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               What is white Hegemony?  White Hegemony is power and control because of a strong military. How does the UH systems have a play in this situation? University of Hawaii had a big part in dehumanizing Hawaiian people like Dr. Haunani Trask because of the knowledge she beholds on the government of U.S.A.  In other words what would the UH system be like without America behind them supporting every mistake that they created for the dehumanization of the Hawaiians? Operation Orange by Monsanto was also done here in Hawaii with the help of the UH system giving Monsanto the Lands to run tests that poison and destroy our lands. Also the UH System has a part in controlling the summit of the two of largest mountains in Hawaii, Mauna Kea and Haleakala. What is the UH Systems doing to help our People? Is it just for the money and greed? How will the UH system give back to the citizens of Hawaii? Someone is in Power and we can see who isn’t in power (us Kanaka). Kanaka maoli were here on these islands for over 2,000 years and yet Hawaiians are still looked upon as animals, therefore, treated less than human. Where in Lili’uokalani’s letter does she give her lands to the University of Hawaii?  What is the big time corporate fearful of when the Hawaiians get the lands back?

“The greatest weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed”- Steven Biko

What does racism mean? Well race is a physical characteristic that are different and therefore, the ism is a behavior or action that is belonging to a certain class of people that have the power to control the other race. Do we have racism in Hawaii? Yes in a matter of fact, we do have racism in Hawaii with the haoles or tourist. The aggression comes from a certain fear. F=false, E=evidence, A=appearing, R=real. Who is this empowering and who is getting disempowered?  With the three P’s, Prejudice, Power, and Privilege, a human being has capability of oppressing another human because they are different. One cannot be a racist unless he/she has the power to subjugate the other. Haole’s need to lose their ignorance when they come to Hawaii because they think Hawaii is like California. I would like to see more humans out of Hawaii act like Kanaka because we are able to communicate to any race without problems because we are the mixed breeds.  Race gets talked about everyday in Hawaii because it is used to navigate a very multiracial environment. How can we become the “in” in our own homelands?

“The greatest weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed”- Steven Biko

What does racism mean? Well race is a physical characteristic that are different and therefore, the ism is a behavior or action that is belonging to a certain class of people that have the power to control the other race. Do we have racism in Hawaii? Yes in a matter of fact, we do have racism in Hawaii with the haoles or tourist. The aggression comes from a certain fear. F=false, E=evidence, A=appearing, R=real. Who is this empowering and who is getting disempowered?  With the three P’s, Prejudice, Power, and Privilege, a human being has capability of oppressing another human because they are different. One cannot be a racist unless he/she has the power to subjugate the other. Haole’s need to lose their ignorance when they come to Hawaii because they think Hawaii is like California. I would like to see more humans out of Hawaii act like Kanaka because we are able to communicate to any race without problems because we are the mixed breeds.

so everybody I tink dat dis a plus fo all us, fo see dat OHA no longah funding dis so called kana'iolowalu. I am one happy kanaka. jus because dat kana'iolowalu has nuttin maika'i fo giv to us kanakas. tink about it, da stuff is all bullshit. trying fo get owa people hand in hand wit da fake state and all its MINIONS. so why da fuk would we want to go dea fo, really. $595,000 is how much dey giving da toilet pepa roll commission dey last check. wtf foa. dat 500k plus shud go back to us people. all da money dey (OHA) wen spend on di9s damn ting is all bogus. I tink dey wen wen pocket da kala and jus made up some B.S. toilet pepa Roll commission stuff, so da buggah lookj good on da books. I tink dat (OHA) and da rest of dey MINIONS (dhhl), (DLNR), (DOE) shud all kick rock da fk outah hea..fo'reelz, dey jus makin tings moa complicated den wat supposed too!

I have lived in Kahului most my life, so listening to the words water rights kind of threw me off track when i first moved out to Kahakuloa a few years ago.  We (roommates and i) were fortunate enough to have a rent a house where the water rights were already set forth, our landlord was smart enough to buy the water rights when he bought all his land.  But a few months into living out there we noticed an abonded house at the top of a hill, come to find out its our landlords friend who owns it, he recently moved back to the states because he could not live in a house where there was no running water.  Before building his house on the hill, he forgot to ask the most important qustion living out there, where does my water come from??  Instead he got stuck with a house that he can't even rent out because the water lines don't work.

I know many people along the way to Kahakuloa who buy water from multiple families, or families who have bought water rights.  What can be done?? Families have paid fortunes to own water rights on that mountain and yet people still fight over it.  So kaumaha

“History is writing by the winners” –Malcolm X

               What is the purpose of the myth? The purpose of the myth is to empower the person who is telling the story. Only the person who won in history is benefiting from the situation. This is a cover up to for the winner’s mistakes. Like America, they do an amazing job at manipulating the situation to become stated as a myth and later imprinted into the new generations brains. For instance Columbus Day, why does America praise a man who has enslaved over 4,000 slaves per year and also stared the first slave trade? I thought that America wanted to start a new beginning? Why is U.S of A dueling over European history? How does education establish and legitimatize political myths and who does this empower?

New technology is shaking things up in style photography. Philippa Warr speaks to legendary photographer Nick Knight about the radical shifts taking place.

"Fashion photography has changed."

World-famous image-maker Nick Knight is telling me how smartphones and advances in image-editing apps are fundamentally altering his line of work, perhaps even rendering traditional fashion photography obsolete. Technological advances are opening up image capture and manipulation to a wider audience, enabling big budget effects on everyday devices, while behind the scenes the power balance between model and magazine is shifting.

Knight makes a case for photography − as we understand it − being over.  Moncler Män Jacka Amazzone Blå. His point is that it used to be relatively straightforward. "The image-making I do now is no longer defined by any of those parameters," he says "I've argued strongly for the last ten years or more that we have to say photography is finished − it isn't the medium we use anymore."

Of course, photography still exists, but for Knight it's no longer the medium we turn to when we want to communicate visually. "There's a new medium called image-making which behaves in a completely different way, is done by completely different equipment and is expressed in completely different chemicals and minerals."

He's referring to devices like smartphones and applications like Instagram, which allow for near-instant image editing; and can be shared immediately with a massive global audience.

"Accessible yet still magical," is how Justin Cooke describes Instagram and the work which appears on it. Cooke is now CEO of the agencyInnovate7 but used to work as vice president of PR at Burberry. He was part of a team who met with Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram. Adoption of the app by Burberry while Instagram was still up-and-coming was vital in keeping the brand ahead of the competition, according to Cooke.

"Instagram was one of those apps that come up every so often like Twitter or Glitché or Mega Photo that allows you to do at the click of a button what before would have taken a long time," says Knight. "I like it because I'm not someone whose primary way of expressing themself is through writing."

Back to the future

The imagery Knight now creates is often shot directly on his iPhone and then run through a selection of image-editing apps − the aforementioned Mega Photo and Glitché being favourites − or traditional Photoshop (as with his beautiful images seen in the catalogue of Somerset House in London’s exhibtion Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!). Knight’s images are then uploaded to his Instagram account.

"It took me back, in a weird way, to the beginnings of my love of photography in the 1970s. I could create something from the world around me, but of course you have to go through the whole process of having the film developed, moncler kvinnor kappor flamme svart, printing it in the darkroom and finding somewhere to show it. That bit has been super-accelerated."

This acceleration suits the internet well. As Knight points out, most people get their style information online now, and that makes it the most appropriate medium for publishing fashion images − far more so than traditional magazines. Clothes are ultimately designed with movement in mind – and the possibilities of image-making – and video −stretch beyond those offered in print.

Out of print?

The changing nature of fashion photography, and photography in general, will affect traditional practitioners and has (unsurprisingly) been met with resistance from some. "There's a certain amount of very understandable reluctance," says Knight. "Where there is a sense of fear is from people who are going to be put out of work by it or who are going to have to change their way of thinking" − magazine promoters, for example, whose job it is to lionise print.

Models, however, stand to benefit greatly from the changes. Moncler Barn Bady Ljus Grön. Traditionally models have been beholden to magazines for work and for exposure but at this point Cara Delevingne has over three million followers on her Instagram account; Kim Kardashian has eleven million.

"I don't think it's sunk in to the models yet but they have the balance of power now," says Knight. "That power shift is something that's fundamental and will change how we perceive people and how the whole system operates." Once the power shift is understood the models will likely have a very different relationship with the fashion publications that sell perhaps a couple of hundred thousand copies. "The models can say, 'Wait a minute, by a factor of a hundred you should be working for me'. So it changes things a lot."

What are the limitations of smartphone photography? As an enthusiast and an earlier adopter Knight has had time to critically assess the options available through the App Store and elsewhere. I ask what, in an ideal world, he would like to add to his current smartphone toolkit. The answer, surprisingly, goes back to traditional photography.

"The default [on smartphones] is a wide angle lens − that's fine for certain sorts of photography or certain sorts of image making. You can see why people did it: 'I want to take a picture of my friend sitting in the car seat opposite me and if I've got a wide-angle lens I can get most of my friend in’." But it's not ideal for all situations and can also create distortions.

Knight's observation highlights just how young this medium is. There is a plentiful supply of apps designed to paper over the limitations of smartphone cameras and even more which achieve effects and circulation boosts either impossible or hugely time consuming with traditional cameras. But there are also technical developments needed − for example, in the realms of lens-making − before the full extent of the repercussions on traditional fashion photography can be known.

As Knight sees it, the image making we have now is an area ripe for invention and marked by the capacity for innovation. As he says, "It hasn't defined itself yet."

Historical Background


The cage crinoline, the major fashion innovation for women in the1850s. During Romantic period, women used to wear Layers of petticoat, sometimes they are use up to six Layers of petticoat. The increasing width of womens skirts had led to the use of more and more stiffened petticoat. 

Woolrich parka donna.

When the hoop skirts of the 18th century were revived to hold out these voluminous skirts, the editor of Petersons Magazine hailed its revival in September, 1859.This skirts look like a farthingale. But at this time women started wearing farthingale again. The farthingale had changed, its name was called crinoline. This was made out of still. A crinoline is a light still frame work covered with fabric to distend a skirt.

First, a little about racism as understood through critical race theory, so everyone knows where I'm coming from. Racism is not only about race, it is about power and historic structures of inequality based on race. So for example, my grandfather studied to be an electrician in Hawai'i. But because more skilled jobs in the 1950s were often reserved for ex-military men, who were haole, my grandfather was unable to find work in Hawai'i employed in the work for which he was trained. THAT is racism! He was denied work not just because he was Kanaka Maoli but because he didn't belong to the preferred race in the colonial power structure, which was created to benefit haoles. 

So that leads me to my second point. If a Kanaka Maoli has race based prejudices, because he/she has not historically belonged to the race which has benefitted from historic power structures, he/she canNOT be a racist! That doesn't mean a Kanaka Maoli cannot be prejudiced or a bigot, which are unpleasant definers, but he/she again, I repeat, canNOT be a racist! So if a Kanaka Maoli yells out their car window to the driver that just cut them off, "Damn haole!" That is not a racist statement, because it has no real effect on the person for which it is directed because it does not affect their position in the power structure. So what if a Kanaka Maoli calls a white person a haole. Does that mean haoles are going to have any less privilege wherever they go? Has calling white people haole ever hurt their job opportunities or ability to get an apartment, credit or a loan? Has calling white people haole justified their oppression? This is not to say that all haoles have it perfect. No way. But it has to be acknowledged that being haole in this current world system has its advantages and privileges that cannot be denied. On the other hand, when a haole calls a Kanaka Maoli a "Damn Kanaka" or "Damn Native," those are more than just words. With those words come a whole history of inequalities in Hawai'i, where Kanaka Maoli were dispossessed and disparaged by haoles based on being Kanaka a.k.a. Native. THAT is racism!

Third, probably one of the most misinformed and damaging arguments I hear from both Kanaka Maoli and non-Kanaka Maoli is that somehow Kanaka Maoli pursuing indigenous rights or special status in Hawai'i is racist, because those rights are race based and seemingly exclusionary. The problem is, this whole argument is based in racism, specifically what's called colorblind racism. This whole idea that we're all "human beings" is undeniably true, and so is the statement that race is a social construct. Well no kidding folks. BUT the fact remains that it is a social construct that really and truly exists and continues to perpetuate inequalities to this day. Before colonization (and let's be honest, we were colonized by haoles), Kanaka Maoli were a productive people. There's hardly any part of the islands that was not developed in some way, such as land and water based agriculture and animal husbandry. To be productive was a Hawaiian value. So if one denies that 100+ years of colonial race-based structural inequalities that historically favored haoles do not have a lasting impact on Kanaka Maoli to this day, what does that imply? Are Kanaka Maoli just too lazy or stupid to be less successful? If one denies the existence of race and lasting impact that it still has in Hawai'i today, THAT is racism! It's not about what is said outright. It's about what is implied. Bottom line, when it comes to indigenous rights or special status in Hawai'i, that is just about giving Kanaka Maoli extra leverage in a system that has been set up against us.

Last, I just want to say, this is not meant to be an attack on haoles. My mother is haole. And I know we have many loved ones, allies, and Kanaka Maoli rights advocates in Hawai'i that are haole. We know the good people. What this is about is using correct terminology to better state our positions. Racism is a word that is often used and used quite successfully to shut down dialogue. And in the context of Hawai'i, it is a word used to shut down dialogue that's often working towards building our rights. And that surely doesn't benefit us! So let's keep it real and avoid the straw man already.

I am Hawaiian/Filipino/German/Irish, so Hapa, but anything could be contested since I was adopted in the 80’s with poor records and raised “American” by Caucasian Americans (as a white American). What I do know is that I undoubtedly carry an ancestry on my skin that has always set me apart from my Caucasian western communities. And what’s felt different in my heart all my life, I’m finally finding connection to in my Hawaiian roots. I do not take this lightly. I have much to learn, and so much to do in this journey.

My Intentions are as follows:

1. To learn about and further connect to my Kanaka Maoli roots, culture, and traditions
2. To learn about the history of Hawaii, and Hawaiians
3. To learn about Issues facing Hawaiians today
4. To connect with Kanaka Maoli

I intend to do these things with the following actions:

1. By seeking information from the source
2. By doing my own research
3. By standing up against the ethnocide of Hawaiian Culture (check out my first attempt against "Huna" here)
4. By standing down and listening when other Kanaka Maoli are speaking

I know many mis-claim “Hawaiian” as “having lived in the {state}”, or “embracing the aloha spirit”. Some feel “Hawaiian” means “50% blood Quantum (?!?)”, and others feel it means local. I cannot define it for anyone, and my displaced history sadly resolves me of the power to define it even for myself.

But what I can say is that there is something I feel in my bones, a pain of ancestry, and the power of resilience, that I believe connects me to something I don’t even have a language for. Seeing pictures of other Hawaiians finally feels like looking into familiar faces for the first time, a family album with no names or stories but connection.

As of now my mana'o is small, and I can claim and own up to my own ignorance here. But I have been feeding my mana'o with the written words of Mary Kawena Pukui, Queen Liliuokalani, Lisa Kahaleole Hall, Kristiana Kahakauwila, and Moke Kupihea, as well as the many posts here on Maoliworld. I also occasionally, (bashfully and awkwardly) seek the advice of the one Hawaiian Elder I know in my town, when looking for legitimate understanding.

I have also definitely learned that there are few sources by non-hawaiians (tho the occasional rare gem), that offer anything useful at all.

Your thoughts are welcome. I only eventually hope to earn and then own my identity here.

It is to my understanding, that GMO's are another way for man to be messing with mother nature.  Everytime someone tries to ?improve? things by interrupting the flow of things.....they end up creating more havoc which often ends in a disaster.  Modifying genes and feeding it to the people will generate concerns  down the road.  However, there is reason for concern TODAY! After learning about the chemicals being used for these GMO's, here on our ʻ āina, I feel the importance of bringing awareness to the people.  Chemicals that are banned in other countries, are being placed in our ʻāina and in the air that we breathe. We cannot change whatʻs happened, but TOGETHER, we can put a stop to what could destroy the future of our keiki.  It is our kuleana to protect the ʻāina.  The ʻāina that raised our kupuna.  The ʻāina that was meant to be here to watch over our keiki and the generations to come.  The ʻāina that we chose to be a part of.

  The Kamehameha Schools owned and run by the Trustees of the Bishop estates is one of the major land owners in the state of Hawaii, its holdings are estimated at 9 billion dollars. The original will and codicil of Bernice Bishop was a well intentioned and heart felt need to help her people succeed in education and the ever changing issues confronting her people of modern day Hawaii. In the thirteenth codicil she gave the bulk of her estate into the hands of her trustees to open and maintain the Kamehameha Schools for boys and girls, and the rest of her estate to invest in what the trustees think best. A portion of these funds were to go to orhans and others in indigent circumstances, giving preferance to Hawaiians of pure or part Aboriginal blood, she also gave them full power to lease and sell said land, to make rules and regulations and admissions of thier pupils. In my opinion the trustees or should I say unworthy trustees, who I might add are descindants of the first europians to come here made her reqeust and vision for the future of her people in to one of commercialism and corporationalism, capitalism at its finest. As I said earlier they have the right or power to say who can attend thier schools, have you ever seen a handicap person enrolled in thier school, I havent, and they brag about all thier students who graduate from thier schools to go onto prestigiuos colleges and cariers. what I want to know is what about the other 99 percent Hawaiians and part Hawaiians of aboriginal blood, are they to also be excluded from education and benefits of Bernice Bishops hopes for her people, she is probably rolling in her grave.

So scary....so many shark attacks.....so common these days.  I feel worrisome to take my keiki to what was once our playground - the ocean.  Did we upset the universe?  Did we disrupt the order of all things natural?  YES....we sure did!  WE....as in mankind.  WE...as in the caretakers of this Earth.  WE....as in you and me.  The numerous shark attacks are messages to notify us that something has gone wrong.  It is all a snowball effect.  Diverting the water from the streams, and removing it from it's natural flow.....has it's effects on everything.  Since the streams aren't allowed to meet the ocean's edge, there are less grounds for the limu to propagate.  Less limu, equals less food to nourish the fish population.  Less fish, equals hungry sharks wandering the ocean in search for a meal. I would always comfort a worried family member by saying, "the ocean is SO big, the chances of us being in the same exact spot as a shark is rare".  But now, if a shark has to cover wider grounds to come across a meal, our chances of being in the same spot are much greater.  WE may not be in control of the natural order of things, and we may not agree to the injustices being practiced upon our 'aina......but WE are still responsible for contributing to making a difference.

I have been raised and taught to be a good Catholic girl. I was brought up in the Catholic faith. I attended St. Ann’s Catholic school K-8th grade then onto Sacred Hearts Academy for high school. Both sides of my families were staunch practicing Catholics. Our religious beliefs were involved in our entire decision making. We attended church every Sunday and that included all church holidays. Of course we also had church in school. I grew up experiencing that my Catholic religion went hand and hand with my everyday living. I only knew one thing and that was that the Catholic Church was right and you did not question it, at all.
Finally, in my junior year at Sacred Hearts Academy, they allowed lay instructors into our all-girls school. I was lucky enough to take one of my required courses from a lay teacher. My required class was a religion course about Church History. Some background information on my instructor was that prior to taking the position at Sacred Hearts, he was a Catholic Brother studying to become a priest. He decided to resign because he didn’t agree with everything that the Catholic Church was teaching. He had built his curriculum for our class from a college course that he taught.
He was very interested in teaching us every detail that had taken place during the Crusades or Holy Wars. The Crusades were military crusades that took place from 1090-1300 AD, lasting almost 300 years. The Crusades were mandated and launched by Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont in 1095. The Crusades were a series of holy wars called by popes with the promise of indulgences for those who fought in them and directed against external and internal enemies of Christendom for the recovery of Christian property or in defense of the Church or Christian people. The first crusade was a success with the soldiers capturing Jerusalem and several other holy cities. However, the religion was spread with violence and military aids. Many non-Christians died at the hands of the Christian soldiers, and this continued even during the inquisition centuries later.
Today The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with 1.2 billion members. Learning that the Catholic Church had participated and carried out mass killings and enslavement of other countries based on a conflict of religious beliefs, baffled me. Gaining the knowledge that the Catholic religion was based on lies and stretching of the truth to benefit them, made me realize that all that I had been taught and led to believe is a historical myth. This huge historical myth after centuries of only telling one side of the story was what my religious belief system was based upon.
I have come to the realization that the purpose of this historical myth is to keep the Catholic Church in business. This is continues to be overlooked because of all the so called good that the Catholic Church has done throughout the rest of history. Bottom line is that the Vatican City State, (landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome.) is the smallest internationally recognized independent state in the world by both area and population. It is also one of the richest religious groups in the world. The Catholic Church is big business and will continue to grow and prosper, based on a lie.

I remember growing up in a small town on the windward side of `Oahu called Kaneohe. There were only three private schools in Kaneohe at that time. Then, like today you needed to enroll into their school system by taking a test. This memory has stuck with me from the age of five years old until today.

I was told by my Mother that I needed to meet with a teacher from the school and that I would be tested on my abilities. I remember taking a short test in a workbook and then sitting down with the teacher and going through a series of verbal recognition. The most important part of my testing took place when the teacher asked me a series of questions. This started with the usual, my name, home address, home phone number etc. However, the teacher kept interrupting to correct me by asking me things like, did I mean to say three instead of tree or Mother instead of Mada. I was so upset with the teacher that I stopped talking and refused to finish my testing.

Of course, by then they had called for my Mother to speak with her about my unusual behavior. When my Mother arrived the teacher explained to my Mother that I did not know how to speak proper English and that would count against me as an effective learner. In other words I was considered stupid. Stupid did not get into private schools.

Now, back to racism in Hawaii, one of my earliest encounter with racism was that teacher insinuating that I was considered less than because I grew up not only learning to speak English, but bits and pieces of pidgin. Not realizing that it was viewed as NO CAN, to speak pidgin. My Mother spoke no pidgin, at all; however my Father was a mix of English and pidgin. I obviously was not allowed to attend my parent’s first choice of private schooling and had to settle for the second choice. Just because of a few vocabulary words in pidgin, racism in Hawaii.

Where does pidgin originate in Hawaii? Pidgin (or Hawaii Creole) originated from English speaking and non-English speaking immigrants trying to communicate in Hawaii. Pidgin is an accumulation of many languages, including Portuguese, Hawaiian, and Cantonese, Japanese, Filipinos, and Koreans. Pidgin became a useful language for each nationality to converse.

I was able to take part in an informative lecture today presented by Kiope Raymond representing Kilakila O Haleakala. He shed light on this very controversial topic of the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope already in the process of being constructed at the summit of Haleakala.

Interesting enough this project is bringing a mere $300 million into the United States of America and $2 million every year for 10 years into Hawaii's economy. It is also a concern by many who support the avoidance of this project that this 14-storyhigh solar telescope will be consuming huge amounts of energy here on Maui. Causing an even more catastrophic footprint just to maintain ideal temperatures. Other concerns of great magnitude affecting our precious ecosystem are the many pollutants such as mercury and other waste products that come with the use and maintenance of the telescope facilities. This will impact our groundwater and native flora and fauna.

There is also another issue that needs to be addressed and that is the need to leave the landforms unaltered on the mountain peaks. This is connected to the spiritual traditions of the Kanaka Maoli. The destructive effects of the proposed Advanced Technology Solar Telescope on the spiritual practitioners of Native Hawaiians living in Maui. Stop the cultural genocide by the National Science Foundation and UH Institute for Astronomy. Kanaka maoli come to such places to worship and feel close to their ancestors.

Bottom line is that Haleakala is SACRED, it is a place of MANA. Haleakala was used in cultural practices by a chosen few. It was not some where that you could just decide " I feel like going to Haleakala today", you needed to not only ask permission from your kupuna, but you needed to have a specific purpose and there was proper protocol to follow. It was reserved for the Kahuna Pule the top teachers of their time. Preservation of this very important cultural site needs to be done now for the protection of the next generations to come.

"Food for Thought"

The telescopes of Haleakala's 'Science City'(more properly described as the Ahupua'a of Papa'anui in the district,or moku of Honua'ula) sit on ceded land. These are lands that belong to the Hawaiian Kingdom and were 'ceded' to the U.S. government with the 1898 annexation. Most of the 1.8 million acres of' ceded' lands became 'state lands' when upon Hawaii statehood in 1959. A recent Hawaii Supreme Court ruling decreed that the state had no authority to enter into agreements about the ceded lands with other parties until the land claims of kanaka maoli were settled. The state is appealing this decision.

Ceded lands need to be managed by kanaka maoli. Mountain peaks like Haleakala and Mauna Kea need to be respected as part of the spiritual heritage of all of Hawaii's people, not as a real estate commodity to be leased by state agencies for a dollar a year to military and research facilities whose activities can impact landforms native creatures and the groundwater sources. - KilaKila O Haleakala, www.kilakilahaleakala.org

Hawaiian for me is a state of being. Until now, I never really gave it much thought as to what that meant to me and who I am as a Kanaka Maoli. I’ve been raised and understand that both of my parents are part Hawaiian and in this day and age that is a remarkable thing to be. I know that I am proud to be of Hawaiian ancestry and both sides of my Ohana have done extensive genealogy to find out exactly where their lineage derives from.

Now, with the knowledge and understanding that I have been privileged to obtain, from some very educated and knowledgeable authors in regards to the use of the word Hawaiian. I am seeing this word "Hawaiian" and how it resonates in me. I do know this, that Hawaiian is my way of life through my culture, nationality and also what my belief system is. I love the fact that I am living today in a society that still has Hawaiian listed as part of this melting pot of nationalities and or ethnicity. Especially, when we are living in a land called Hawai`i.

I am learning to take responsibility for that fact that I am Hawaiian and that it does matter. Hawaiian is part of the classification that we have been classified as. Yes, I see that and understand that, however I know now that I am more than that. Being Hawaiian will never dehumanize me and what I bring to the table as a part Hawaiian. I have knowledge and that is power to make a difference and show how much more there is to being Hawaiian.

Kamehameha Schools' mission is to fulfill Pauahi's desire to create educational opportunities in perpetuity to improve the capability and well-being of people of Hawaiian ancestry.Kamehameha Schools is a dynamic and nurturing learning community committed to educational excellence. We assist people of Hawaiian ancestry to achieve their highest potential as "good and industrious men and women."

Kamehameha Schools should contribute to the development of all Hawaiian ancestral youth of Hawaii by facilitating a fulfilling and bright future. Kamehameha Schools has been a symbol of educational excellence for Hawaiians for more than 100 years, since 1887. Founded by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the Kamehameha Schools is a $6 billion, nonprofit charitable trust that educates more than 4,800 native Hawaiian children. It currently is the largest private school in the nation and considered the nation’s wealthiest charity. Achieving open admissions for all of our Hawaiian children in greatest need of an education there will be no child left behind. The great granddaughter of King Kamehameha I, Bernice Pauahi Bishop, states in her last will and testament of 1883, “to devote a portion of each year’s income to the support and education of orphans, and others in indigent circumstances, giving the preference to Hawaiians of pure or part aboriginal blood”, (Bishop, 1831 - 1884)

Offering an open admissions policy for all children of Hawaiian ancestral decent at Kamehameha Schools would alleviate the problem of Hawaiian children being among the most deprived students in the state’s public school system (Kanaiaupuni, Ph.D., 2003). The social and economic disadvantages facing Hawaiians today cause indifference and hopelessness among many Hawaiian children, the effects of which are obvious in their poor educational outcomes. Compared to other major ethnic groups, Hawaiian children have the lowest test scores and graduation rates (Kanaiaupuni, Ph.D., 2003). Schools in areas with high concentrations of Hawaiian children are corrective action schools with less proficient teachers. Standardized reading and math test scores for Hawaiian students are the lowest among all major ethnic groups in the DOE (Kanaiaupuni, Ph.D., 2003). Encouraging Hawaiian children to attend Kamehameha Schools will provide a nurturing learning environment committed to educational excellence and would greatly support efforts to perpetuate this meaningful accomplishment

To get around the details of the discrimination issues of the Admissions Policy at Kamehameha Schools, the schools could change their Admissions Policy from preference to applicants of Hawaiian ancestry, to instead list all the benefactors of the trust, and extend it to their direct descendants as well. This would expunge the ethnic language of the Admissions Policy, and still allow all children of Hawaiian ancestry to attend Kamehameha Schools. Our Hawaiian children living in sub-standard conditions would not be able to afford a private education and we all are aware that Hawaiians are among the most disadvantaged students in the state’s public school system. Quality education will break this vicious cycle, providing quality opportunities, a more positive sense of self, and social and economic success, the benefits of which are passed on to future generations. Kamehameha Schools should also consider changing some of the curriculum structure to be cohesive with the modules set in place for educational excellence during the 1800's. This is when schools were taught in the Hawaiian language and Hawaiian Consciousness thrived through language and culture.

I had the pleasure of watching Dr. Manulani Aluli Meyer and I was truly intrigued by her thoughts and teachings.

She has a simple way of looking at the life we live here in Hawai`i nei. She shared several inspirational ideas that were very thought provoking for me. She simply gave a few examples of understanding living life by

Mana'o i'o - Faith

Mana'o lana - Hope and

Aloha - Love.

If we take the time to ho'olona-hear and not just ho'olohe-listen we would arrive in a place of knowing through experience. Also to 'ike-see and not just nana-watch we would gain much more knowledge in which to take care of our kuleana. Then we would have the ability to develop Aloha and to be developed by Aloha.

I thought the fact that we all arrive at the same place at the same time, however, we choose to be on different frequency's seems to be the deciding factor on how we as Kanaka Maoli survive living as one people. We all need to take some of what she has shared and learn to malama the `aina and love the land. As she so magnificently put it "Aloha is the intelligence with which we meet life."

I connect with the idea of gotta be useful and gotta be joyful, this plays into all of our kuleana. Again from her teachings the idea that language is the medium in which understanding occurs, but understanding only occurs in interpretation has profound implications. Bringing to light that we all have our own understandings, but if we can arrive at some common ground as a people we could be unstoppable. Just imagine how much more we could ascertain and bring about change for the betterment of our Kanaka Maoli.

"Food for Thought"

"But will it also be thought strange that education and knowledge of the world enabled us to perceive that as a race we have some special mental and physical requirements not shared by the other races which have come among us?" -Queen Lili`uokalani, 1898

Mahalo Nui Loa!