Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 36, Number 10, 1 October 2019 — Aloha mai kākou, [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Aloha mai kākou,

/ 'ŌLELO A KA POUHANA S ^ MESSAGE FROM THE CEO f

MELE I N S P I R ES C 0 L L A B 0 R AT 1 0 N AND PR I D E mele nvt. Song, anthem, or chant of any kind; poem, poetry; to sing, chant (preceded by both ke and ka). Cf. haku mele. Kāna mele, his song [sung by him or composed by him]. Kona mele, his song [in his honor]. Ke Mele a Solomona (Biblical), the Song of Solomon.

The September premier of Kū Ha'aheo e Ku'u Hawai'i, written by an inspired kumu and sung by a star studded cast, is an example of the mana of mele. As our lāhui strives to empower ourselves, celebrate our patriots, and connect more strongly with one another around shared aloha 'āina goals, we do this with the mana of mele. With the support and blessing of the haku mele, Hinaleimoana Wong, the mele is shared with ka po'e i aloha i ka 'āina. Her hope is that it might strengthen, connect, and inspire us as ka po'e i aloha i ka 'āina. In this issue we share the history and future of Hawaiian mele, a way to be civically engaged through the voting process, and a way to take care of our communities through eeonomie development and the value of work.

The chorus of Kū Ha'aheo e Ku'u Hawai'i reflects our pride, our strength, our hope and our love for our land; may we harness the mana of mele to uplift our families, eommunities and lāhui.B

Sylvia Hussey, Ed.D. Ka Pouhana Kūikawā/lnterim Chief Executive Officer '