Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 40, Number 2, 1 February 2023 — “E Kaupē Aku nō i ka Hoe, a Kō Mai” [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

“E Kaupē Aku nō i ka Hoe, a Kō Mai”

> V HE LEO HOU V ^ A NEW VOICE *

Na Hi'ilei Patoc, Papa 11, Hālau Kū Māna

C J "V kēia ka 'ōlelo I lno'eau a'u i koho ai, "E

kaupē aku nō i ka hoe, a kō mai." 'O ka ha'awina nui o ia olelo no'eau, e hā'awi 'oe i kou mea 'oi aku a pahu akula 'oe i

mua ho'i. Ha'upu mai keia olelo no'eau ia'u e ho'opau i nā

hana āpau i ho'omaka ai, a e ho'olu'u i ku'u hoe i loko o ke kai o ka 'ike i a'o 'ia mai ia'u. A laila, ho'ohana au i kēlā e pahu iā'u iho i mua. I kēia makahiki nei, ia'u e hele i kēia kula ho'āmana '0 Hālau Kū Māna, e hoe wa'a ana wau no ka hui wa'a 'Ilau Hoe. I kēlā me kēia lā, 'ike wau i ka mana ho'okahi i hana 'ia e nā kumu, nā po'e kula, a me nā haumāna i mea e kō ai i nā pahuhopu like 'ole. Lohe wau i nā kāhea aku i ka mākou lāhui, e o iho i kā kākou hoe i ke kai a huki i mua. Ho'opōmaika'i au no kēia wā kūpono i loa'a 'ia ai ia'u, he haumana la, ma Hālau Kū Māna e ho'oulu i ko'u 'ike a me ko'u mākau i mea e pane i ia mau kāhea. 'O ka 'ike i a'o 'ia mai ia'u e Hālau Kū Māna e pane i ia mau kāhea. Ua kōkua 'o Hālau Kū Māna ia'u, e kūkulu i kahi kahua 'ike. 'A'ole wale au i a'o mai i ka mana'o e kū a he Hawai'i akā na'e, ua hā'awi 'ia nō ho'i au i nā mea lako e pono e ola ma ke 'ano he Hawai'i a ho'oma'a i kēia i kēia honua nei. 'O ka hula, ke oli, ka olelo Hawai'i, me ka mālama aina, 'o ia ho'i nā mea pono. Me ke kāko'o 'ana a ka'u mau kumu kula me nā kumu pā'ani, 'ike nō au hiki ia'u ke kō i ka'u mau pahuhopu like 'ole. Ua a'o 'ia mai e nā loina a me nā mana'o o ku'u mau kumu, 'o Kumu Imai Winchester, 'o Kumu Kaleilehua Maioho, '0 Kumu Kaui Naniole, '0 Kumu Ka'imi Kaina me ka'u mau kumu pā'ani 'o Reggie Keaunui lāua 'o Dennis Na'auao e alaka'i mai ia'u ma ko'u ala. Ma kekahi lā, e nānā hope ana au e 'ike i ka'u mau mea ho'omaika'i, he wahi mahalo kēia i nā po'e i hā'awi mai i ka'u a'o 'ana. He paipai kēia ia'u e mau ai e ho'olu'u 'ana i ka'u hoe i ke kai a huki ia'u iho i mua. ■

The olelo no'eau, "E kaupē aku nō i ka hoe, a kō mai," translates to "Put forward the paddle and draw t back." This year,

while I am attending lālau Kū Māna New

Century Puhlie Charter school, I am also paddling for 'Ilau Hoe ("To paddle together.") Every day I see the collective energy produced by teachers, administrators, students, and coaches working together to achieve goals. I hear kāhea extended to our lāhui to thrust our paddles into the water and pull forward. And I am grateful for the ehanee that I have as a haumana at Hālau Kū Māna to grow my knowledge and skill set so that I ean answer those kāhea. Hālau Kū Māna has helped me build a foundation of knowledge. Not only have I learned what it is to be Hawaiian, but I have also been given the tools and resources I need to live as a Hawaiian and make it more eommon in today's world. Hula, oli, olelo Hawai'i, and mālama aina are such tools. With the support of my kumu and coaches, I know I am able to achieve any goal or dream of mine. The principles and concepts that Kumu 'īmai Winchester, Kumu Kaleilehua Maioho, Kumu Kaui Naniole, Kumu Kaimi Kaina, and eoaehes Reggie Keaunui and Dennis Na'auao have taught me will guide my path. One day, I will look back to see how far I've eome thanks to everyone who has contributed to my learning. They encouraged me to plunge my paddle into the water and move forward. ■