Kanaka Thinking: Hard Work and Prosperity

'Ohi ka manu o ke ao.

The bird of the day reaps its reward.  Puku'i 2366

This proverb praises hard work which leads to prosperity and refers to the bird of the day, the 'ua'u or Hawaiian petrel which flies daily out to sea for its food.

Kanaka Thinking: Becoming a Class Act

Hana a mikioi, lawe a 'auli'i.

Be deft and dainty.  Pukui 447

Said to young people:  Be neat, sweet and clever--not crude and blundering.


Knowing how to navigate flawlessly in the world requires young people to observe the behavior of people who are successful.  Starting with a strong foundation of positive values and a caring attitude, young people can learn much from their elders.

Kanaka Thinking: Keep Sweet Memories of your Birthplace

Lahaina, i ka malu 'ulu o Lele.

Lahaina, in the shade of the breadfruit trees of Lele.  Pukui 1936

Lele, the old name for Lahaina.

No matter how your birthplace has changed, keep the sweet memories of your youth and share them with your children so that they too will share in the beauty of the place where you were born and raised.  In this way, the life of the place remains alive in the minds of many generations.

Kanaka Thinking: The Value of Ancestral Knowledge

Ua lehulehu a manomano ka 'ikena a ka Hawai'i.

Great and numerous is the knowledge of the Hawaiians.  Puku'i #2814

Our ancestors, without the aid of modern technology, were able to unravel the mysteries of nature to create practices and traditions to create a better life.  Conservation, recycling, farming practices, and responsible water management were a few of the things they imbedded into our culture.

The question is when did we lose this wisdom and resorted to actions which were harmful to our environment and our society as a people and a nation?

The second question is when will we be able to move forward on the foundation created by our kupuna to create a better life for the future?  What will it take to affect positive change?  It will definitely not be a a government movement but the work of individuals working cooperatively to make change happen.  For those of us who are kupuna, our job is to raise our children and grandchildren well...knowing kuleana...being respectful...working hard for the common good.  For the young ones, now is the time to listen to the stories of the kupuna that teach the values of our people.  For all, we have to dream that dream of a better Hawai'i Nei.  And then, work toward it!

Kanaka Thinking: Family Traits and Reputation

Ku i ka welo.

Fits into the family behavior pattern.  Puku'i 1870

Whether good or bad, one's behavior is judged by the family he belongs to.

"O wai kou inoa?"  What is your name?  Who do you belong to?  Knowing family connections is an important part of Hawaiian networking.  Keeping the family reputation honorable is very important.  One's alliance with a family known for its honor, integrity, or talent can be beneficial.  

When an individual does something noteworthy, the whole family can celebrate and share in the joy.  When an individual does something dishonorable, the whole family shares the shame.  There are times when children are named after a beloved or honored relative.  The desire is often that the child will carry on the attributes of the relative.  If the child indeed does well and serves as a credit to his/her kupuna, people will say that he is blessed by that relative.  If the child goes astray and brings dishonor to the name, there is much sadness.  In these days of nuclear families, the ties to family are fragile.  Many young people have lost sight that their names represent their history for the generations before them and after them.  

Live a good life and bring honor to your name.

Kanaka Thinking: Thievery and Fear

Ka i ka 'ai ka 'aihue.

A thief is hurt in his thievery.  Puku'i #1390
Theft is accompanied by fear

On the Fourth of July, 2014, someone walked up our driveway and stole our ATV out from our stable.  This was about 9:15-9:30 in the morning.  Although my husband was not home, I was upstairs and by the time I walked across the house, all I saw was the ATV on the highway facing in the Hilo direction and then it was gone.

Such a blatant act of thievery is inconceivable...in broad daylight!  Probably by some of my neighbors.

Two things come to mind.  First is the lack of respect.  Second is the breakdown of the family control.

To steal the ATV, we can only assume that these stealarobbers were watching our home for a while.  They came up the driveway, walked past our dogs, pushed the ATV down the driveway and started it up at the end of the driveway.  They had no respect for us as community members, kupunas, responsible citizens.  They had no respect for themselves as honorable people. Aue, aue, aue.

Secondly, in the old days, word of such crime went around fast!  And if the culprit came from a family, the 'ohana would discipline the wrongdoer who brought shame to the family. So many of the families in our community are dysfunctional and without family leadership,  and young people allowed to do as they wish without boundaries, consequences, and parameters.  Aue, aue, aue for our families, our communities and our nation.

It is my hope that justice will be served and the thieves will reap their just desserts.  Until that time, they must live their lives in fear of getting caught.  Like my mother always said at the end of each Dragnet episode.  "Crime does not pay."

Kanaka Thinking: Imperfection and Beauty

Pu'upu'u lei pali i ka 'a'i.

An imperfect lei, beautified by wearing.  Pukui 2765

Even an imperfect lei looks beautiful when worn around the neck.

A lei, lovingly made, should be cherished and worn with pride.  To pick the flowers and foliage, clean them, and then assemble them constitute a labor of love.  Often a lei maker will have the person in mind and the most astounding foliage and flowers will make themselves available in the forest.

Kanaka Thinking: Estranged Friendships

Huli kua na 'ale o ka moana.

The billows of the ocean turn their backs on each other.  Pukui 1142

Said of friends who are not on speaking terms.

Life is much too short to be vengeful and Regret is much too powerful to harbor.  If there is pilikia or a misunderstanding, make it right by talking it over together.  Words unsaid fester.  Express your thoughts, keeping love as your censor.  Listen deeply. Forgive as you are forgiven.

Kanaka Thinking: The Main Post of the House or Family

Ka pouhana.

The main post.   Pukui 1544
The person on whom others depend for leadership, guidance, and help-the mainstay of the family or group.

Every family needs ka pouhana.  My cousin was such a person and the entire family and the in-laws depended on him for advice, counsel, help, and even scolding from time to time.  He was a patient listener who was not one to pounce into one's tirade to give a retort.  If a scolding was due, he was kind and used questions to make the wrongdoer confront the error of the ways and make the confession one that seemed like it was self-initiated.  If listening and talking did no get to the root of the problem, alcohol was a vehicle to clear out all the bullshit and trash, and he could outdrink and outthink anyone.  His youngest son appears to be the one who will be wearing his shoes. 

We mahalo our ka pouhana for keeping our hale and our 'ohana balanced and stable. 

Kanaka Thinking: Journey to Success

Pipi ka wahie, ho'onui ka pulupulu.

If the firewood burns slowly, add more tinder.  Pukui 2659

Keep trying until you succeed.

In these days of instant gratification, waiting two or three seconds for a computer to work seems like a lifetime.  Yet, the value of patience is much needed in this world.  This is a problem for parents to deal with in working with children born in this generation.  "Are we there yet?"  "When are we getting there?"  "It's taking so long!"  "I checked on it a long time ago."  How long is long ago?

Patience leads to appreciation for long awaited results.  Sometimes, we do not know the impact of our efforts until years or decades later.  Working toward success is an ongoing effort with the definition of success not necessarily dependent upon monetary return.

Kanaka Thinking: Good Works

O ka pono ke hana 'iaa iho mai na lani.

Continue to do good until the heavens come down to you.  Pukui #2437

Blessings come to those who persist in doing good.

There is a difference between doing good and doing well.  To do good means to contribute something positive to those around you.  To do well is to achieve some kind of standard of excellence which may or may not be a positive contribution to others.

Thinking good thoughts.  Doing good works.  Sharing good mana'o.  All of these actions are part of the living good commitment to create a positive impact in life.

Kanaka Thinking: Man as a Steward of the Land

He Ali'i ka 'aina; he kauwa ke kanaka.

The land is a chief; man is its servant. Pukui 531

Land has no need for man, but man needs the land and works it for a livelihood.

It seems as though we have forgotten our responsibility to the land, the ocean, and the sky. Much of our concentration is on technology and we are forgetting the foundation upon which our lives are built. Getting a close understanding of our relationship between the land, the ocean, and the sky is important in building a lifestyle which can be sustained unto itself.

For many of our children, food comes in plastic bags or is placed on foam trays wrapped with plastic wrap. Ask a teenager to kill and clean a chicken and I can almost guarantee that that youngster would have a quizzical look on his or her face. Ask that youngster's mom to take on the task and most mothers who are in their 30s or 40s would not know how to kill and clean a chicken either.

Relying on growing, gathering, or raising our own food is not a step backwards. Rather, it is a step into the future to protect food sources for our families.

Kanaka Thinking: Thorough Education begins with the Little Things

E kuhikuhi pono i na au iki a me na au nui o ka 'ike.

Instruct well in the little and large currents of knowledge.  Pukui 325

In teaching, do it well; the small details are as important as the large ones.

'Ulu - breadfruit,.  Ulu also a word that means to grow, increase,

spread, protect.  

When going to visit a school to see how good it is, check out the little things that compose the campus. Are the campus grounds clean, beautiful, and well cared for?  Do you see teachers, administrators, or students picking up litter and putting it in the trash cans?  As you walk by, do people smile at you?

These are the little things that tell you that people take pride in their school.  If the campus is neat and clean, you know that the maintenance staff is working hard to present a beautiful, safe, and clean environment for the students.  If the teachers know that this is true, they try to keep their rooms neat and clean to avoid the scowls of the room cleaner if the room is messy and dirty.  If the rooms are neat and organized, you can guess that the teacher is working hard to present lessons that are orderly and well planned.  Well executed lessons make for engaged students.  Thus if you are a stranger and students smile, they may not necessarily be smiling only at you but also at their state of affairs.

Pay attention to the little things that contribute to the big picture.

Kanaka Thinking: Wisdom from our Makua

Na wai ho'i ka 'ole o ke akamai, he alanui i ma'a i ka hele iia e o'u mau makua.

Why shouldn't I know, when it is a road often traveled by my parents?  Pukui 2301.  A reply of Liholiho when someone praised his wisdom.

Observing and absorbing the wisdom of our kupuna are ways to improve the quality of our own lives and futures.  Sometimes, all it takes is to follow in the footsteps of our parents in little things that mean a lot like eating meals together, saying grace, saying "Good morning" and meaning it.  Sometimes, we need to tweak a good practice to suit our way of life...instead of letters, we might send emails or text messages to our loved ones just to check on how they are.  And then, there are times when we need to improve a practice through change.  

Of importance is understanding why things were done in a certain way.  Being observant of the social interactions and ramifications are very much the Hawaiian way of learning.  Checking things out and then filling in the blanks to create our own sense of meaning are approaches that need to be used more often in our busy lives.  Taking time to talk and listen are more ways to gather data.  Communication from the mouth and the heart needs to be shared.

Kanaka Thinking: Cling Fiercely to Love

Kama 'ia ke aloha a pa'a i loko.

Bind love that it may remain fast within.  Pukui 1452.
Be a person who knows love.

Love takes work.  If you find love, bind it, nurture it, grow it...so that it remain steadfast within.
Love between people takes work.  We are all with our imperfections and loving fiercely means looking beyond the minor faults and flaws and loving each other as a wholistic entity.  Love is a two way street...as you share love, love is shared with you.

Those who think they "deserve" love will never get what they think they should get.  It is because too much time is focused on what THEY want rather than what OTHERS need.  The more love you give, the more love you receive.  Love can be demonstrated through a smile, a look of empathy, a kind word, a deed done, a time to listen, and sometimes even a tear.

Loving others takes a conscious effort.  Work hard at being a loving person.  It begins with the little things.

Kanaka Thinking: Judge Not

Keke'e ka waha, ua nahu i ka makani.
His mouth is wry (distorted) after biting the wind.  Puku'i 1745
Said of one who has found that what he said of others is true of himself.

How easy it is to judge others and yet how difficult it is to see the same fault in ourselves. 

I often wonder why it is so easy to "talk stink" about people.  More people seem to enjoy this pastime and the amount of chatter seems to be disproportionately greater.  Why is it so difficult to use words to recognize people, to cherish people, to thank people?  We should be doing this more often before we find that we end up talking to ourselves.

Say the words of love and encouragement and whisper them into the universe of understanding.

Kanaka Thinking: Oneness of Thought and Action

Pupukahi i holomua.
Unite in order to progress.  Puku'i 2758

Diversity is wonderful but when it is time for the progress of a people, oneness of thought and action is necessary to create the kind of momentum needed to affect true  and positive change.

Ho'oulu i keia mana'o.

Oneness begins with the family.  The love and admiration between the father and mother demonstrated daily in the home.  Then the love and respect of the children for their parents and vice versa.  The love between siblings becomes the glue for the next generation.

One family at a time.  Conscious and deliberate effort begins at home and spreads outward.

Kanaka Thinking: Blessings

Kahiko o ke akua.

The adornment of the gods.  A shower of rain.  The gods express their approval with rain.
Pukui #1310

How fortunate we are to live on the east side of Hawai'i where rain is so plentiful.  We are surely blessed.

Kanaka Thinking: Contentment

E 'olu'olu i ka mea i loa'a.

Be contented with what one has.  'Olelo No'eau #367

 

Even beautiful flowers have flaw and bugs crawling in them.  Be grateful for what you have.  Don't worry about the past...it is gone and no amount of worrying will change that fact.  Don't worry about the future...it is beyond our power to control.  It is better to live in today.  To enjoy it.  To be thankful.  To smile and laugh.  To do what you can.  You may never see today again so live it!

Kanaka Thinking: Hula and the Merrie Monarch Festival

'A'a i ka hula, waiho ka hilahila i ka hale.

When one wants to dance the hula, bashfulness should be left at home.  'Olelo No'eau #2

I am always impressed by people who are willing to stand up in public and spontaneously begin to dance the hula.  Although I have been a hula student since elementary school, I am quite hesitant to get up and dance.  Do I remember the moves?  What if I mess up? 

Such a focus on technique can be a hindrance to spontaneous dancing.  Rather, the driving spirit should be the message of the song, the beat, the sway, and the smile.  While one should do the hula kumu proud by remembering all the hand and feet movements, there are times when one should just dance to share the beauty of the song.  And if there is a memory lapse, make it up and carry on.

E hula kakou.