Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 29, Number 12, 1 December 2012 — SEEKING SANCTUARY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Help Learn more about this Article Text

SEEKING SANCTUARY

[?]

[?]

[?]

\

[?]

■■■■■■

Pu'uhonua report A new law calls for the state Public Safety Department in cooperation with 'Ohana Ho'opakele anel other restorative justice groups to prepare a plan for the creation of a pu'uhonua on lands owned orcontrolled by the state, with preference given to Kūlani Correctional Facility on Hawai'i lsland. The report is due to the Legislature byyear's end. Act 117, signed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie in June, reads in part: "The legislature finds that a pu'uhonua, or wellness center, based on Hawaiian cultural practices will help the native Hawaiian community and the community at-large. Unquestionably, many high-risk persons need to be cared for in a mueh more sensitive intervention program that will address solutions that will alleviate their problems. The greatest potential to stem the tide of this horrific situation lies in the creation of a pu'uhonua comprising a culturally-based substance abusetreatment and intervention program thattakes a holistic approach based upon cultural identity and strength to get to the core of substance abuse. The cultural practices of pule, ho'oponopono, aloha 'aina, mahi'ai, la'au lapa'au and aloha will help create a sensitive setting. These cultural practices have been successful in the past, possessingthe optimal potential to heal an individual. A culturally-based pu'uhonua will restore and maintain a better atmosphere and relationship between family, friends, community and society." To read Act 117 online, visit tinyurl.com/ cfe35n5. For an 'Ūiwi TV segment on the Pu'uhonua Summit, please visit tinyurl.com/apvf4jl.

j MO'OLELO NUI ^ > COVER FEATURE /

www.oha.org/kwo | kwo@OHA.org NATIVE HAWAIIAN » NEWS | FEATURES | EVENTS

Followus:lLi/oha_hawaii | Fan us:B/officeofhawaiianaffairs | Watch us: YūU(fl^J /user/OHAHawaii ^

MOOLELO NUI i COVER FEATURE

ABOVE, Renwick "Unele U Joe" Tassill, seated, who W helped ehampion the ^ pu'uhonua hill at the Leg- I; islature, with state Depart- m ment of Puhlie Safety W Director Ted Sakai. - Photos: Lisa Asato 1 i RIGHT, Douglas "Keola" Randles, a former inmate, says 1 of the pu'uhonua concept, 1 i "You need a plaee to lie down where you feel safe." Seated at right is Samuel Kaleleiki Jr., % president of 'Ohana Ho'opakele, m whieh is working with the state Department of Puhlie Safety and others on a plan to create a " % pu'uhonua, or wellness center, for 1 nonviolent offenders. <

1 At the pu'uhonua summit in November, Kat Brady, coordinator ■ of the Community Allianee on Prisons, speaks with Andre Perez of Pōhaku o Kāne, whieh has visited prisons in AAississippi and Minnesota and y helped prisoners reconnect with their Hawaiianness.; Main photo : īhinkstock