Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 1, 1 January 2006 — Prison makahiki [ARTICLE]

Prison makahiki

I'm a pa 'ahao o Hawai'i residing at Diamondback Correctional Facility in Watonga, Oklahoma. I'm writing this leka to send my aloha and mahalos to OHA for all their love and support in helping us kanaka maolis celebrate our third annual Makahiki Ceremony on Nov. 2, 2005. With the help of OHA we enjoyed 'ono mea'ai. All

the controversy we had in making our makahiki here possible drew the attention of loeal broadcast and print news media big time to the opening of our ceremony. I was very proud to see myself with the rest of the kānaka maoli on the news and in the newspaper for something positive, instead of for the negative things we're used to. I'm very proud of what I've done for me and for our people. Learning our culture is a very positive inlluenee on my life now, and it represents a new beginning for me. Yes, I love it! I really hope that this leka will bring all the kānaka maoli together and inspire them to know that we were recognized for who we are and what we ean do to make things right. It took a lot of time and perseverance, but we did it. So my message is that anything's possible if we keep striving for it and eome together as one 'ohana. David "Kāwika" Monalim Watonga, Oklahoma