Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 7, 1 July 2004 — Three Molokaʻi kūpuna honored with ʻKa Hā Mai Kalāhikiola Nāliʻiʻeluaʻ award [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Three Molokaʻi kūpuna honored with ʻKa Hā Mai Kalāhikiola Nāliʻiʻeluaʻ award

Mai kāpae i ka a'o o nā kūpuna, aia he ola ma laila. Cast not the teachings of elders, for within there is life itself. Every year the Board of Trustees honors one of Hawai'i's kūpuna for being a living model of Hawaiianess. Over the last 13 years, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has recognized more than a dozen kūpuna for possessing and fortifying a life of Hawaiian uniqueness and perseverance. The Ka Hā Mai Kalāhikiola Nāli'i'elua Award is a Living Treasure award named in honor of Gregory Kalāhikiola Nāli'ielua, fondly remembered as "Papa Kalā," OHA's first kahu. Awards ceremonies are part of events related to OHA's annual 'Aha Kupuna, a convocation of Hawaiian elders. This year the 'Aha Kūpuna was held at the Turtle Bay Resort in Kahuku from June 2-4. When the eall for nominations was made, I turned to the Moloka'i community for their mana'o. With

so many influential kūpuna on Moloka'i, the response from the community was overwhelming. I was honored to nominate three Moloka'i kūpuna for this year's award; Anita Nae'ole Arce, Jane Pahula Holek Lee and Eliza Kauila Po'aha Reyes. Aunty Anita Arce lives in Ho'olehua on a homestead lot that was handed down through several generations. Aunty Anita currently works for Alu Like ine., as a kupuna resource facilitator in the Ka Hua Ola Hou program. She is known for her work in providing social support to at-risk teenagers and their parents, often visiting clients during the wee hours of the night. Aunty Anita is a proponent and practitioner of Ho'oponopono, whieh eompliments her counseling and mediation skills. She is currently the chairperson of 'Aha Ho'okumu, a member of the Nā Pu'uwai board of directors, a student of lā'au lapa'au, an active member of Hui Aloha Kupuna, a member of the Ho'ole-

hua Homestead Association and an active member of her church. Aunty Jane Lee is a retired facilitator for the Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center on Moloka'i. Many of Moloka'i's families know her for always "going the extra mile" for them whenever they needed kōkua with social services. In the education arena, Aunty Jane is acknowledged for the creation of a program eall "Ulu Ke Keiki," whieh is a program focused on early childhood development with an ageappropriate curriculum based on Hawaiian values. Aunty Jane is currently the chairperson of Hui Aloha Kupuna; a founding member of Nā Pu'uwai, a member of the Moloka'i General Hospital's Board of Directors and an active member of her church. Aunty Kauila, as she is known by most Moloka'i residents, is recognized for her role as a kupuna with the Department of Education for over 15 years. Through the years, she taught Moloka'i's keiki about

Hawaiian history, mele, hula and mo'olelo. Most importantly, Aunty Kauila instilled the importance of practicing Hawaiian values. She spoke often of laulima, lōkahi, ha'aheo and aloha for one another. She is a kupuna kumu hula for Maui County, a kupuna leader for the 'Aha Ho'okumu - Native Hawaiian Education Council and sits on the Board of Directors for Nā Pu'uwai. While nominations are designed to recognize one kupuna annually, trustees voted to award all three Moloka'i kūpuna with this year's honor. Eaeh of these kūpuna possess a lifestyle of preservation and perpetuation of those things Hawaiian, eaeh in an individual way. We thank them for their guidanee, their support, their patience and especially their Aloha. This year's awardees join past Moloka'i recipients Kupuna Clara Keakea Naki Kū (1990) and Marie Kau'iku'uleionaona Plaee (1997). Ho'omaika'i! Moloka'i nō ka heke. ■

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Colette Machado Trustee, Moloka'i and Lāna'i