Hawaiians Unite

"A ia hoi, nani ka maika'i a me ka oluolu, O ka noho lokahi pu ana o na hoahanau!" "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Psalm 133:1

Friday, August 11, 2006

E-Mail Thanks and Honolulu Advertiser Article Re Day of Pule for Princess Pauahi's Legacy, October 16, 2005

October 17, Monday morning from Huntington Beach, California....

Aloha kakahiaka kakou,

Times like this I wish e-mail could convey all the aloha I feel in my heart for all of you....so please accept my feeble attempt to thank you all for joining together yesterday in the spirit of lokahi and mana'o'i'o to pule for Princess Pauahi's legacy. As I write this, my eyes are flooding with tears....

Honolulu and Iraq: I've reprinted below an article from this morning's Honolulu Advertiser - the photos will give you chicken skin. As you'll read in the article, the O'ahu Assoc. of Haw'n Civic Clubs led a very touching, dignified service at Mauna 'Ala, where Princess Pauahi was laid to rest. You'll also read about Kimo Bacon, KS '71 and our other Warriors in Iraq - we loved your creativity in using chemical glow sticks for "candles"!

U.S. Midwest: Luana Johnson in South Dakota reported that 30+ KS alumni gathered, and there was a "hush and a quiet as we had the prayers." She said tears flowed as they "remembered 'small kid times' from back home." As you'll read in the article, they enjoyed pa'ina -- all homemade!

Berkeley, CA: Uncle Kem and Aunty Roz Loong, who hosted the northern California vigil at the Berkeley Marina, also reported about 30 people joined them for a picture perfect evening on the shores of San Francisco Bay. There was no wind, so the tiki torches and candles provided a steady flow of light. Chaplain Edward Kaluna Aki volunteered to officiate spontaneously, and Aunty Roz described the event as extremely moving in that outdoor setting. She even spoke of raccoons scurrying underfoot to grab crumbs from their kaukau!

Long Beach, CA: Here in southern California, we had approximately 55-60 participants, ranging in age from 9 to 90. We had thunderstorms all day yesterday, but we received the rain as Ke Akua's blessing on our gathering. Two of our kupuna up here, the Kaikainahaole's, brought a beautiful portrait of Princess Pauahi, which folks draped with lei ho'okupu. I think the most chicken skin moment for me was seeing Kapua Holland's halau dance "How Great Thou Art," singing "Pauahi O Kalani" with all the vocal parts (mahalo Charley Kiaha and Kama'aina Glee Club!), and doing the responsive reading, knowing that all of you were reading the same words along with us.

Hilo, HI: Hartwell Kaeo reports on their pule vigil: " The alumni classes attending ranged from KS '52 to KS '2000. The pride and nostalgia was reflected in the voices of these alumni as they sang "Pauahi O Ka Lani", "He Inoa No Pauahi" and "Sons of Hawai'i". Each song rendition was worthy of a Song Contest trophy (especially the women's parts, nahenahe.)" Mahalo Hilo 'ohana for braving the rain to pule together!

Texas: My new friend Kaunaloa reported that her Texas halau gathered to pule on Saturday. She encourages us: "May our Day of Prayer only be a beginning. May we remember daily to ask for God's intervention so that the things done by the ali`i to help their people remain in place....The loss of any culture is a worldwide loss."

I'll end here and let you read the article and enjoy the photos below. I will be in touch when we hear anything definitive from the Ninth Circuit. In the meantime, may I pass along a blessing to each and every one of you, no matter where you are when you read this?

"I mau aku la lokomaika'i o ka Haku 'o Kesu Kristo, me ke aloha o Ke Akua, a me ka launa pu'ana o ka 'Uhana Hemolele me 'oukou apau. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you always. Amene."
Standing with you in pule until our Princess' legacy is secure again,
Noelanialohajai@socal.rr.com



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Posted on: Monday, October 17, 2005
Prayers unite past, future
By Rod OhiraAdvertiser Staff Writer

Asghar Kahn kept his candles lit as his niece, 2-year-old Lei-Marie Morgan, watched with curiosity during a candlelight vigil at Mauna'ala to commemorate the 121st anniversary of the death of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop and pray for Kamehameha Schools.
ANDREW SHIMABUKU The Honolulu Advertiser

Half a world away from Hawaiçi, service personnel in Balad, Iraq, used chemical glow sticks for their “candlelight” pule. Kamehameha graduate Kimo Bacon, who is working in Iraq, organized the event.
Kimo Bacon

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Candlelight brightened the darkness of the Royal Mausoleum grounds at Mauna'ala in Nu'uanu last night, symbolizing the hope Native Hawaiians hold for their future.
"All things we do traditionally is important for the future," Wayne Dickson said, noting that many in his over-60 age group are members of a lost generation of Hawaiians. "It's called the dark ages and now, we're trying to bring the light back as to who we are for our children and their children.
"I never knew my father could speak pure Hawaiian until I was 22 years old. In the 1950s, we were led to believe to get ahead, you had to speak English and that learning Hawaiian wouldn't get you anywhere."
A gathering of about 75 people, including members of Hawaiian civic clubs, attended a pule, or prayer service, last night at Mauna'ala in memory of the 121st anniversary of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop's death and to pray for the defense of Kamehameha Schools' Hawaiians-first admissions policy and passage of the Akaka bill.
Anita "Kaanapu" Naone, president of the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu, observed, "Many people don't realize that princess (Pauahi) was a woman who stepped up to the plate to take on challenges. She had the fortitude to think ahead for her people, and obviously education was first."
After the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, Naone said her grandparents were prohibited from speaking Hawaiian in public. Because of that, her parents did not speak Hawaiian to their children.
But events, such as last night's pule, represent a renaissance of awareness that shows "we want to save the entitlement and benefits for our future generation," Naone said.
Aloha Kekipi, who brought a kauna'oa lei to the Mauna'ala pule for Princess Pauahi, also remembered Princess Kaiulani yesterday.
"It's a sad and happy day," Kekipi said. "Princess Kaiulani was born on October 16 and Princess Pauahi died on October 16. I share with students to remember our kupuna kahiko or ancient ones because we benefit from them having lived."
Similar Christian prayer services were held in Hilo, Hawai'i; San Francisco and Long Beach, Calif.; Chicago; Minneapolis; Charlevois, Mich.; Centerville, S.D.; and even by service personnel in Balad, Iraq.
Kimo Bacon, 52, a retired Army colonel and 1972 Kamehameha graduate working for the Aviation and Missile Command, organized the pule in Balad. In support of the Kamehameha Schools admissions policy, Bacon sent an e-mail to The Advertiser, noting:
"I believe that I can sum up our feelings by saying that a great value of a Kamehameha education is that it develops a strong identity (for) Hawaiians. As such, one of our core values is aloha. We accept others and bring them into our 'ohana and teach and mentor them."
In Centerville, S.D., 31 people gathered Saturday at the home of Ron Carlson and his wife, the former Ann Patcho of Wai'anae, for a pule and pa'ina, said organizer Luana Ahina-Johnson, a 1970 Kamehameha Schools graduate.
"We're so far away from Hawai'i that the only thing we can do is pray," Ahina-Johnson said. "Despite the distance, we try to keep the Hawaiian spirit alive by gathering together, perpetuating the language and history. We try to explain to our kids where the songs and stories come from."
It's one reason the Centerville folks call it a pa'ina, not potluck.
While the menu at Saturday's gathering in Centerville, was definitely mixed plate — kalua pig, chicken long rice, manapua, pork adobo, pansit and, of course, mac salad — the spirit was Hawaiian at heart, said Ahina-Johnson.
Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.