Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 4, 1 April 2004 — Give voice to our ancestors and kūpuna to fulfill their hopes in rectifying wrongs [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Give voice to our ancestors and kūpuna to fulfill their hopes in rectifying wrongs

Eō e nā 'ōiwi 'ōlino, nā pulapula a Hāloa, mai Hawai'i a Ni'ihau, a puni ke ao mālamalama. Aloha e nā kūpuna kahiko, nāna e ho'oulu mai nei, iā kākou e holopono, a loa'a e ka lei lanakila. One hundred eleven years after the overthrow of Native Hawaiian governance, Native Hawaiians across Hawai'i and the continent and the world are gathering to Kau Inoa — to renew, reaffirm, and refocus our commitment to Native Hawaiian self-determination. For as Queen Lili'uokalani advises by her words that we hold close today, "The world ean not stand still. We must either advance or recede. Let us advance together. Hold thy breath! Walk abreast, shoulder to shoulder." Embraced by the spirit and guidanee of our ancestors who preceded us and by the humhle resolve of our 'ohana, we initiate the first eolleetive steps in organizing our Native Hawaiian government on a path to advance and not to recede.

Although enduring humiliation and heartbreak, Queen Lili'uokalani, the embodiment of spiritual strength, counsels us today with her words of compassion and forgiveness that survive as her legacy for us in 2004. "Ko'u noho mihi 'ana a pa'ahao 'ia. 'O'oe ku'u lama, kou nani, ko'u ko'o."(l live in sorrow, imprisoned. You are my light, my glory my support). "Mai nānā 'ino 'ino nā hewa o kāinaka akāi e huikala a ma'ema'e nō ." (Behold not with malevolence the sins of man, but forgive and cleanse). — The Queen's Praye r, 1895. As Native Hawaiians we stand at the threshold of change and ehallenge. Faced with questions of what do we do, where do we go, how do we organize to be most effective not just for today but for the tomorrows of generations to eome. As Native Hawaiian we have awesome and profound tasks in decision making going forward. As challenging and demanding as the process for selfdetermination may be, Native

Hawaiians must not shrink from the responsibility. We ean not just leave it to someone else. Or more worse, not even care. Native Hawaiians must participate in our self-determi-nation process. We and our kupuna have struggled, ached, wept and grieved for 111 years. We are now at the threshold and must act to design the next 111 years and beyond — learning from the past to realize the future. Give voice to our ancestors and kupuna to fulfill their hopes that they placed with us of one day reconciling past wrongs. The message of Lili'uokalani places the significant challenge before us, Native Hawaiians, reminding us to be courageous in the face of change and uncertainty, to be discerning in the face of trials and tribulation, to stay committed in the face of circumstances and obstacles nearly insurmountable, and to remain clear thinking and focused for the long term with humhle spirit and keen sensitivity and perspective. She

said, "I could not turn back the time for the political change, but there is still time to save our heritage. You must remember never to cease to act because you fear you may fail. The way to lose any earthly kingdom is to be inflexible, intolerant and prejudicial. Another way is to be too flexible, tolerant of too many wrongs and without judgment at all. It is a razor's edge. It is the width of a blade of pili grass. To gain the kingdom of heaven is to hear what is not said, to see what ean not be seen, and to know the unknowahle - that is aloha, All things in this world are two; in heaven there is but one." As Native Hawaiians we must Kau Inoa, affix our names and embark on our collective journey to organize our Native Hawaiian govemanee for the 21st century and beyond. It is up to us to "save our heritage" and "chart our time for politieal change". 41/48 ■

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Haunani Apoliona, MSW 9 Trustee, At-large