Kulaiwi, native land

Aloha kakahiaka kākou! The word kulāiwi translates as native, native land or homeland. In the song Hawai'i Aloha we hear the word used - ku'u home kulāiwi nei, which translates as my home, my native land. When we look closely at the word we can break it down to kula, which translates as flat lands or plains and iwi, which we know translates as bones. As we peel away the layer of kaona we find that Kulāiwi has an even deeper meaning - the land of bones or the land of my ancestors. Kulāiwi is an expression of a deep connection to your homeland, your ancestors, your heritage and culture. It reminds us of who we are and where we come from. For those of us who are Hawaiian by blood, Hawai'i is our kulāiwi, it is the native land of our Hawaiian ancestors, our homeland. This is where our kūpuna are from and thus, we have a kuleana to mālama 'āina. Our connection to our kūpuna forever binds us to this land. A land we love and feel connected to. This connection makes us proud to be Hawaiian. Hawaiian pride is not about arrogance, racial hate or segregation, but instead, it is a deep love and appreciation for the rich heritage of our ancestors and the land they held stewardship over. For those who are not Hawaiian by blood but call Hawai'i home, it is your kuleana as well to protect and care for our kulāiwi, our beloved homeland, where the bones of our ancestors rest. And, indeed, we must instill this sense of aloha 'āina in our children so that they, too, will carry on the kuleana of mālama 'āina, caring for and protecting our homeland. So the next time you sing Hawai'i aloha, remember this line and sing it loud - Ku'u home kulāiwi nei, my home, my native land. Aloha nō, a hui hou.

'A'ama Crabs or Flying Geese?

Aloha e nā hoa pepeiao! Have you ever watched crabs in a bucket? Just as one crab begins to make his way to the top of the bucket his journey is cut short by another crab, just below him, grabbing on to his legs and pulling him back down. The consequence? Both crabs end up at the bottom of the bucket again. We call this the 'a'ama crab syndrome and it can be compared to us as people. It saddens me when a fellow Hawaiian is unable to celebrate the progress of another and instead, minimizes his accomplishments with snide remarks and criticism. We already face so many challenges as kānaka, the last thing we need is another kānaka pulling us down. Instead of perpetuating this mentality, let’s look at another analogy in nature. Have you ever wondered why geese fly in a perfect V formation? Well, as each bird flaps its wings it creates uplift for the bird following and the entire flock creates 71% more flying range than a single bird flying alone. When one bird is tired, he rotates back and another assumes the point position. When a goose is sick or wounded, two other geese fly out of the formation with it, providing protection and help and they stay with the sick goose until it gets better or dies. The geese in the back of the flock honk encouraging those up front to press on. Everyday each one of us has the opportunity to choose to be like crabs in the bucket or to spread our wings and soar like a flock of beautiful geese in a perfect V formation. E nā kānaka Hawai'i, it is time for us to choose to be like geese, flying in unity, honking words of encouragement, caring for each other. Pēnei kākou e holomua ai, then and only then can we move forward as kānaka maoli. Aloha nō, a hui hou. CLICK HERE to listen to and download the Morning Mana'o Podcast.

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Hoaloha, beloved friend

Welina me ke aloha nui e nā hoa aloha! Each morning I greet you as my hoaaloha, but what does this word actually mean? Hoaaloha translates as friend, but when you look closer at this word we can break it down to two separate word – hoa and aloha, hoa meaning companion and aloha meaning love or beloved. When we put it together we find the definition of friend – a beloved companion. When we look at our culture we find examples of friendship and companionship. I think of Hōpoe who was the beloved companion of Hi'iaka, the younger sister of Pele. Hōpoe taught Hi'iaka to dance hula and Hi'iaka helped Hōpoe take care of her hala groves in Puna. They surfed the shores of NānĀhuki, spent time together in leisurely activities and worked together when there was work to be done. Their friendship was reciprocal. When we think of our friendships today do they resemble those of our kūpuna? I feel blessed to be surrounded by hoaaloha, beloved companions who share my sorrows and my joys, who laugh with me and cry with me and who counsel with me and guide me when I need to make difficult decisions in life. You know, sometimes you feel so piula, tired and exhausted and all it takes is one of your hoaaloha to rejuvenate your spirit. That is true friendship! So, today, the challenge I extend to each of us is to take some time to mahalo aku, give thanks for the hoaaloha in your life. Whether it’s a message on Face Book, an email, a note, a phone or an in person visit, let them know how much you love them and cherish their friendship. I want to extend my gratitude to Ke Akua for the hoaaloha he has blessed me with. Aloha nō, a hui hou. CLICK HERE to listen to and download the podcast of this episode.

E nā hono a'o pi'ilani, aloha kakahiaka! There are many beautiful mele written in honor of our island Maui. For example, the mele Lei Lokelani, written by Charles E. King boasts of the beauty of the lokelani blossom, the flower of Maui. Ua 'ike maka au i ka nani o ia pua, I have witnessed the beauty of this flower, pua ho'ohihi na'u, a flower cherished by me alone, pū'ia i ke 'ala, imbued with fragrance. In the mele he addresses Maui as Maui a Kama, a poetic phrase used to honor Kamalālāwalu, one of Maui’s great ali’i. In the last paukū, the last verse, he talks about the things Maui is famous for, nā hono a'o Pi'ilani, the bays of Maui’s paramount chief, Pi'ilani, Kilakila Haleakalā, and of course, majestic Haleakalā. The mele expresses the composers love and admiration of our island home, but I often wonder, is it just the island Maui that has captured the eye of the composer, or perhaps, someone from Maui has caught the composer’s attention and made our island look even more delightsome. You choose and enjoy the kaona of Hawaiian mele. Lei Lokelani, lei aloha, lei makamae. Aloha nō, a hui hou. CLICK HERE to listen to and download the Morning Mana'o podcast.

Kuha'o, stand alone, independently

Aloha kākou e nā hoa aloha o ke kakahiaka! You know, in today’s crazy world there are times where our beliefs and our values may be questioned. Society has changed so drastically and values have shifted. What we hilina'i, believe in, may be questioned and challenged. There are times when we will find ourselves having to stand up for what we believe in, what we truly value, and the stance we take may seem very lonely at times. We may feel outnumbered and out casted. Our kūpuna understood this and had the perfect word to describe it – Kūha'o. Literally kūha'o means, standing alone, independent. Figuratively it can mean, unusual, extraordinary, as rain from a clear sky. A line from a mele says, Nani wale 'o Mauna Kea, kuahiwi kūha'o i ka mālie, beautiful is Mauna Kea, standing alone in the calm. From this simple, yet eloquent line we learn that standing alone can be a beautiful thing. Just because our mana'o isn’t what is accepted by the crowd, that doesn’t make us awkward or ignorant. Remember, Mauna Kea is most beautiful when it stands alone. No matter what our beliefs may be it is important to stay true to who we are, even in the midst of criticism and persecution. Like the rain that falls from a clear sky, it is refreshing and lovely to be unusual and extraordinary. So, whatever it is you believe in, whatever you stand for, if you truly hilina'i, truly believe it, then don’t be afraid to kūha'o, stand independently and even when needed, to stand alone. Aloha nō, a hui hou! To hear the podcast, CLICK HERE.

Hilina'i - Believe!

Aloha mai e nā hoa aloha! Yet another Hawaiian word for us to learn today, hilina'i. Literally hilina'i translates as to believe, trust; to lean on, rely on, confidence. Sometimes in life we can feel defeated. Especially in these trying times, it can be hard to believe that things will get better. Even in the midst of challenging we must hilina'i, believe. Believe that things will improve. Believe that there is hope. Hilina'i also means to trust and lean on. It is so important to surround ourselves with people we can lean on and trust with complete confidence. Friends and family that can be the ko'o, support posts we need to lift us and at times, even carry us through. Having a higher power we hilina'i brings great peace and comfort and gives us strength to persevere. I call that higher power Ke Akua and I hilina'i, believe in and trust Him in all things. Scholars and intellects throughout history have told us the power of our thoughts. That by simply believing, things can happen. When you think about, the so called secret really isn’t a secret at all. When we have faith and truly believe, our power is limitless. No laila e nā makamaka, e hilina'i kākou, let’s all believe more, trust and rely completely on that greater power, whatever you may call it. CLICK HERE to listen to and download the podcast. Aloha nō, a hui hou.

copyright 2009, Morning Mana'o

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www.thehawaiianlearningcenter.com

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Malama, take care

Aloha kakahiaka e nā makamaka! Good morning friends! Let’s explore yet another Hawaiian word and Hawaiian value, mālama. Literally mālama means so many things. We know the more common translation – to take care of, tend, attend, care for. E mālama i ka hale. Take care of the house. E mālama i kou kino. Take care of your body. It also means to preserve, protect, beware, save, maintain. E mālama i ka 'āina. Care for and protect the land. In addition, mālama means to keep or observe, as a taboo; to conduct, as a service; to serve, honor, as God. Mālama pono means to care for properly, to be careful, to watch out. We are taught to mālama kekahi i kekahi, care for each other, but when we really think about the concept of mālama, it begins with each of us. In order to mālama others, mālama our kuleana, mālama 'āina, we must first mālama ourselves, take good care of ourselves. When we are pono, we can better care for others and take care of our many kuleana in life. When we are out of balance, lacking pono and spiritually and physically depleted it is difficult, if not impossible to mālama pono anything or anyone else. Time for personal reflection! As we reflect I’m sure we can all find ways to mālama ourselves better – our kino, our bodies, our 'uhane, our spirit, our no'ono'o, our thoughts, our hilina'i, our faith and our hana, our actions. Our challenge today is make some time for self reflection and then to act and make those changes we need to make. E mālama pono kākou! Aloha nō, a hui hou . . .

copyright 2009, Morning Mana'o

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Aloha kakahiaka e nā hoa pepeiao! E ola ka 'ōlelo Hawai’i. The Hawaiian language lives on each time we make an effort to learn a new word or phrase. No laila, let me introduce a new word to you today – hō'ihi. Many of you may be familiar with this word, but for those who may not be hō'ihi translates as respect. When we look a little deeper we realize that the word hō'ihi comes from the root word, 'ihi, which means sacred, holy, majestic, dignified; treated with reverence. In pule Ke Akua is often referred to as ka 'ihi'ihi. Hō'ihi is an important Hawaiian value. It is exemplified in our interactions with each other. We teach our keiki to hō'ihi their elders, to be respectful of adults, teachers and leaders in our community. We teach them to show hō'ihi for each other in school, on the playground, at home. We make sure they understand the importance of showing hōhi to their kūpuna. The worst thing that we could see is a child disrespecting a kūpuna. Even as adults we understand that kūpuna are treated with hō'ihi and are revered. We never correct a kūpuna, even if we think we know better. When a kūpuna is in the room we are on our best behavior and we are aware of his or her needs. Why? Because they have earned that respect. When we think about our world today hō'ihi is often missing. Sometimes it seems that we have forgotten the importance of being polite, respectful and thoughtful. So, today, our challenge is to be more mindful of our behaviors and to show more respect for each other and most importantly for ourselves. To listen to the podcast CLICK HERE!

Aloha nō, a hui hou!

Aloha kakahiaka e nā hoa aloha o ka lekiū a me nā po'e aloha nui i ka hula! If you missed the Miss Aloha Hula competition of the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, you missed out on the some of the most beautiful hula I’ve seen in a long time. We were favored to many traditional interpretations that were simple and simply beautiful. The highlight of the evening was the debut of Hālau Ke'alaokamaile, under the direction of my kumu, Keali'i Reichel. Henohea Kane presented a wonderful interpretation of Maika'i Ka 'Oiwi 'o Ka'ala, a mele that compares Ka'ala mountain on the island of O'ahu to the beauty of a woman. Her dancing was maiau, crisp and clean. Her hula 'auana brought us home to Maui, specifically to Pā'ia and the home of her grandmother, Kamaile Kane in Ka Nohona Pili Kai. Her movements were polished, her steps perfectly executed and her facial expressions allowed the audience to feel her deep love and admiration for her beloved tūtū. Her magnificent performances placed her at the top of the competition and crowned her Miss Aloha Hula 2009, a title Maui has not held since Jody Imehana Mitchell of Pā'ū O Hi'iaka won the coveted title in 1979. Thirty years later, Henohea Kane has brought the title home to Maui. Indeed, the saying is true . . . Maui nō ka 'oi! Ho'omaika'i e Henohea ! Aloha nō, a hui hou.

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'A'a i ka hula, waiho ka hilahila ma ka hale. Dance the joyful dance of life.

Aloha kakahiaka e na hoa o ke kakahiaka! Pehea? Mākaukau no ka ho'okūkū hula 'o Merrie Monarch? So what, everyone ready for Merrie Monarch weekend? I now our 'ohana is planning our Merrie Monarch Pā'ina (party). I love this time of year. Hula is in the air as we prepare to watch and some lucky one actually get to attend the Merrie Monarch Festival. With hula permeating the air around us, I can’t help but share a hula related 'olelo nooeau today. 'A'a i ka hula, waiho ka hilahila ma ka hale. Get up and dance, leave shyness at home. You know, this 'ōlelo no'eau can apply to us in so many ways. In hula we were always to never be shame to dance. When called upon to hula, you can’t say no, you just get up and dance. As a matter of fact, most of the time, your shoes were already off your feet before the musician called your name! In life, this pearl of wisdom reminds us to dance the dance of life without fear, hesitation or shyness. We have one life to live and we should make it the best we possibly can. In spite of our circumstances, regardless of our challenges, we can choose to dance. We may dance to a different beat, we may have different dance moves, no matter, dance anyway. So, tonight, as we watch the beautiful Miss Aloha hula contestants chant and dance their hearts out on stage, may we all be inspired to move our kīkala to the joyful rhythm of life. 'A'a i ka hula, waiho ka hilahila ma ka hale. Life is good my friends!

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Ke aloha nō, a hui hou!

Malie, calm and serene

Aloha mai e nā makamaka! Greetings beloved friends! Mālie 'o Maui ke waiho maila Kaihuokalā. Maui is calm when Kaihuokalā can be seen. This 'ōlelo no'eau is spoken on a calm, clear day. When Kaihuokalā hill in Hāna Maui could be seen in all its glory, it was said to be a very calm, clear day on Maui. This beautiful proverb made me ponder a bit about the word mālie. Literally, mālie means – calm, quiet, serene, pacific, still, silent, tranquil, gentle, gradual. Ka Makani Lawe Mālie refers to the calm, gentle breeze of Wailuku. Mālie ke kai, the ocean is calm. Said when the seas are at ease and ocean is still and tranquil. Maika’i Kaua’i, hemolele i ka mālie. Kaua’i is good, perfect in the calm. Through these sayings we get a sense of what malie means. In this busy world we live in today we all need and seek after calmness, serenity and tranquility. Some of us find mālie in certain places or with certain people. Many find a sense of malie at home, with 'ohana, in the shelter of our homes. Mālie also means to be calm, quiet and gentle. It is a good reminder to me to be gentler with myself and with others, especially those I love. The greatest lesson in mālie came to me through the example of a beautiful woman I had the privilege of knowing who was named Mālie. She radiated the characteristics of her name. Her example has given me a greater determination to create a sense of mālie in my life and my home and to truly apply mālie into my words and actions.

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Aloha nō, a hui hou!