Ka Ulu Hoi

I kēia wā o ka ʻoihana haole, e ʻimi ana kākou i kahi hoʻopā ʻole ʻia e nā halekuʻi a hoʻi i ka hana kahiko e like me ka wā o ko kākou mau kūpuna. Ma Paʻauilo Hawaiʻi i ka ʻili ʻo Koholālele, aia kekahi hui ke hoʻomau nei i ka hana a ko kākou poʻe kūpuna ʻo ia hoʻi ka hana mālama ʻāina. Ua kapa ʻia lākou ʻo Hui Mālama I Ke Ala ʻŪlili a he aloha ʻāina maoli nō lākou.

I nā makahiki 1990 i kanu ai ke kula ʻo Kamehameha i nā kumu lāʻau palepiwa ma nā ʻeka he 12,700 me ka manaʻolana e lilo kēia mau kumu lāʻau i wahie no ka hoʻoholo ʻana i kekahi hale hoʻolako uila ma Hilo. I ia wā ua kūʻē ai ka poʻe o Hilo i kēia hale hoʻolako uila. No laila ʻaʻole i kūkulu ʻia. Akā aia nō ia mau kumu lāʻau ke ola mau nei i kēia lā. ʻAʻole e hoʻolako nā kumu lāʻau palepiwa i ka meaʻai, he malu wale nō a ma mua o kēia mau kumu lāʻau palepiwa, he ʻano paʻakikī ka ulu ʻana o nā me mea kanu ʻē aʻe.

Ma mua o ka hoʻomaka ʻana o kēia ka hui waiwai ʻo HuiMAU, ua noiʻi ka ʻohana Kailiehu e pili ana i ko lākou ʻohana a loaʻa iā lākou kekahi ʻāina i Paʻauilo. ʻO kēia ko lākou ʻāina Kuleana mai ko lākou mau kūpuna mai. Ma hope o ka loaʻa ʻana o kēia ʻāina iā lākou, hoʻoholo manaʻo ihola lākou e mālama i kēia ʻāina a e hoʻihoʻi aku i ke ʻano e like me ka ʻāina ma mua o ka hōʻea ʻana o nā mikioneli. Ua hoʻomaka ʻia kēia hui e ka ʻohana Kailiehu a me Noʻeau Peralto, ke kāne a kekahi wahine o ua ʻohana nei, a Haley Kailiehu. A e like me ka ulu ʻana o ka mea kanu, pēlā kēia hui waiwai lua ʻole.

Hoʻomaka ʻia akula ʻo HuiMAU i ka makahiki 2015. A ʻo ka pahuhopu nui o kēia hui, ʻo ia hoʻi ka mālama ʻana i keia ʻāina kupuna. I ia wā, mau nō nā kumu lāʻau palepiwa i kanu ʻia i nā ʻeka he 12,700 ma loko o nā ʻeka he 30,000 i loaʻa i ke kula ʻo Kamehameha, no laila ʻo ka hana mua ka huki ʻana i ua mau kumu lāʻau nei. No nā makahiki lōʻihi he ʻelima i hala, ua huki ʻia nā kumulāʻau a hōʻola hou ʻia nā mea kanu Hawaiʻi. Ma hope o ia mau makahiki ʻelima, ua kū mai kekahi ʻoihana kua lāʻau nāna e huki i nā kumu lāʻau a hāʻawi aku.

Hoʻomau lākou e kanu a mālama i kēia ʻāina a hānai i ke kaiāulu o Paʻauilo. I kēlā makahiki aku nei ua hele a laha ka maʻi ahulau COVID-19, no laila ua ʻano paʻakikī ka hana ʻana a me ke kūʻai ʻana i ka meaʻai. Akā, ke hāʻawi manuahi aku nei kēia hui i nā ʻeke meaʻai i piha i ka mea ʻai i hoʻoulu ʻia i ke kaiāulu o Paʻauilo me nā mea kanu i ulu ma Koholālele.

ʻO kēia ʻano hui waiwai lua ʻole ka mea nāna e alakaʻi iā kākou i kekahi nohona kūʻokoʻa. E kākoʻo kākou iā lākou a e kaukaʻi ʻole i ka poʻe ʻē aʻe no waho mai. Ua mālama ko kākou mau kūpuna i ka ʻāina a no ia kumu, mālama ka ʻāina i ko kākou mau kūpuna. E pili pū kākou i ka hana a kākoʻo i kēia mau Aloha ʻĀina e hoʻi i ka piko.

​© Kanikapila Chong 2021

na Kanikapila Chong