Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 26, Number 8, 1 August 2009 — Kēlā Mea Kēía Mea [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kēlā Mea Kēía Mea

With the 50th anniversary of statehood u p o n u s , Kēlā Mea Kēia Mea moves into the 20th-century archives to look at mana'o concerning the question of statehood for Hawai'i. Revered kupuna

Mrs. Mary laniahiiakaikapoliopelekawahineaihonua Pukui conducted hundreds of hours of oral interviews, mostly in Hawaiian language, that today stand as an incredible gift; a treasure of the mana'o, the 'ike of dozens of kūpuna from throughout the Islands. On Aug. 18, 1960, almost one year to the day after Hawai'i was declared the 50th state of the United States, Mrs. Pukui sat in the Nā'ālehu School Gym in Ka'ū with kūpuna Herbert Ku'umi Kin In and Alfred Kahakua and recorded varied thoughts on a range of issues. At one point in the conversation the topic turned to the question of statehood and Mrs. Pukui shared her mana'o. In perhaps a very Hawaiian way, she answered the question with a question - challenging us to provide an answer, as we look back on a halfcentury of Hawaiian "statehood." MKP: Ma mua mnau 'ia mai ia'u, pehea kou mana'o i ka statehood? Nīnau mai ka po'e malihini, "What do you think of statehood?" Mea aku wau, " 'A'ohe hiki ia'u ke pane i kēlā, me ka nīnau au e pane ai iā 'oukou. Inā makemake e pane a he nīnau ka'u pane. He aha ka pōmaika'i o ka lāhui 'ōiwi o ku'u 'āina? A inā hiki ke hō'ike 'ia he aha ka pōmaika'i loa'a i ka 'ōiwi o ka 'āina, ah, malia paha ohohia. Koe aku ia." HKI: Pane mai lakou i ka mnau. MKP: Ah, he aha kā lākou pane ma laila? Iā wai ia pōmaika'i?

HKI: 'Oia no. MKP: A no laila kā lākou manawa i nīnau mai ai, a ka'u ha'i 'ana nō he nīnau. He aha ka pōmaika'i o ke kini 'ōiwi o ka 'āina. 'A'ohe 'o nā lehulehu i komo mai a - lilo ai iā

kākou he kupa. 'A'ole ia, 'o ka 'ōiwi maoli. A he aha kō lākou pōmaika'i? English translation: MKP: Before, I was asked, what is your opinion of statehood? I was asked by visitors, "What do you think of statehood?" I answered, "I cannot answer that, I ean answer only with a question. If you want an answer, a question is my answer. How will it benefit the native people of my beloved land? And if the benefits to be received by the native people ean be shown, then perhaps I will be enthusiastic for it. That remains to be seen." HKI: They answer the question? MKP: What answer do they have to that? Whose benefit is it? HKI: That's it. MKP: Therefore when they ask me, my answer is a question. How will that benefit the multitude of the natives of the land? I don't mean the multitude that have eome here and dwell here until they become citizens. Not those, the natives of the land itself. How will they benefit? ■ Ronaīd WUUams Jr., a graduate of and teacher at the Kamakakūokaīani Centerfor Hawaiian Studi.es at UH Mānoa, i.s currently working on a Ph.D. i.n Hawaiian Hi.stoty at UH Mānoa. Contact hi.m at ronaldwi@ hawau.edu.

— KE AU I HALA ■ FRDM ĪHE ARCHIVES —

By Rūnald Williams Jr.