Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 10, 1 ʻOkakopa 2017 — Aloha mai kākou, [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Aloha mai kākou,

/ 'ŌLELO A KA LUNA HO'OKELE V ^ MESSAGE FROM THE CEO r

MY KULEANA, OUR KULEANA

After naming Liholiho his heir, Kamehameha began telling his son about the ehiefs who had eome before them, sharing the traditions of pono leaders, as well as despotie chiefs. Maleolm Nāea Chun writes about some of these chiefs in Alaka 'i: Traditiona! Leadership. Drawing on accounts from David Malo, John Papa 'Ī'ī and other historians, Chun describes the varied relationships between ali'i and maka'āinana in ancient Hawai'i. According to Malo, "There were many dispositions of the ali'i. They were not alike. An ali'i would be known to only plunder, another to uproot things, another to kill and another to collect or to heap things up. There were few just ali'i like Kamehameha I; for he was a just and caring ali'i," quoted Chun. Chun dedicates an early chapter to the despotic chiefs. There was irresponsible and insolent Ko'ihala, a Hawai'i Island chief who sent a messenger from Kona to Ka'u to have his servants prepare and deliver a meal to him in Wai 'Ahukini - only to sail somewhere else eaeh time the servants approached with the food. After chasing him to several locations on foot, the exhausted and hungry servants decided that if Ko'ihala wasn't going to land, they'd eat the meal themselves - whieh they did as he watched from the water, only disembarking when he noticed the change in their behavior. By time he reached them, they had finished eating and filled the empty calabashes and ti-leaf food wrappers with rocks, whieh the servants used to stone their chief. In the Hawaiian text, Ko'ihala is described as "ho'oluhi i'o," "to make truly tired or overburden," Chun writes. Ko'ihala's fate bears similarities to the more familiar story of physically and mentally abusive Hakau, killed by his half-brother 'Umi's supporters who wrapped stones in ti leaves to resemble bundles of potatoes and used them to stone and entomb their cruel and jealous chief, writes Chun, using Abraham Fornander's account. Kamehameha told his son about other oppressive leaders, as well. Chun draws from 'Ī'ī's account of meetings between the king and his son at the temple of Ahu'ena, quoting this passage: "Whenever there was at a meeting

in the Ahu'ena house in the evening, the king [Kamehameha] instructed the heir [Liholiho] carefully as to how to do things, describing the lives of former rulers such as Keakealaniwahine, Koihala, Kamalalawalu, Kauhiakama, and Hakau. Thus Liholiho learned of the results and abuse and disregard of the welfare of chiefs and commoners and about farming and fishing and things of like nature. In the discussions with the king the heir derived understanding whieh has passed down to his heirs."

Chun shared Laura Green's story about Hala'ea, the anunu chief who coveted his fishermen's catch, claiming it all for himself while f his people neared starvation. Instead of directly attacking Hala'ea, the fishermen complied with the chief's demands, filling his eanoe with so

many fish that it sank as they paddled away, leaving Hala'ea to drown I in his own greed. Green also writes about Kohaikalani, describing him I as "he alii hoounauna ino," or "causing heavy burdens to be laid upon his people whenever opportunity offered," Chun notes. Kohaikalani asked iiia wii^iiwvti uppvji iuini_y vjiiv^iv^u, \^uuu iiuilō. ivvjuaiivaiaiii asivwu

his people to build a temple, whieh priests realized would be used for human sacrifice when they eame to bless it. Fearing they would be sacrificed, the workers asked Kohaikalani to help them push a tree

from below. Halfway up, they let go, allowing the trunk to crush i their cruel chief. There are lessons to be learned from the stories of these oppres- I sors, remembered in history as bad-tempered, jealous, physically m.

and mentally abusive, heedless of good advice and vengeful. i Pono leaders are patient and caring, seek sound counsel and fl accept good advice, Ē The 20 1 8 general eleehon is just over a year away. | Voting is your kuleana, my kuleana, our kuleana. Next year August to November 2018, get out and VOTE. ■ '0 au iho nō me ke aloha a me ka 'oia'i'o.

Kamana'opono M. Crabbe, Ph.D. Ka Pouhana/Chief Executive 0fficer