He loina Hawaii ka launa ana aku launa ana mai o na kanaka like ole i hui pu kakou ma ke ano he ohana. Olelo ia e na kupuna, “Hookahi no la o ka malihini.” Pela no ia ma ka La Launa Pu! Ke hele mua oe, he malihini, aka ma hope o ia la hookahi, he kamaaina. Okoa ko kakou ano a pau, eia nae, he la keia e hui pu ai kakou i ka manao hookahi i hiki ke ike ia ka pili o kakou. O ka olelo Hawaii kekahi mea e hoopili ia kakou, ina he kamaaina, a he kamaaina ole paha. Nalowale ka hilahila ou e kamailio pu ai me ua ano kanaka nei.

Ma ka pa o Bachman i malama ia ai ka La Launa Pu no ka la holookoa i ka la iwakaluakumaiwa o Kepakemapa. Ma laila kakou i launa mua ai a i ole i hui pu hou ai kekahi i kekahi. Ina aole paha oe i kipa mai, mai hilahila i ke kipa ana mai i kekahi wahi hou, o Hauiki ka hoa like, nona ka olelo “Aole i keehi kapuai i ke one o Hauiki.”  I ke one paha o Hauiki, i ka pa hoi o Bachman, pono e hehi mua ma luna o ia aina i hele a kamaaina.

Oiai au he haumana ma ka makahiki mua, ua malama ia ka La Launa Pu ma ka hale hoikeike o Andrew. Hu aela ka iini i loko o'u e komo ai i ia wahi me na kanaka he nui a lehulehu, kohu kai pikipikio la, aka ma laila au i launa mua ai i kekahi o na kanaka i lilo i kumu na'u. Ua hele a kamaaina ma muli o ua launa mua ana a aohe mea a'u e hopohopo ai i ke komo ana i na papa a lakou. Ke luu iho oe i ke kai i maa ia oe, pela no ma na papa olelo Hawaii. Ma ia hanana nei no hoi au i lilo ai i hoa no kekahi o na haumana olelo Hawaii e ae. Ua oi ae kuu aloha no keia ano hana o ka launa pu ana me na hoaaloha hou mai ka'u papa a me na kanaka i waho aku o ka'u papa olelo Hawaii. He mahalo ko'u no ka hui ana mai me ko'u poe hoa hou a ma laila makou i ee ai ma ka waa like no ka holomua pu ana. O keia ka'u i ike ai, aole paha maikai ka noho mu ana iho, no ka mea, pono kakou e holomua me he ohana la. No laila, eia kekahi mea e noonoo iho ai oe, e ka mea heluhelu, ua holomua anei ka olelo Hawaii ma neia kula nui? Ae, ua holomua no! Pehea kakou e holomua ai, ina aole kipa ia mai ia ano hanana?

Iau e ninauele ana ia Elijah Kalani Isaac, he haumana olelo Hawaii i hele i ka La Launa Pu aku nei, mea mai o ia, maikai ia ano hui pu ana, no ka mea, “Malama ia na mea a pau ma ka olelo Hawaii a me he ohana la.” O ia ka manawa mua loa ona i hele ai i ka La Launa Pu, a hauoli hoi no o ia i kona hele ana. Ua makemake nui ia ka hula ana a me ka himeni ana. Ua piha ka hauoli o ia haumana nei i ka ike ana i na keiki Hawaii i hiki no hoi ke malama i ka olelo Hawaii.

Ma laila i kamailio pu ai maua o Anake Lolena, he manaleo a he kupa no Niihau. I maila kela, “Maikai keia hoolauna pu ana o na kumu me na haumana. Hiki ke pili, me he mea la, he ohana. Hiki ke kakoo kekahi i kekahi.” O ia no hoi kona manawa mua i hele ai i laila. “Pono kakou hookahi… e ola mau ka olelo no kela hanauna keia hanauna.” Mea mai o ia, makemake na kupuna i ka hookani pila ana a me ka nanea wale ana. He loina Hawaii no ka hoolohe ana i na kupuna a i ka lakou olelo aoao. Eia ka manao hope loa a ia hulu kupuna iau: “He mea nui ka pili ana.”

© 2006 Kaluhialoha Eldridge

He ohana olelo Hawaii.

Oluolu ka launa pu ana ma ka pa o Bachman.