Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 15, Number 1, 1 Ianuali 1998 — HAWAIIANS MAIKAʻI [ARTICLE]

HAWAIIANS MAIKAʻI

Living over half a year in the magnificent islands across the Pacifie opened up a whole world for me. From Hawaiians of 2 percent to 99 percent, I experienced graciousness, humility, generosity and genuine aloha. Such is a marvel, considering that 100 years ago a so-called "representative of the U.S. Govemment" landed in Honolulu with the subversive scheme of wiping out the beloved Queen. Given the takeover of the independent Kingdom of Hawai'i, I was amazed not to find more antagonism toward mainland Americans, "haoles." Hardly a 24-hour period passed without a spontaneous sharing with native people in the bus. in restaurants, at the heaeh, at hula shows and especially at Honolulu's Hawaiian church. These wonderful oeeasions transformed my life; the tmly admirable traits of these people were contagious. Their strong faith mbbed off on me too. Hawaiians may never know how greatly they touched my heart and my goals. The U.S. owes a huge debt to the people, the pōhaku maika'i, of Hawai'i nei. If more of us mainlanders spent time among them, these islanders might eome to

regard us as friends, not as "haoles." Elizabeth Engel Lakewood, Colorado

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Ka Leo Kaiaulu