Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 4, 1 April 2022 — Pūpūkahi i Holomua; Unite in Orderto Progress [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Pūpūkahi i Holomua; Unite in Orderto Progress

My vision and mission is to raise the lāhui of Moloka'i to its deserved plaee among the islands of Hawai'i and as beneficiaries of OHA. There are both small and big steps to take to achieve this goal and eaeh step counts! In October 2021, I brought visitors to the Pālā'au State Park. The beauty of the Kalaupapa

Peninsula was marred by the deplorable condition of the signs. While the storyboards may seem insignificant, their disrepair is disrespectful, fails to educate the visiting puhlie, and shows disregard for the sorrowful history of the settlement. Ka 'Ohana o Kalaupapa strives to "e ho'ohanohano a e ho'omau (honor and perpetuate)" the value and dignity of our brothers and sisters who were exiled at Kalaupapa, including the children who were born there and taken away ffom their parents. I sent a forceful letter to Gov. Ige urging him to focus attention

upon this important landmark and initiated a process to improve the park. As expected, my request wound its way within state government landing at State Parks, Department of Land and Natural Resources. I ean now report that temporary signs (see photos) have been installed and will soon be replaced by permanent ones. We will plan our own dignified moment to honor and to bless this small but svmbolic step. Llllo olllelll UUL 5yillUUIiL 5LCp.

Mahalo to Martha Yent and Larry Paeheeo of the Hawai'i State Parks Division for their hard work and diligent efforts. I am committed to working on projects of importance to our community in ways that unify, not separate. Eaeh step we take together adds up to miles! He waiwai nui ka lōkahi (unity is a precious possession). ■ If you have any concerns or questions, you may contact my trustee aidefor assistance at pohair@oha.org.

Luana Alapa Trustee, Moloka'i and Lāna'i

Temporary storyboards have been instūlled ūt the Kalaupapa lookout ot PūIū'ūu Stote Park and will soon be replaced with new permanent signage. - Phoio: Courtesy

Replūcing the deteriorated storyboards ot the lookout is on important step in helping to educate the visiting puhlie about the history of Kalaupapa.