This is clipping form Tane's Blog:I watched Mrs. Emma Nawahi as she arose to address the people. I have never heard two women talk in public in quite the same way. Would this Hawaiian women be embarrassed or timid, or self-conscious or assertive?Not any of these. Her manner had the simple directness that made Charlotte Perkins Stetson, two years ago, the most interesting speaker of the Women's congress. But Mrs. Stetson's pose is the most artistic of poses - a pretense of simplicity. This Hawaiian woman's thoughts were of her subjects, not of herself. There was an interesting impersonality about her delivery that kept my eyes fastened upon her while the interpreter at my side whispered his translation in short, detached phrases, hesitating now and then for a word, sometimes completing the thought with a gesture.""We are weak a people, we Hawaiians, and have no power unless we stand together." read Mrs. Nawahi frequently raising her eyes from her paper and at times altogether forgetting it."The United States is just - a land of liberty. The people there are the friends - the great friends of the weak. Let us tell them - let us show them that as they love their country and would suffer much before giving it up, so do we love our country, our Hawai'i, and pray that they do not take it from us."Our one hope is in standing firm - shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart. The voice of the people is the voice of God. Surely that great country across the ocean must hear our cry. By uniting our voices the sound will be carried on so they must hear us."In this petition, which we offer for your signature today, you, women of Hawai'i, have a chance to speak your mind. The men's petition will be sent on by the men's club as soon as the loyal men of Honolulu have signed it. There is nothing underhand, nothing deceitful in our way - our only way - of fighting. Everybody will see and may know of our petition. We have nothing to conceal. We have right on our side. This land is ours -- our Hawai'i. Say, shall we lose our nationality? Shall we be annexed to the United States? "'A'ole loa. 'A'ole loa."Let us not forget our kupuna who signed Ku'e Petition! I was reading cuz's blogs who always write about our true history. It is he who has inspired me to persist! Our ancestors are calling YOU!I leave you with this thought. BE PROUD WHO YOU ARE AND PERSIST IN ALL THAT YOU DO! BELIEVE IN YOURSELVES BECAUSE OUR KUPUNA DID TOO!Read more…
Hawaiian herbal healing kept alive at universityby Leah Gouker, Ka Leo Contributing WriterIssue date: 10/12/05 Section: NewsThe Center for Hawaiian Studies has the only curriculum in the nation that has institutionalized a traditional healing practice.Levon Ohai began teaching lā`au lapa`au, the Hawaiian practice of herbal healing, at UHM in 2001. "What we're offering here is one of a kind," he said."[It's] a process of restoration," Ohai said.Uala Lenta teaches the introductory course. She was raised in south Kona, where her mother regularly used Hawaiian and other herbal remedies. Lenta has been learning the practice of lā`au lapa`au from Ohai for the last four years.Lenta's class involves identifying the plants and their characteristics, a skill needed before students move into Ohai's advanced classes."I try to practice as much as I can because the more you practice, the better you get," said Lenta, who believes the craft should be used in each students personal life. "It is one thing in saying 'this plant is good for this,' but you can say 'yeah I used it and it works.'""The only way to preserve Hawaiian culture is to practice and take action," Lenta said. "The only way to keep the language alive is to speak it, so the only way to keep lā`au lapa`au alive is to practice and teach it. So that's exactly what this is."Ohai said that teaching lā`au lapa`au at UH has its problems."You can't do it the way it was really done, but at least there is some semblance of it here," he said.Lenta agreed that it can be difficult to teach lā`au lapa`au, which is as much spiritual as it is physical, in the university setting."Usually there is just one teacher with just one haumana [student], who usually trains for years," she said. "This way it can get passed on to more people."Graduate student Anna Holt is enrolled in the Hawaiian Medicinal Herbs introductory course. She says the opportunity to learn lā`au lapa`au serves as a reminder."For Hawaiian people, it's important to remember the way that people used to heal themselves, and they're still applicable," she said. "It just reinforces the knowledge that Hawaiian people have and used to have. I think, like anything, you can't let anything be forgotten."Anthony Ortiz, a plant pathology graduate student, said he loves Lenta's class. "I think it's really important to practice traditional methods of life, period," he said. Ortiz often uses his knowledge of herbs to heal himself. "People are always getting sick, or if you're like me, always getting cuts and bruises," he said. "Usually if I get hurt, there's something right next to me to cure me."Ohai said he is very thankful to the university for making this opportunity possible. "Its objective is to share the knowledge," he said. "That's what the students like - anything that's new. That's progress, that's progression to me.""It's been received very well out here by the students," Ohai said. "Most of them come from a range of backgrounds: medical, botany, biology, nursing and broader areas like engineering and English."Lenta has 42 students in her class although the number of student places available is 30. "I don't want to turn anyone away if they want to learn," Lenta said. "This subject is so personalized and I want to work one-on-one with everyone, but it is difficult."Ohai was born and raised on Kaua`i. His grandfather passed the lā`au lapa`au knowledge down to him, and he comes from a long family line of practitioners. Although he is teaching fulltime at UH, he continues to practice."I get calls every week," he said. Most of his patients are people he doesn't know personally. "It's just by word of mouth, probably.""We don't deal with treatment; we deal with healing and cures," Ohai said. "If you know what to take, how much to take and when to take - those are the three important questions."Ohai says people tend to associate price with quality when it comes to medicine. "But it is not so with the herbs. The herbs are true and honest," he said. "If you take it, you will be healed."Andrew Affleck contributed to this article.
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Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation." ~ Brian TracyDON'T STOP BELIEVING IN YOURSELF!Read more…
Aloha Kākou,On Tuesday, April 15, 2008 charter schools organized at the State Capitol to make a stand for the future of Hawaii by asking the legislature to prioritize education in our state. As usual, charter schools are fighting for funding and for the right to be on equal footing funding wise with regular D.O.E. schools. With charter school enrollment expected to increase across the state next year, the state currently has budgeted money for charter schools that would lower the instructional money alloted per student. This could mean a threat to programs, staff members, and other valuable components of charter school curriculum.Our Hawaiian charter schools have provided an opportunity for the community to choose an education that supports Hawaiian identity and perpetuation of ʻike Hawaiʻi. Please help support our keiki and lāhui by contacting the Senate Ways and Means Committee, the House Finance Committee, or the Governors Office and help them understand that funding is the best way to show that they truly believe the education of our keiki at charter schools is valuable.I have included web addresses to two letters that were published in the local newpapers written by my E.A. and one of my students at Hakipuʻu Learning Center . They really explain our experiences at the Capitol and what we are fighting for. Mahalo!http://starbulletin.com/2008/04/19/editorial/letters.htmlhttp://honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080419/OPINION02/804190309/1108#pluckcommentsCheck it out!
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