Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 11, 1 November 2013 — Using our cultural tools to overcome dysfunction [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Using our cultural tools to overcome dysfunction

For weeks now we have been treated to a spectacle of dysfunction in Congress and the blatant use of our democratic institutions as ideological weapons. It's easy to criticize Congress and too many of our so-called elected leaders have indeed behaved badly. But it is also a reminder to ask

ourselves if we are guilty of some of the same kind of dysfunction here in our beautiful Hawai'i. We pride ourselves on our aloha spirit. We talk about being pono. We say we recognize the importance of laulima. All wonderful cultural concepts and practices that we have reason to celebrate. But I don't think anyone will deny that as mueh as Native Hawaiians have been wronged by the process of annexation and eolonial practices, we have also often been our own worst enemies. Time and time again, faced with the prospect of change, we resist, often citing tradition, or invoking our kūpuna or our religion in ways that are counterproductive. We should ask ourselves how often we have simply said, "No," promising to never "surrender" to the eall for progress without really making the effort to understand what that change might mean. Have we examined our convictions and really asked ourselves if it is right to deny our children the benefits and opportunities that eome with progress? The media is full of stories that speak to our divisions rather than to our cooperation for the greater good. I was greatly saddened to read about the vandalismon papaya farms recently. This is not honorable behavior. This is not what our culture teaches us to do. The GMO debate is a real one and worth having. We should remain vigilant about corporate behavior and hold companies accountable. But to trespass under

cover of darkness and vandalize the crops of a small farmer in order to express opposition to GMO, is to stoop too low. Our kūpuna would not give this kind of behavior their blessing. The fact that it is done in secret is an admission that those who engage in this kind of behavior know full well that what they do is wrona, both in

the eyes of the law and in the light of our traditions. The opposition to geothermal by contrast has been expressed loudly and openly. But it is plagued by misinformation. Instead of simply opposing the use of the resources that Pele left us, let us work together to tap those resources in a sustainable, environmentally responsible and communityfriendly way. Only then ean we hope to lift our people up. How do we justify our role as stewards of the land if we do not explore every possibility of reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels? That dependence threatens to cripple the future of our children. We surely do not want our children and grandchildren to look back some day in disbelief and wonder why we failed to act to safeguard their interests. Yes, the dysfunction in Washington is deplorable. But so is our own. The difference is we in Hawai'i are blessed with a wonderful assortment of cultural practices that could lead us to our better selves and help us build a heahhier, happier community. But it does eall for us to be open to seeing God in our backyard; to be open to working together to address the challenges that face us. Together, we ean find creative, responsible ways to use the gifts of creation. I have confidence in the Hawaiian people. We have done what others may have thought impossible before. We ean do it again. ■

Carmen 'Hulu" Lindsey TrustEE, Maui