Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 40, Number 1, 1 Ianuali 2023 — Hali'a Aloha [ARTICLE]

Hali'a Aloha

"In our group of cousins Emmett was the person we looked up to. He was lilee an older brother to me. He was not only a good man, he was good fun! We enjoyed dreaming together. Emmett was always driven to better the conditions of our Hawai'i. His deep aloha for the people, for the 'āina - he really was precious and he took his kuleana very seriously. I hope people will step up to take on the kuleana he carried for so long. We still have a lot of worlc to do." - Meleanna Meyer "Emmett's most visionary work was accomplished in worlcing together with four generations of the Edith and Luka Kanaka'ole 'ohana, the spiritual leaders of our Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana. Together, our combined 'ohana revived the spiritual celebration of Lonoikamakahilei, honoring Kanaloa, and the rituals and ceremonies that connect us, as kānaka, to our Akua, the natural elemental life forces of nature and its cycles and our uniquely Hawaiian approach of Kapu Aloha in loving and caring for our lands and our families." - Dr. Davianna Pmaika'i McGregor "To know Noa Emmett 'Auwae Aluli is to know aloha. To sit with him is to sit in passion. To worlc with him is to worlc with intention. To vision with him is to see through servitude." - Dr. C.M. Kaliko Baker "Noa Emmett was very intelligent, but also humhle and a good listener. He deeply affected thousands of people who eame to Kaho'olawe in ways that are special and meaningful to eaeh one of them. Of all those who started the movement for Kaho'olawe, he was the one who stayed with it. We all have to learn a lesson from that - about how to stay with a kuleana and believe in that leuleana enough to carry it through." - Dr. Pualani Kanaka'ole Kanahele "Emmett was one of the smartest people I've ever lenown, yet what made him special was his compassion. He used his mind to serve with his heart, whether it was to heal a child or our beloved 'aina." - Former Gov. John D. Waihe'e 1 1 1 "Dr. Aluli's aloha for 'āina, his passion and commitment to improving the heahh and wellbeing of Native Hawaiians, and his ability to weave culture into caring inspired many haumāna to pursue a path to becoming physicians. He taught us that Aloha 'Āina is more than a movement, it's a way of life. His wisdom will continue to light the path for us all." - Marcus Iwane, M.D. "His spear is passed to the next generation and his hā (breath of life) inspires and activates." - Craig Neff "Unele Emmett always made room to mentor younger Hawaiians. When deciding whether to accept the role of DLNR deputy director, I thought about what his advice might be. He always said, 'the heahh of our land is the heakh of our people is the heahh of our lāhui.' A way to honor him is to care for and improve the heahh of our lands. Everything else will follow." - Laura Ka'akua "It was during the negotiations for the eleanup of Kaho'olawe that we developed deep pilina. I was honored by Emmett's trust, and anchored by his heart, his na'au even in uncertainty, and his understanding of what h means to eommh to kūpuna, 'āina and descendants." - Roshi Norma Wong