of our lives." "We need to know who we are. . . .how we ean be proud. . . .and stop abusing our health." She asked, "Why are so many of our kids into drugs, sniffing glue and rotting their brains? It's because we dislike ourselves. . . .lf we know our (true) selves, we ean take control. . . ,do good things for our body and give aloha to ourselves." Fern Clark, a public health nurse and presently cōnsultant to the Child Development and Early Education Program (CDEE) at Kamehameha Schools, added at the conclusion of her presenta-

tion on health statistics for Hawaiian youth, "The whole salvation of a culture is at stake. The motivation to change starts with (eaeh of) us." With enthusiasm and many questions, eonference participants packed workshops on traditional Hawaiian and western approaches to health. A wealth of information was shared by Hawaiian experts on: lomilomi, la'au lapa'au (use of Hawaiian herbs), Native Hawaiian religion, ho'oponopono (a Hawaiian process of mediation to settle problems and release stress), living healthy with diabetes, heart disease and hypertension, and cancer. Other subjects were: substance abuse in Hawaiian families, nurturing selfesteem in children, "Health, Hawaiian style," and programs whieh are culturally sensitive to Hawaiian values. ' Exhibits and health screening checks were also part of the conference.

The concluding session emphasized the role of the 'ohana — past, present and future — in creating and maintaining health for Hawaiians. It also reminded everyone of the conference theme, "E nana i ka wa mamua no ke ola o ka wa mahope," "Look to that whieh has worked before, in order that we may plan for the future." Conference chair Kina'u Boyd Kamali'i, administrator of the State Health Planning and Development Agency of DOH added that the goal of the conference was to blend the strengths of the past with those of today. "We have the best of two eul-

tures at our disposal. . . .When we know the wisdom of our ancestors, we ean then plan a healthy future for our children." The O'ahu Native Hawaiian Health Task Force was formally established in April 1987, through the leadership of Isabel HacskayIo, a non-Hawaiian employee of the State Department of Health (DOH). Its purpose was to guide the Department s efforts in addressing the known poor health status of Native Hawaiians. Since the ineephon of the task force, there have been several accomplishments — including the formation of sister task forces on the islands of Kaua'i, Maui, and Hawai'i. Dr. John Lewin, DOH director, has given his full support and approval to the efforts of the Task Force, especially toward the planning and reality of the "E Oia Kino: Native Hawaiian Health Conference." The Native Hawaiian Health Task Force is curj rently comprised of DOH employees, of both Haj waiian and non-Hawaiian ancestry, from 10 divisions and staff offices.

Department of health employees from Kaua'i sang and danced at luneh, then led the audience in an enjoyable Hawaiian "exercise" song, naming parts of the body.

Aunty Sabina Mahelona discusses Hawaiian herbs with interested Hawaiians.