Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 40, Number 4, 1 April 2023 — A Trailblazing Educaior, Cultural Advocate and Servant Leader [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]
A Trailblazing Educaior, Cultural Advocate and Servant Leader
V HE HO'OMANA'O ^ I N MEMORIAM
Fred Keakaokalani Cachola Nov. 24, 1935 - Feb. 20, 2023
By Kēhaunani Abad "Lele o Kohala me he lupe lā. Kohala soars as a kite." An expression of admiration for Kohala, a district that has been a leader in doing good work. Amidst the bustle of the Kohala Plantation Hala'ula Down Camp, Fred Keakaokalani Cachola was born to Esther ('Ū u) and Federico Cachola. In that rich, multicultural village, where kids could explore far and wide and enjoy adventures with friends, he developed an enduring love for aina and community. Fred's profound aloha for Hawai'i, the people of Hawai'i, and oiwi culture, history, and wahi pana (storied places) moved his heart and hands in ways that will eontinue to reverberate for generations to eome. His journey began in his kulāiwi of Kohala where he became a keen observer of his surroundings, as it was his job twice daily to find feed for the family's ducks, ehiekens, and rabbits and, at appropriate times, to harvest the mai'a, niu, papayas, avocado, ohi'a 'ai, gundule, and other plants his father grew. He was a proud student of Hala'ula Elementary, later moving to Kamehameha Schools and graduating alongside his beloved Nā Pua Mae'ole 1953 classmates. After going home to Kohala and working for the sugar plantation, he joined the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and later earned his teaching degree from Iowa State Teachers College. Returning to Hawai'i, Fred served as a history teacher at Wai'anae Intermediate where he met his first wife, Eiko Cachola. The two grew roots in Wai'anae, with Fred learning about Wai'anae mo'olelo from revered kūpuna there. He would bring his students outside of the classroom to visit wahi pana, sharing what he learned and giving them new insights that rooted them to their heritage and fostered their pride in being from Wai'anae. His zest for bringing life to fresh ideas, and his newly earned MEd and Education Administration Certification from UH Mānoa, led to him becoming the vice-principal and later principal of Nānāikapono Elementary. There he started a college credit-bearing course in whieh all faculty learned about Nānākuli, Hawaiian culture, and
learning styles of Native Hawaiian keiki. He even gained the support of DOE Human Resources personnel for his stand to hire office staff who were exclusively from Nānākuli because they were uniquely qualified to relate well with the students and 'ohana of Nānāikapono. All of this led to a tight-knit and in-sync learning community of professional colleagues who also became friends that would enjoy many celebratory after-hours pā'ina. His administrative approaches and successes set the stage for Fred to shape a new opportunity at Kamehameha Schools to have Pauahi's legacy reach keiki throughout the pae aina. In 1971, Fred became Kamehameha Schools' first Director of Extension Education. He and his wide circle of colleagues were trailblazers and innovators. Hawaiian culture was integral to eaeh program they created. They served haumāna who struggled in school— middle school students reading below their grade level and high school 'ōpio on the verge of dropping out. These efforts were fueled with the confidence that Native Hawaiian youth would be successful,
engaged learners if they were connected to their culture, surrounded by kumu who believed in them, and pulled in to the people and places in their communities that mattered to them. They started Kamehameha preschools, designed programs to nurture wāhine through their pregnancies and help them raise 'eleu kamaiki (children), created Hawaiian studies resources for schools, trained opio to kūlia (strive) into leadership roles, enabled haumāna to gain facility in working with computers, helped schools foster the mauli ola (healing) of haumāna and keep them drug ffee, and worked with DOE principals to open summer schools in numerous Hawaiian communities, ensuring that opio could graduate on time or leap ahead to learn more. Recognizing that learning is a life-long journey, Extension Education also offered GED night school for adults at the Kapālama campus and for Kānaka in prison. Other SEE FRED KEAKAOKALANI CACH0LA ON PAGE 11
This photo wos laken at the site of Komehameho's birthstones at Kokoiki, Kohala. Fred worked for years to protect those stones and ultimately to have the land preserved in perpetuity as a historic landmark. That work occurred alongside the Puhi 'ohana whose patriarch had ensured thot the small pareel would not be sold (though the rest of their 'ohana land around it was sold). Fred worked with them to have the land transferred to the Stote with the assurance thot the State would mōlamo thot parcel for all time. - Courtesy Photos
FRED KEAKAOKALANI CACHOLA Continued from page 10 evening courses included olelo Hawai'i, Hawaiian eooking, kī hō'alu (slack key), 'ukulele making, featherwork, computer training, and more, with some classes designed for mākua or kūpuna to learn side by side with their keiki or mo'opuna. Beyond the programs he and his team gave birth to, Fred initiated Kamehameha Schools' scholarships for non-campus students, opened Pauahi's lands for educational and cultural purposes, and facilitated the first eonvening of what heeame the 'Ahahui 'Olelo Hawai'i. Fred also organized and grew eanoe paddling as a high school sport, working with principals open to the idea and eanoe clubs eager to train high school crews, starting with a first race at Mākaha between Kamehameha and Wai'anae high schools. Complementing his Kamehameha Schools kuleana, Fred was a staunch advocate for cultural and community causes. As the vice-president of the Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana (PKO) in the 1970s, he helped to broker the first meetings between the PKO and the Navy. As a board member of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, he worked alongside his lifetime mentor, Myron "Pinky" Thompson, steering resources to support Hōkūle'a's early journeys and even helping with such in-the-moment needs as securing, and having delivered to Hōkūle'a at sea, the hae Hawai'i that flew proudly upon her triumphant return voyage in 1976. Fred was a servant leader, sharing his time, expertise, passion, and diplomacy with other organizations such as
the Federal Advisory Commission for the Kaloko-Hono-kohau National Historic Park, Nā Hoapili o Kaloko-Ho-nokohau, Homemle, Hui Hānai Executive Council, Kalihi YMCA Board of Managers, State Historic Places Review Board, OHA Hawaiian Historic Preservation Council, U.S. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's Native American Advisory Group, Hawai'i Paeihe Parks Association Board, 'Ewa by Gentry Community Association Board, Hawai'i Island Burial Council, Royal Order of Kamehameha, and numerous Kohala eommunity organizations. As a dedicated kanaka aloha aina who cared deeply about protecting and bringing wahi pana back into eultural use, Fred helped to galvanize community action to restore and protect Kūīlioloa, Pūnana'ula, and Hale o Kā'ili heiau and to ensure the stewardship of Kamehameha's birthsite at Kokoiki, Kaloko-Honokohau, sites along the Ka'ahumanu Hwy, and hundreds of acres of Kohala Coast conservation lands. Having learned from Kohala kūpuna since the 1960s, he was a trusted keeper of mo'olelo and generously shared these mo'olelo with many who eame to endear those places, their history, and mele. However, his favorite and most frequent companions at wahi pana were his mo'opuna and keiki who mālama the mo'olelo he entrusted with them. In retirement, Fred volunteered as a docent for 'Iolani Palaee and Washington Plaee to help convey accurate, compelling accounts of our kingdom and ali'i. Kamaaina and malihini he hosted were treated to both a tour and live mele. Throughout his life, his booming voice filled the tenor sections of the Kamehameha Schools Alumni Glee Club,
Hawai'i Opera Chorus, the Honolulu Symphony Chorus, and 'Imiola Church Choir. Fred's last rich decade of life brought him back to Kohala where he fell in love with his beloved wife Sandy. The happy pair could be found enjoying Waimea and Ka'auhuhu and ardently engaged with 'Imiola Church where Fred served as Head of the Children's Ministry. Fred Keakaokalani Cachola's legacy and memory run deeply through the weave of our community and resound joyously through the heartstrings of many who love him dearly.
On Feb. 20, 2023, surrounded by his loved ones, he returned to Ke Akua. He is survived by his wife, Sandra Decker; his sisters Henrietta Kaleikau and Florence Kawai; his daughters Julie-Ann Moanike'ala Cachola, Kēhaunani Abad, and Eeinani Cachola; and his mo'opuna Nakili Cachola, Kalamapua'ena and Kamalupāwehi Abad, and Kekoalaukani Hieber.
Celebrations of Fred's life will be held at the Kamehameha Schools Chapel on Saturday, April 22 at 2:30 p.m. and at 'Imiola Church in Waimea on Saturday, April 29, at 10:00 a.m. ■
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Fred and his wife Sandra Decker.
Fred and his mo'opuna Kalama, Nakili, Laukani, and Kamalu (from left to right).
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