Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 24, Number 9, 1 September 2007 — Preserving the values of aloha and kōkua [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Preserving the values of aloha and kōkua

Years ago, a sociologist reported on the diminishing Hawaiian "aloha spirit" in Hawai'i. In his view, this unique value had slipped during the previous 30 years. He found hospitality and generosity had decreased among strangers. He cited the "Protestant work ethic," whieh he defined as that "every man for himself" and "me first" attitude among non-Hawaiian youth, as one reason for diminishing aloha. He even found decreasing aloha within the Hawaiian coimnunity. He saw Hawaiians demonstrating less tolerance and charity, citing the puhlie protest demonstrations held by Hawaiians. A few community individuals joined the discussion, some saying that the "aloha spirit" was not uniquely Hawaiian. While others

didn't care about its origins, they were just grateful to be sharing in the aloha spirit. This discussion took plaee over 30 years ago. Given recently released eensus statistics, Hawaiian values will face even greater challenges. Population statistics show that over half of Hawai'i's current residents were born outside of Hawai'i. The latest data show that the percentage of Native Hawaiians living in Hawai'i is decreasing despite an increase in the total number of Native Hawaiians in the U.S.A. A eompanion news article reported that the number of Hawaiians living on the U.S. continent is rising. More than ever, the question is: will Hawaiian cultural values survive? Can the remaining numbers of Hawaiians perpetuate the spirit of aloha in the state? Will the aloha spirit be lost forever? Being concerned about the survival of traditional Hawaiian values is a good thing. Hawai'i's aloha spirit is legendary. Its effects have been felt around the world.

From the Hawaiian perspective, we know that Hawaiians still help the elderly, shut-ins, keiki, neighbors and economically challenged families and individuals. Mākua and kūpuna still teach, demonstrate and perpetuate Hawaiian values with the keiki and young people. Hawaiian organizations and individuals perpetuate the kuleana of kōkua for others. This kuleana of kōkua and aloha goes unreported and unrecognized, just as it should. Obviously, traditional Hawaiian values survive within the Hawaiian community. Others in Hawai'i ean be influenced if Hawaiians focus on perpetuating cultural values in our coimnunity. That is leading by example. Sharing is a value that Hawaiian families and coimnunities uphold and respect. In old Hawai'i, all big efforts were accomplished as an 'ohana, and the end product of that work was shared. The hukilau provides a great example of the value of sharing. I recall that as a child, if we happened to arrive at the shoreline during a hukilau, beckoning arms of the participants invited us to join in. The catch was always divided up by an elder, or haku. Kūpuna were given their ehoiee fish, and everyone got a share. Larger families were given more fish. The organizer and owner of the nets sometimes got a larger share. Everyone accepted their portion gratefully and graciously. Sharing fruits from the backyard tree, etc., continues, demonstrating that this cultural value is alive in the coimnunity. Taking care of eaeh other is an important value. In Hawaiian families, older children are taught how to care for younger siblings, and they provide supervision and care to younger keiki during play. 01der children often teach younger siblings how to do household chores and assure the quality of the work. Hawaiian coimnunities organize kōkua efforts for other Hawaiians, and Hawaiian organizations provide educational scholarships to Hawaiian youth. Other organizations assist with mentoring for community youth to help them reach for higher goals in education and employment. While our cultural values may

not be solely Hawaiian, for generations, Hawaiians have done a superb job of living and practicing these values and have set the eommunity standard for aloha. This mo'olelo describes aloha and adoration: Kauholokahiki, a woman from Ulupau, landed on the shore in Mōkapu in Ko 'olaupoko on O'ahu. Immediately, Kauholokahiki built a shrine upon whieh to lay her offerings. Before long, some women appeared on the heaeh on their way to gather seaweed. They met the newcomer and greeted Kauholokahiki in a friendly manner. The native women admired the beauty of the stranger, who was covered only by a skirt of green seaweed. One of the women removed her own klhei (shawl) and draped it around Kauholokahiki's hips and invited the stranger home. Kauholokahiki's beauty glowed like a hght in the house. She was so beautiful that even the pahns of her hands were lovely. Many people eame with gifts of tapa, skirts, dogs, hogs and poi for the beautiful woman.

One day the chief, Ilauhoe, took Kauholokahiki to be his wife. After they married, he asked Kauholokahiki to go bathing with him. She answered, "I am kapu and ean only bathe in water that you go and fetch from Muliwai'ōlena for my bath water." The husband did not know about Muliwai'ōlena, and said, "This water that you want may be in Kahiki, but that is too far away. I do not know where to find this water." Kauholokahiki replied, "If you love me, o Chief, you will go, yourself, for my bathing water. Muliwai'ōlena is in Waimānalo, at Kapua, a village belonging to the chief Lupe. It is the stream with the yellow water that runs quietly. That is the one." hmnediately, the chief ran to the stream with a container, he dipped up the water and, in no time, he returned. Indeed, the water was yellowish in color. And, that is how the stream in Waimānalo got its name, Muliwai'ōlena (tumieric river). E3

MO'OLELO • HIST0RY

By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH„ R.D.