Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 18, Number 6, 1 Iune 2001 — ʻAlamihi crabs resting on a solid foundation [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ʻAlamihi crabs resting on a solid foundation

Colette Machado Trustee, Moloka'i and Lāna'i

Stereotypes of Hawaiians, however false, continue to plague our people. One stereotype is the infamous "'alamihi crab syndrome." For generations we have been wrongly taught in our schools, neighborhoods and workplaces that Hawaiians carry on like 'alamihi crabs trying to climb out of a bucket. The myth speaks of hundreds of crabs trying desperately to escape from an imaginary bucket. Eaeh time that one is able to get to the top, another crab reaches up and pulls the other down. People accept the myth as truth. Hawaiians struggle to overcome this wicked tale that undermines aloha at the heart of their soul. However, when the 'alamihi story becomes part of the fabric of the school systems, economics, government and modern Hawai'i, attempts to overcome the negative stereotype become a momentous task requiring a lifetime of educating and soul searching.

OHA was created to build a foundation of hope and stability for Native Hawaiians. Over time, Trustees and administration have unconsciously (or not) begun to accept and live in the 'alamihi bucket prescribed for them. The result is not surprising: Hawaiians are pulling eaeh other down. But at what cost and for what reason? Some Trustees and administrators prefer to live in the bucket because it is all they know and, they do extremely well there. In fact, OHA's little bucket is a nesting ground for personal gain and poliūeal affluence. Since receiving the table scraps from Ceded Lands revenues, OHA has become a receptacle of favoritism and power plays. Several Trustees utilize this new found eeonomie "power" to leverage political influence and elevate themselves to higher political office at the expense of staff, the agency and the Hawaiian beneficiaries. Other Trustees make a career out of playing political games with

meaningful programs. The result: programs and the people they serve fall to the bottom of the bucket, victims of envy and egos. OHA's reward and punishment style administration is also entrenched in the muek and mire of the shellfish pale. OHA's socio-political life is a microcosm of our people's sad state of affairs. So, how do we overeome it? It's going to take more than a majority vote, a $350 million portfolio, hair cuts, unscrupulous board lawyers or PR campaigns to liberate our hearts, bodies and souls. We must focus on the origin of the issue and yank the weeds before their negativity spreads. In traditional times, Hawaiians never kept crabs in buckets. Whenever they needed a crab, they collected them from the environment where they thrive and coexist with all other creatures (humans included). Buckets, pales, the eoncept of keeping animals in cages, all eame from a foreign land. The 'alamihi and every other

creature has a plaee in this world. The 'alamihi live on the reef and rocks that represent our beginnings, our ancestors. The rock is a solid foundation. In their natural environment, the 'alamihi do not tear eaeh other down. They don't need to. There is a plaee for' all of them and their foundation is stable. When we realize this simple truth, we understand that our life in the bucket is foreign, unbalanced and insecure. In the bucket, humanity gives way to violence and integrity is replaced with unethical behavior. Our people are trapped in a soul-strangling lifestyle. Let the crabs flourish and thrive on the solid foundation of our spirituality and culture. For those who choose to remain in the bucket, we will show compassion but cannot afford to relive the pain. The bucket is not our home and as long as we continue to live the lie, our people will not be united. ■