Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 38, Number 4, 1 April 2021 — Mana i Mauli Ola [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Mana i Mauli Ola

OHA's Strategic Plan "Mana i Mauli Ola" (Strength to Wellbeing) includes three foundations: 'Ohana (family), Mo'omeheu (culture), and 'Āina (land and water). OHA recognizes these foundations have the power to affect the wellbeing of Native Hawaiians. Therefore, they are woven into OHA's plans to affect change in the areas of education, heahh, housing, and economics. These four directions will be used to guide OHA's worlc to better the conditions of Native Hawaiians. Over the next 15 years, OHA will be implementing strategies aligned with our foundations and directions to achieve our envisioned outcomes for a thriving and abundant lāhui.

OUR 3 FOUNDATIONS

'Ohana | 'Ulu 'Ohana is represented here with 'ulu (breadfruit). According to mo'olelo, the god Kū fell in love with a human woman. He married her and together they raised a family until a time of terrible famine. Driven by love for his 'ohana, Kū transformed himself into an 'ulu tree so they would not starve. That was the first 'ulu tree; all 'ulu trees are descended from Kū.

Mo'omeheu | Palapalai ln the time before, our kūpuna had no written language. The 'ike and mo'olelo of our people were passed from one generation to the nextthrough oli and hula. Palapalai was one of the plants kapu to Laka, the goddess of hula. Palapalai is often wom by dancers or used to adorn the hula kuahu (altar). Because of this connection, it has been chosen to represent culture.

'Aina | Kalo Accordingto tradition, Wākea and Ho'ohōkūkalani had a stillborn son they named Hāloa. The grieving parents buried their child and from that spot the first kalo plant began to grow. They later had another, healthy boy, who they also named Hāloa. He became the first Hawaiian, and thus, kalo is considered the older brother of the Hawaiian people. Today, Kalo has become a modern symbol of mālama 'āina.

OUR 4 DIRECTIONS

Educational Pathways | Kukui ln traditional times, the oily kemal of the kukui nut was used for lamps. Indeed, "kukui" also means lamp, light or torch, and because of this, the kukui tree has long been a symbol of enlightenment. Education is a path towards enlightenment; acquiring 'ike (knowledge) and no'eau (wisdom), learning to think critically and to apply what is learned - these skills are critical to moving our lāhui forward. Quality Housing | 'Ōhia As beautiful as they are strong, 'ōhia lehua are the first trees able to grow on barren lava fields and reclaim the land. It is a dominant tree of the Hawaiian rainforest, and considered a manifestation of the god, Kū. While the tree's delicate blossoms and liko (leaf buds) are used to fashion lei, 'ōhia wood is exceptionally hard and was used traditionally for many purposes, such as framing houses.

Health Outcomes | Noni Noni is a "eanoe plant" brought to Hawai'i from the South Pacific by the earliest Hawaiian voyagers specifically for its numerous medicinal properties. While its taste and smell are rather unpleasant, noni was known to boost the immune system and to purify the blood. It was used to treat diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and as a poultice to treat various skin diseases. Eeonomie Stability | Wai Pure, fresh water (wai) is the essence and source of all life. The word "wai" also means to retain, leave or earn, while "waiwai" means wealth, emphasizing the value of water. Our kūpuna understood that this precious resource was a gift to be carefully managed and shared. Wai flowed down from upland rainforests, nourishing the lands below whieh led to abudance and prosperity that enriched the entire community.