Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 3, 1 March 1988 — Dignitaries Praise OHA, Unity Day [ARTICLE]

Dignitaries Praise OHA, Unity Day

From their bird's eye vantage point in the press box at Aloha Stadium, these special guests and dignitaries shared their mana'o with Ka Wai Ola O OHA on the significance of Ho'olokahi: Hawaiian Unity Day, a first time major gathering of all Hawaiians. Ho'olokahi core committee member Mel Pestana: "By putting on this event we have a!ready accomplished what we set out to do. For the planning committee, a group of people who had never put on an event of this size, it is already a success." Richard (Papa) Lyman Jr., chairman of the Bishop Estate Board of Trustees, surveyed the stadium as the opening ceremony began and praised "the many people who generously, unselfishly gave of their money, time and energy — the musicians, the halau, the workersand others." BE Trustee and former chief justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court William Richardson: "Congratulations to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs! This is a great idea, a great thing for Hawaiians. It was a long time in coming. This shows Hawaiians do have a strong feeling for eaeh other. Perhaps it is a reawakening, a coming back as a people." Rep. Henry Peters, also a BE Trustee: "This is very moving. lt is a very clear example Hawaiians ean get together efficiently and professionally and pull it off. Congratulations to OHA." A special visitor to Ho'olokahi was Deputy Prime Minister Terepa'i Maoate of the Cook Islands: "Ho'olokahi is marvelous . . . one of the greatest things ever done. The Hawaiian people have always been there, though maybe small as a populahon. It is a thrill to see they are maintaining their culture." Also present was Lt. Gov. Eni Hunkin of Ameriean Samoa: "I wouldn't miss this for the world. I am so happy our Hawaiian cousins are enlarging their vision as a people. They will never be erased as a people. I feel this event is long overdue, and it is most appropriate to have this in the Year of the Hawaiian. 1 send my fondest aloha to you and hope in the future there will be more of this kind of display of Hawaiian culture and people." He added: "We in the South Pacific look to you as leaders, to be a help to the rest of their cousins, so we do not lose our sense of being Polynesians. As a member of the Hokule'a crew, I will ever be indebted to my Hawaiian cousins for rekindling that spirit among Polynesian peoples of our roots. lt was a very spiritual thing for me to be a crew member of the Hokule'a."