Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 8, 1 August 2022 — Aloha mai kākou, [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Aloha mai kākou,

J 'OLELO A KA POUHANA V_ ^ MESSAGE FROM THE CEO *

SEEKING I NSIGHT IN AN AGE 0F 0 1 S I N F 0 R M AT 1 0 N 'Ike kūhohonu (n. Deep knowledge or insight.)

As I pondered what to write about this month, my thoughts returned time and again to the related concepts of insight, wisdom and discernment. We live in what has been dubbed the "information age." It is an era in whieh information has heeome a commodity that is widely and instantly available. "News" is no longer the exclusive purview of professional journalists. Armed with iPhones, ordinary people worldwide are recording events and within minutes uploading them to social media - along with their personal commentary - to an international audience. But with a preponderance of content creators adding to the glut of information available online - many of whom have ulterior motives - the highly touted information age has instead heeome more of a "disinformation age." An epidemic of false and misleading information has spread rampantly online like a sickness becoming increasingly toxic in the past few years. Disinformation about COVID-19, the 2020 election results, the attempted insurrection, and vaccines top the list. Unfortunately, too many people today mistake a Google search for research, giving undeserved mana to a search engine and, in the process, they fail to nānā i ke kumu - to carefully consider the source of the information they find. Against an information landscape of lies and half-truths, it is increasingly important for us, as individuals and as a lāhui, to develop 'ike kūhohonu (insight). In a world where too many people are lazy thinkers inclined to believe the person who talks the loudest, or to count something as "fact" if it is repeated often enough, we are wise to seek 'ike kūhohonu in the silence of what is not said. Our people must hold fast to the things we value and know to be true. Our 'ohana, our mo'omeheu and our aina are real and tangible sources of wisdom and strength

that ean serve as pu'uhonua, a space where we ean recalibrate emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically. Beloved Aunty Betty Jenkins, in her work at OHA and throughout the community, reminded us that hulu kūpuna, our precious elders, are vital to our wellbeing, the cornerstones of our social structure, and the transmitters of our culture. Our kūpuna are invaluable sources of wisdom, discernment and insight. As they do, we should listen carefully to what is being said and by whom. And then in the silence, consider the voice that is not speaking. As we prepare to vote in the primary elections, we eaeh have the kuleana to educate

ourselves, to learn about the issues, and to carefully consider the character and qualities of the candidates asking for our votes. In gathering information about the issues, we cannot M

simply accept what we read or hear at face value. As oui kūpuna taught us to do, we must nānā i ke kumu. Examine the information presented and trace it back to its source. Consider the writer or speaker and their motives. Can the information be corroborated or confirmed by others? 1his takes effort. It takes time. But only when we find the root, ean we determine whether the fruit is

good. ■

Sylvia M. Hussey, Ed.D. Chief Executive 0fficer