Live Aloha

Aloha e Haumana,

I am so enjoying this papa (class) I am taking called Kana'iaupuni and learning about our great leader King Kamehameha. It is wonderful to know about our history and what Hawaiian Leadership is all about. The stories of Kamehameha are fascinating. I especially enjoy learning about his leadership, because that is what I am studying in graduate school.

The question posed to us in our online class is: As a parent, kupuna, or caregiver, how can I use the knowledge learned in my everyday life with my children and family?

Like James, I am neither a parent or kupuna (elder) or caregiver...but I have found ways to lead with aloha, and that is with kindness, love, respect for others, and by being pono (living according to truthfulness) and 'olu'olu (having a pleasant demeanor). At Santa Barbara City College where I work as a counselor, we have quite a few native Hawaiians that attend classes here. Whenever they come to the career center, we greet each other with Aloha, a hug and a kiss. I try to make them feel welcome while they are so far away from home, they get so homesick, especially the younger students from the outer islands like Kauai, Maui, and Moloka'i.

I remember one time hearing a student across the way shout, "Eh, Howzit Aunty!" I looked around to see who the aunty was and realized - oh my goodness, he's talking to me! The 1st time this happened I was shocked because my Hawaiian nieces and nephews were very young at the time, and these students are in their early 20s. In our culture it is polite to call a person who is older Aunty or Uncle - I think because of the common hanai (adopting and caring for our youth) practices. It is a lovely cultural practice and I enjoy being Aunty to my students. Several of my mentors in my graduate program call themselves Aunty or Uncle, and sign their emails as such. It is very cool.

I particularly enjoyed reading about The Law of the Splintered Paddle in the book Kamehameha the Great (1992), by Julie Williams. As the story goes, when Kamehameha was a young warrior, he raided a particular village. One of the villagers who didn't recognize Kamehameha, sneaked up behind the chief and struck him with a paddle, which consequently broke, and ran away. Later in 1797, a full 12 years afterward, the man who struck Kamehameha was brought to trial. The villager knew he was facing death because it was kapu that a commoner even walk in the shadow of a great chief, much less hit him on his sacred po'o (head)! But instead of punishing him, Kamehameha forgave the man! He blamed himself for attacking innocent people, gave the man some land and set him free. Kamehameha then wrote a law to protect the weak from the strong. Mālama hoe kānāwai is the “Law of the
Splintered Paddle".

E nā kānaka,
E mālama ‘oukou i ke akua
A e mālama ho‘i ke kanaka nui a me kanaka iki;
E hele ka ‘elemakule, ka luahine, a me ke kama
A moe i ke ala
‘A‘ohe mea nāna e ho‘opilikia.
Hewa nō. Make.

Law of the Splintered Paddle
O my people,
Honor thy god;
respect alike [the rights of] men great and humble;
See to it that our aged, our women,
and our children
Lie down to sleep by the roadside
Without fear of harm.
Disobey, and die.

What a beautiful story. It brought tears to my eyes. I enjoy sharing the tidbits of knowledge and these interesting stories with my husband Dave, and my colleague Lydia who visits her friends on the Big Island of Hawai'i every year. Last month, my brothers from Hawai'i, Dave and I were visiting our nephew Ikaika in Reno for his Bar Mitzvah. We were driving through the parking lot of a big casino when a guy in a big truck cut us off and stole our parking space. My younger brother who was driving started rattling off some unpleasantries, when I piped up, "Gee, that's not very 'olu'olu, huh?" We all laughed, but it was a good reminder that we can still carry our Hawaiian values here on the mainland. We know who we are and we can challenge ourselves to live with Aloha in our daily lives.