Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 12, 1 December 1992 — Parley Kanakaʻole named Hawaiian role model [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Parley Kanakaʻole named Hawaiian role model

by Pearl Leialoha Page The trustees for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs honored Parley Jansen Kanaka'ole as an extraordinary kupuna as part of this year's 'Aha Kūpuna. "Parley was chosen because of his way of life and contribution to the children of Hawai'i and the broader community," said Trustee Frenchy DeSoto. "He's a role model to our young Hawaiian men." He received the Ka Hā Mai Kalāhikiola Nali'i'elua Award, named after OHA's Fu"st kahu, Papa Kala. Kanaka'ole, a vice principal at Hana High and Elementary School, is a fluent Hawaiian language speaker, noted educator and musician, farmer and fisherman, and knowledgeable in lā'au lapa'au and the fine arts. "Kupuna Kanaka'ole reflects the beauty and dignity of the male Hawaiian," said Trustee Moses Keale. Reared in Hilo, the 52 year-old Kanaka'ole is one of six children of the late Edith Kanaka'ole, noted kumu hula and musician, and father, Luka, who was always consulted on matters of cultural etiquette. Like his parents, Parley gets calls for advice on protocol. Most recently, he advised shark hunters along the Wai'anae coast on how to respectfully take a life. Kanaka'ole learned not just from his parents but also from other kūpuna who were around when he was growing up. "It was something you observed, something not taught," he said. However, it's a different, faster-paced world today where teach-

ing is very important if the old ways are to be preserved, he said. The need for preserving cultural values and customs inspired the Kanaka'ole elan to form the Edith Kanaka'ole Foundation, a non-profit corporation formed in 1990. Most recently, Parley Kanaka'ole and sister Pua Kanahele presented a report on behalf of the foundation tracing Kaho'olawe's cultural signiFicance. The report gleaned from oral traditions passed on through the oli, mo'olelo, mele and 'ōlelo no'eau as well as oral histories. "One of us was always actively involved in Kaho'olawe," Kanaka'ole said of his family, starting with his mother Edith Kanaka'ole, who was instrumental in bringing the island's mana to public awareness, he said. Parley Kanaka'ole has a!so been involved in the four year-old Haku Mele Festival held in Hana every year. The festival focuses on chants and oli using Hawaiian metaphors. Hawaiian language students are invited to workshops in the spring whieh produce compositions for the September festival. "They experience the richness of the language through the mele and chant. It is one way we try to perpetuate the art of chanting."

Parley Jansen Kanaka'ole plays an important role in the Edith Kanaka'ole Foundation, named for his mother.