Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 2, 1 February 2008 — OHA Kōʻele Workday [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA Kōʻele Workday

Cūlette Y. Machadū TrustEE, Mūlūks'i aud Lāna'i

He aīi'i ka 'āina, he kauwā ke kanaka. Land is the chief humans its servants. — 'ŌIelo No'eau, Pukui (1983) February marks the beginning of a new era for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, for the first time, we've expanded to become land managers. OHA's nonprofit LLC, Hi'ipaka, will assume management of Waimea Valley on Feb. 1. The kuleana, responsibility of a land tenant or steward, is a considerable one that cannot be taken lightly. The task at hand is to successfully integrate tradihonal and customary land management values with contemporary techniques and best practices. To celebrate this momentous event, OHA has organized a workday for Trustees, staff and volunteers to perform general maintenance and eleanup of the Valley. OHA's workday in Waimea is named "OHA Kō'ele Workday," said Kaiwi Nui, OHA's Oahu Conservation Land Manager. "Kō'ele refers to a workday (usually a Friday) in whieh the maka'āinana farmed plots of land for the ali'i and refers to an area where fish ean be kept and fed until it is ready to be harvested." Kaiwi Nui adds, "extracting meaning from these two hana lima (working with hands) examples of kō'ele, the basic intent of kō'ele is to set aside time and resources to give back for the greater good. And, in order to do so, one must plan smartly until the time is ready." In a way, OHA has been preparing for the assumption of Waimea for several months now. On Oct. 8, 2007, OHA held a first-ever organizational retreat. "Envision Pu'uhonua — a plaee of refuge, in whieh we shall live our Values and Principles." The all-day event helped employees renew the commitment, the vision and principles of OHA's Mission: To malama Hawai'i's people anel environmentaI resources anel OHA 's assets, toward ensuring the perpetu-

ation of the culture, the enhaneement of Iifestyle anā the protection ofentit!ements ofNative Hawaiians, while enabling the building of a strong anā healthy Hawaiian people anā naiion, recognized nationally and internationally. With such a comprehensive and farreaching mission, retreat organizers felt it important to do a ceremonial kūkulu kumuhana. A practice still found in many Hawaiian families today, kūkulu kumuhana is described as the pooling of strengths, emotional, psychological and spiritual, for a shared purpose. OHA staff participated in the sharing by bringing in small amounts of sand from their respective moku, or island. In small groups, individuals were asked to add their sand to a collective wooden bowl while sharing histories, goals and other mana'o. At the end of the brief time together, a mound of sand, from every corner of Hawai'i nei, compiled the mana, or essence, of eaeh member of the organization, for a shared purpose. . ,OHA's mission. Armed with these core principles: Kākou, Aloha Kekahi I Kekahi, Pono Pau 'ole, Mālama Kekahi I Kekahi, Kuleana, Kūlia, Po'okela, and Ho'omau, the organization moved into 2008 with a renewed focus and sense of commitment. OHA has been honored with the opportunity to be on-site practitioners. "The OHA Kō'ele Workday gives us a ehanee to set aside time and resources for one another as 'ohana and as equal caretakers to give back to something far greater than ourselves: 'āina. This basic understanding reminds us that we are but servants to 'āina, as 'āina has always nurtured our needs and continues to do so. This basic understanding uniquely helps define us as Hawaiian — the intimate and unconditional aloha for 'āina," concluded Kaiwi Nui. 2008 brings with it a daunting list of undertakings, from Washington, D.C., all the way to Kaua'i, from land management to eeonomie business loans. Many tasks are new to OHA, many have been on-going struggles. With hope and anticipation, OHA moves forward, with Waimea Valley as a physical reminder of what defines us as an organization and a culture. E3