NEWS FLASH BELOVED KUMU ILLEI BENIAMINA HAS PASSED AWAY AT 10 AM THIS MORNING ON KAUAI

mahalo, Kaohi. I hope others on Maoliworld remember what a great person she was. SHe did so much for the poeple of Niihau, adn after getting her Masters degree, and becoming on the Faculty for UH, she spent a lot of time and effort making sure that kids with Hawaiian Koko got into school, especially the Niihauan kids. SHe also helped start Ke Kula O Niihau, on the Westside, so that kids leaving Niihau had a school to go to where it would be an eisier transition for them, and also others could come and get immersed in the language. The preservation of the true Kauai and Niihauan dialects is so important. SOme may remember her very breif term on OHA. I think she used to tell me it used to make her frustrated. SHe was way more happy just being with the people, and helping out her beloved Niihau. ALso, she brought the kids over here, and shopwed the beuty of the songs and music of Niihau that is found no where else in all of Kauai, and also helped to make sure that the people of Niihau werent getting ripped off for their hard work with Na Lei Pupu O Niihau, and brought them here, then had others expatriated from Niihau making sure they carried on the traditions. SHe wrote many meme, and oli and also played music of Niihau and Kauai that most forgot. SHe taught us both ways to speak. UH Hawaii, and Niihau/Kauai dialects. SHe taught us to seek out the truth in the cultrue, and not just say stuff if u really didnt know it. Besides all of that she was really strong. SHe wanted to be independent and just not stop working all the way to the moment of her death she was still trying to be independent. We love her so much and miss her terribly bad. But we just gotta remember everything she stood for, taught us.....that way she stays alive forever.

Replies

Anne Punohu July 11, 2010 at 8:37am

mahalo, Kaohi. I hope others on Maoliworld remember what a great person she was. SHe did so much for the poeple of Niihau, adn after getting her Masters degree, and becoming on the Faculty for UH, she spent a lot of time and effort making sure that kids with Hawaiian Koko got into school, especially the Niihauan kids. SHe also helped start Ke Kula O Niihau, on the Westside, so that kids leaving Niihau had a school to go to where it would be an eisier transition for them, and also others could come and get immersed in the language. The preservation of the true Kauai and Niihauan dialects is so important. SOme may remember her very breif term on OHA. I think she used to tell me it used to make her frustrated. SHe was way more happy just being with the people, and helping out her beloved Niihau. ALso, she brought the kids over here, and shopwed the beuty of the songs and music of Niihau that is found no where else in all of Kauai, and also helped to make sure that the people of Niihau werent getting ripped off for their hard work with Na Lei Pupu O Niihau, and brought them here, then had others expatriated from Niihau making sure they carried on the traditions. SHe wrote many meme, and oli and also played music of Niihau and Kauai that most forgot. SHe taught us both ways to speak. UH Hawaii, and Niihau/Kauai dialects. SHe taught us to seek out the truth in the cultrue, and not just say stuff if u really didnt know it. Besides all of that she was really strong. SHe wanted to be independent and just not stop working all the way to the moment of her death she was still trying to be independent. We love her so much and miss her terribly bad. But we just gotta remember everything she stood for, taught us.....that way she stays alive forever.
Kaohi July 10, 2010 at 8:37pm

Mahalo

May her family and yourself be in all of our prayers in time of loss.

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