Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 13, Number 10, 1 ʻOkakopa 1996 — OUR READERS WRITE... [ARTICLE]

OUR READERS WRITE...

A eall to our ali'i In the confusion and uncertainty of today, the Hawaiian people must strive to reach the highest level of unity - Kūlia i ka nu'u. But how ean we reach this when there is no agreement on the sovereignty issue? Ka Lāhui and others who oppose the Native Hawaiian Vote say "NO," yet the Hawaiian Sovereignty Elections Council and others who support the vote say "YES." Who is right? We are all Hawaiian, yet we cannot agree on this one basic issue. What is the one thing that binds us all together? It is our behef and faith in ouiali'i. Princess Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawananakoa lives for us, for her Hawaiians. She was educated and raised to care for us. Her life has paralleled the lost monarchy. She was isolated from the rest of us and could never run.

laugh and play like we have. Instead, she gladly bears the weight of responsibility for all Hawaiians. She will never take credit for the countless times she has supported and helped so many of us. She will never allow us to pubhcly thank her. She is our princess. The way of the truth runs through her royal blood. The ways of our ancestry ean be taught through her. We must put aside our differences and eome together in love, honor and forgiveness if we are to prevail. She is the only thing we all have in eommon - our love for our ali'i. Our love for our only remaining princess of the royal Hawaiian monarchy. She is sovereignty! Laura Ululani Kamoku Kahalu'u, Hawai'i