Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 7, 1 July 2008 — Why I placed my name [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Why I placed my name

By Ikaika Gamulo Lāna'i, 15 years ūld Pūsted dū his MySpace page

NOT JUST A T-SHIRT Being Hawaiian is not just what you show on the outside. It's about your actions, morals, and bloodline. Anyone

ean eall themselves Hawaiian, but there's a difference between words and actions. For me, to truly be a Hawaiian, you need to act the culture and care about the issues that face your native peoples. Preserve the past to create the future. Without our kūpuna and our past, our present and future means nothing. The Hawaiian culture is on a journey to our future as a united nation, "Kau Inoa." I connect the

Hōkūle'a to the journey of the Hawaiians in the present day. The sacred vessel was built

by our kūpuna, therefore it is our kūpuna, we must stand on them and follow our other kūpuna, the stars. The Hawaiians followed the stars to get to their destination. On the boat, there were different

types of people, eaeh with a different purpose, just like how eaeh Hawaiian has a purpose. To make it simple, we all must work together and follow our kūpuna in the past and use their mana'o to guide us on our next journey to Hawaiian unity as a nation. Now that is what Hawaiian means to me! Tell us why you signed at hla @ oha.org. Please include your name and contact information. I

Ikaika Gamulo