Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 4, Number 7, 1 July 1987 — Hawaiian Spirituality Stands Out [ARTICLE]

Hawaiian Spirituality Stands Out

Ku Kanaka Conference II ExaminesValues

By Earl (Buddy) Ncllcr Cultural Specialist Who and what is Hawaiian? What are basic Hawaiian values? How do these values help Hawaiians in making a special contribution to community life? These and other questions were discussed by more than 100 Hawaiians who attended Ku Kanaka Conferenee 11 May 30 at Kamehameha Schools. It was sponsored by the Waiaha Foundation and open to any reader of Ku Kanaka — Stand Tall, A Search for Hawaiian Values, written by George Hu'eu Sanford Kanahele. The morning program included opening remarks by Kanahele and Kenneth F. Brown, co-founders of the Waiaha Foundation. Kara Puketapu, former Secretary of Maori Affairs, told about how he eame to know the two men and talked about Maon values and cultural pride. Charles Heaukulani, graduate student at the University of Hawaii Manoa; Yolanda Akeo, a clerktypist from Hawai'i; and Nolemana Hu, horse trainer and owner from Maui, told how the book and being Hawaiian, had been important in their lives. Conference participants were offered seven workshops to discuss individual perspectives on Hawaiian values. Subject committee discussion groups and leaders were:

• Religion, Mythology and Ritual, Hinano Paleka and Jimmy Naniole. • Space, Time and Plaee, Catherine Enomoto and Kauanoelehua Chang. • Science and Technology, Robert Lokomaika'i Snakenberg. • Economics, Albert Kanahele and H.K. Bruss Keppeler. • Leadership and Politics, David Heaukulani and Fred Watson. • Dynamics of Aloha, Luana McKenney. • Education, Jobie Masagatani. Conference participants enjoyed a delicious buffet luneh prepared by the Kamehameha Schools staff while being serenaded Hawaiian style by Leo Nahenahe. For those who like to judge a conference by the food and the music, it could be said that this one was highly successful. Hawaiian spirits rose as the musicians moved from table to table singing special requests. Brown sang his favorite, "Waipi'o." There were others who joined in to sing their favorites.

The afternoon program started with a panel discussion about Native American values as experienced from a particular Canadian perspective. Panel participants were Bobbee Mills, moderator; Bernice Hammersmith, Chairperson, Board of Governors, Gabriel Dumont Institute, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan; Ray Ahenakew, Executive DireCtor, and Oneil Gladue, Chief, Meadow Lake Tribal Council, Saskatchewan; Jerry Hammersmith, President, Broxbourne Associates, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan; and Puketapu. Workshop leaders then led the audience in a discussion of what was learned during the morning workshops. Consensus lists of values and concepts were discussed, followed by strategies for implementation. There was one Hawaiian value that stood out, because it was discussed in many of the sessions: Hawaiian spirituality, meaning a belief in love, trust and cooperation, expressed in different ways in such concepts as aloha, 'ohana, ho'oponopono, ho'omanamana, aloha 'aina, kokua, lokahi, and laulima. The list of Hawaiian goals for the future included: 1) The creation of a Hawaiian plaee, perhaps a sovereign Hawaiian nation. 2) Growth in the Hawaiian Studies Program at UH. 3) Encouragement of the teaching and study of the Hawaiian language.

4) Support for Hawaiian dance. 5) Support kupuna programs. 6) Political action on a national scale in Washington, D.C. 7) Making a personal commitment to practice and teach Hawaiian values ourselves. This conference was a significant event in terms of modern Hawaiian intellectual history. Never before had such a well rounded, competent, committed group of Hawaiians eome together to talk about Hawaiian values. People who attended had already made a commitment by reading the book. They shared a sense of kinship. They had already resolved the question of their own identity and did not lose time discussing what is a Hawaiian. They went directly to discussing Hawaiian values and how they relate to implementing actions. Conference proceedings will be published in a few months. At day's end, everyone eame away more inspired than when they arrived in the morning.