Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 38, Number 1, 1 January 2021 — Be the Person Who Takes the Next Step! [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

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Be the Person Who Takes the Next Step!

y KALEO O NĀ 'ŌPIO v > VOICEOFTHEYOUTH f

By Kawai Kapuni anel Max Bielawski Hui Kālai'āina is a student club at the Kamehameha Schools Maui Campus. Led by senior Kawai Kapuni and longtime teacher and advocate Kapulani Antonio, the club is a means of giving young people the opportunity to become civically engaged. The club's mission is based on aloha 'āina, mālama, and kuleana, whieh all unite to fight for one eommon cause: cultivating communities across Hawai'i in order to motivate and inspire young individuals to heeome leaders. Specifically, Hui Kālai'āina recognizes the many unique challenges Hawai'i faces that require unique solutions. Group members hnd their voice in Hui Kālai'āina, share and exchange fresh perspectives, and gain valuable experience. Kawai Kapuni, president of Hui Kālai'āina, speaks on behalf of the club saying, "Our Hawaiian heritage, as well as our determination to lead, inspire, and advocate, will break the continuous cycle of negative impact that the people of Hawai'i have faced. Our club is a pillar of change, but we are dehnitely not alone in this movement." Logan English, Hui Kālai'āina vice-pres-ident adds, "More and more young people

across Hawai'i are becoming politically active. They are able to discover their personal views and stances, whieh is crucial." "As youth of Hawai'i Nei, it is our responsibility to be the future of our eommunities, pae'āina, and the world. In order for things to change, we need to work inclusively with eaeh other," said junior Moani Atay. KS Maui Senior Class President Lauren Kalama and student journalist Max Bielawski both share a eommon idea around the importance of engagement and advocacy. "In times like these, I hnd it so important to let 'ōpio be heard because we ean bring something fresh to the table," Kalama said. In addition to recognizing the voice of our youth, Bielawski said, "It is equally important that we respect the mana'o from our kūpuna and accept constructive criticism to sharpen the spears of knowledge that we 'ōpio possess." Senior club member, Sierra Kalua, said she believes that our ancestors are the foundation to kickstarting a sustainable future for Hawai'i. "They faced trial after trial to provide for our generation, and it's important that we embrace this so that we may cultivate the future they envisioned." Members Soha Stupplebeen and Māhie Dean both said that they believed that their voices are tools whieh they ean wield with the intent of advancing themselves as Kānaka and changing the world. The voices of 'ōpio have always been a valuable part of any movement, and for us to truly "move" we must be able to hear, recognize, and consider the opinions and ideas of young people. It starts with one step and, at times, we will need to overeome mulhple obstacles. On behalf of Hui Kālai'āina, remember to be the person who takes the next step, because we're going to need a whole lot of them. ■ Kawai Kapuni is a senior at Kamehameha Schools Maui and president of Hui Kālai'āina. Co-author, Max Bielawski, is a senior at Kamehameha Schools Maui and an editorfor Kamehameha Maui's Nā Koa magazine.