Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 38, Number 12, 1 December 2021 — Aloha mai kākou, [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Aloha mai kākou,

J 'OLELO A KA POUHANA V ^ MESSAGE FROM THE CEO *

A TIME T0 REFLECT

No'ono'o (nvt. Thought, re£lection, thinking, meditation; to thinlc, reflect, meditate, concentrate; to consider.)

The holiday season is upon us, and as the year marches steadfastly towards its inevitable conclusion, like many people I am prompted to reflect on the past year's triumphs and challenges. At this time last year, we were hopeful that the development of a vaccine would hasten the end of the pandemic and that by the summer of 2021 things would start to feel more normal. And for a brief moment in early summer things did begin to feel more normal - until the delta variant crashed upon our shores like a tsunami. In that deadly surge Native Hawaiians were hit particularly hard by this unpredictable and indiscriminate illness. Our staff at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs have been teleworking now for about 20 months while the COVID-19 infection rate has intensified then subsided over and again like the ebb and flow of the tide. So during 2021, as we did during 2020, in the midst of seemingly endless uncertainty, the staff adapted to the world's "new normal" finding different ways to continue serving our lāhui, ffom using digital technology for meetings, webinars, trainings and workshops, to providing resources for communities to be sustained and strengthened as part of our new strategic plan roll out. It was impossible to fully prepare for the challenges of working within a completely new paradigm, but we moved forward with clarity of vision and with our core foundations of 'ohana, mo'omeheu and 'āina top of mind. We are the descendants of resilient survivors. So when the world feels chaotic and we face uncertainty it makes sense for us to rely upon our 'ike kūpuna. We prioritize 'ohana and hold tight to our cultural practices. And we pule. For me, prayer is a constant practice. It helps me to center my mind when faced with things I cannot control. I focus on 'ekolu mea nui - faith, hope and love - they

are basic foundational values - like 'ohana, mo'omeheu and aina. 2021 has been a year of difficult decisions. But when we hold tight to our basics, we are safer, more discerning, and we make better choices for ourselves, our 'ohana and our lāhui. Continuing this theme of reflection, we are now in the season of Makahiki. It is the time of year when our kūpuna set aside normal routines. It is a time of rest, reflection and most importantly, peaee. So it is fitting that this issue of Ka Wai Ola focuses on Makahiki, from its origins

and how it is celebrated today, to the revival of Makahiki as an extension of the Hawaiian Renaissance of the I970s, to a histor- a

ieal view of the season ffom an 1867 essay penned by noted Hawaiian historian Samuel Kamakau. As we bid farewell to 2021 and look ahead to 2022, my pule is that our lāhui - our 'ohana, our mo'omeheu and our aina - will be abundantly blessed. Aloha Kalikimaka. Hau'oli Makahiki Hou. Lonoikamakahiki! ■

Sylvia M. Hussey, Ed.D. Ka Pouhana/Chief Executive 0fficer